This is the perfect recipe for a small batch of 6 soft and fluffy chocolate cupcakes. The cupcakes are quick and easy (made in one bowl) and topped with vanilla buttercream frosting.
We love small batch recipes! These cupcakes join our Small Batch Brownies and Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies. Prefer a vanilla cupcake? Try our Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes.
These cupcakes are
Quick and easy: The batter comes together in one bowl, in minutes!
Soft and fluffy: These cupcakes have a beautiful dome and a fluffy texture.
Flavorful: The chocolate flavor is enhanced with a bit of coffee (more on this below) and rounded out with smooth vanilla frosting.
Perfect for small celebrations: Celebrating with just a few people? This recipe is a great option that won’t leave you with a bunch of leftovers.
Recipe overview
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
Make the cupcakes:
- Combine dry ingredients.
- Add egg, oil, milk, and vanilla.
- Add hot coffee.
Divide the batter between six lined muffin cups.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the cupcakes have puffed up and a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean.
Make the vanilla buttercream frosting:
Combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.
Assemble:
Pipe or spread the frosting onto each cupcake. Topped with sprinkles or chocolate shavings.
Special ingredient: hot coffee
Maybe you’ve seen espresso powder or instant coffee added to cookies or brownies to enhance the flavor? We’re using the same technique here. Adding coffee (instead of water) helps intensify the chocolate flavor in these cupcakes. And using hot coffee helps to draw out even more rich flavor from the cocoa powder.
SUBSCRIBE to our free NEWSLETTER – Follow on INSTAGRAM
Recipe
Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup hot coffee, see note
Vanilla frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk, half and half, or cream, plus more, if needed
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 6 muffin cups or place 6 liners in a muffin pan. Set aside.
- With a stand mixer or hand mixer, combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add egg, milk, oil, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add hot coffee and beat until just combined. Batter will be thin.
- Divide evenly between 6 prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the tops spring back when you touch them, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting:
- Beat butter and powdered sugar for several minutes, until smooth. Add vanilla extract and milk, and beat for several more minutes, until light and fluffy. If the frosting seems a little too thick, beat in a splash of milk. If it seems too thin, add another tablespoon of powdered sugar.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes using a decorating tip or a butter knife. Garnish with sprinkles or chocolate shavings, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Robert S Fitzgerald
Thanks for the great recipe. Felt like something sweet and wanted to make it quick. Found your recipe and it was perfect. I was lucky to have a buttercream frosting and a bailey’s frosting in the freezer! How easy and delicious! Thank you.
Celebrating Sweets
Perfect! I’m glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Fatima
Hi! These are absolutely delicious! ? I was wondering if you could post recipe for a normal batch of these (or the vanilla version)?
Thank you 🙂
Celebrating Sweets
Thanks! The small batch vanilla cupcake recipe is here: https://celebratingsweets.com/small-batch-vanilla-cupcakes/
Jessica
I didn’t bother with the frosting, but these lovely little cupcakes came out perfectly. I cooked them for 20 minutes, as I think my oven runs a bit cold. No other changes. YUM!
Celebrating Sweets
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂 -Allison
Dawn Thompson
Allison, thank you for this excellent small batch recipe. Could I use it to make a little 6″ birthday cake for my husband? I don’t want to try unless you think this would bake up OK. Thanks again!
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Dawn. I can’t say for sure, but I would assume so. Fill the cake pan about 2/3 full, and start checking it around 20 minutes, then every few minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy!
Julie Scriver
Great, quick recipe! Just thought I’d make a little dessert for my grandkids.
Celebrating Sweets
I’m glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Gabi
Hey, could this be done without eggs?
Celebrating Sweets
I have never tried it. Sorry!
Heather Thompson
I wanted to make my husband a dessert for his birthday (which is tomorrow) to include a small cupcake in his lunch for work. And for a quick candle tomorrow night. These were able to be whipped up, frosting included, in less than an hour! They are coming out of the oven any minute. They smell amazing! I can’t wait to try one tonight. LOL
Also, for those asking, you can substitute the egg with a flax seed egg. Anything baked with less than 3 eggs can be replaced with flax eggs (with the exceptions of custards and omelettes/quiches).
Thank you SO much for the small batch recipe! With it just being me and my husband, this is just the right number of cupcakes for us! 🙂
Celebrating Sweets
Thanks for the kind review, Heather. I’m glad you enjoyed them! Happy belated b-day to your husband. 🙂
Elizabeth
Delicious! We added the leftover coffee we had to the icing and it was just so good! So easy to make and so quick!
Celebrating Sweets
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Lima
This was AMAZING! Usually when my dad comes home, I have all this ruckus going on in the kitchen, so he doesn’t like it when I make something (I’m 12). I started making these ten minutes before he came home and they were already in the oven! They came out fantastic! So rich, quick, moist, and creamy. Although when the 15 min were up, I stuck the toothpick in and it came out wet. I would advise putting it in for 17 min or something. Good work Allison!
Celebrating Sweets
I’m so happy that you enjoyed these. I love that you’re spending time in the kitchen at age 12 – that is awesome! Happy baking! 🙂 -Allison
Ariba
If we want to add mayo to make these moist how much should we add
Celebrating Sweets
These are quite moist as is. If you’re choosing to add mayo, I would guess maybe swapping half of the oil for mayo? I’m not sure, I’ve never tried it. Best of luck playing around with it.