Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
This post contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.
This small batch chocolate cupcake recipe makes 6 perfect chocolate cupcakes! I’ve frosted these small batch cupcakes with chocolate frosting, but you can easily swap that out for vanilla buttercream or your favorite frosting. These are perfect for when you want a little sweet treat but don’t need over a dozen cupcakes!
As much as I love making a fancy layer cake or a whole batch of cupcakes for parties and picnics, sometimes I just need a small batch recipe to have at home! Enter these small batch chocolate cupcakes!
Based on my favorite chocolate fudge cupcakes recipe, these small batch cupcakes are rich, chocolatey, and super moist. I’ve topped them with my best chocolate frosting, but I have a few other frosting recommendations if that doesn’t float your boat.
Plus, just like all of my recipes, you can easily make these chocolate cupcakes dairy-free so they’re perfect if you have food allergies!
Why You’ll Love These Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
- You only need simple pantry ingredients to make these small batch cupcakes, nothing super fancy!
- This makes 6 cupcakes, so it’s perfect to make for just a couple of people or a small gathering.
- These cupcakes stay super soft and moist thanks to oil!
Ingredients Needed
- Cocoa Powder: I recommend using Dutch-processed cocoa powder for both the cupcakes and the frosting. It’s richer and more chocolatey!
- Oil: Use a neutral oil like sunflower oil or canola oil, but in a pinch, you could use olive oil.
- Butter: If you’re dairy-free, swap out regular butter for vegan butter.
- Hot Water: Adding hot water will ‘bloom’ the cocoa powder, making the cupcakes richer with more flavor.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°Fahrenheit and line a cupcake tin with 6 liners.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Step 3: Add the egg, vanilla, oil, hot water, and milk. Mix until smooth.
Step 4: Pour the cupcake batter into the liners so they’re ⅔ full. Bake for 11-15 minutes.
Step 5: Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Step 6: In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and mix until smooth.
Step 7: Add the vanilla and beat once more. Add the icing sugar ¼ cup at a time, until you have your desired consistency. If you find the frosting too thick, add a tablespoon of milk. Frost the cooled cupcakes and enjoy!
Looking for more frosting options?
- If you love chocolate but want to try something a little different, top these chocolate cupcakes with chocolate ganache! You could even fill the cupcakes with the ganache for a chocolate surprise inside.
- If you love a classic vanilla and chocolate cupcake, swap out the chocolate frosting for my dairy-free vanilla buttercream. You’ll just need to halve the recipe.
- Love Reese’s cups as much as I do? Switch out the chocolate frosting for peanut butter from my chocolate peanut butter cupcakes! Again, you’ll need to halve the ingredients for just 6 cupcakes.
Expert Tips
- I always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your flour and cocoa powder! It’s so easy to add too much if you’re using measuring cups, and then your cupcakes will end up dry and dense.
- If you don’t have a kitchen scale, then make sure you use the scoop and level method to weigh out both your flour and cocoa powder!
- Make sure the cupcakes are totally cool before you start frosting them. Warm cupcake + cold frosting = a bad time!
- Only fill the liners up so they’re ⅔ full, otherwise, the cupcake batter will overflow in the oven.
- If you feel like your frosting is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk at a time. If the frosting is too thin, you can add ¼ cup of icing sugar at a time until you get the right consistency!
Storage Instructions
Once frosted, store the chocolate cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can store any leftover frosting in the fridge or freezer.
To freeze, let the cupcakes cool completely. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer bag. Freeze for 2-3 months. Let thaw at room temperature before frosting.
More Small Batch Recipes You’ll Love
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- ½ cup (62 g) all-purpose flour
- 7 Tablespoons (88 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (22 g) unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup (57 ml) water, hot
- 3 Tablespoon (41 ml) sunflower or canola oil (or other neutral oil)
- 2 Tablespoons (32 ml) milk, (regular or dairy free)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- ¾ cup (158 g) butter, softened, (regular or dairy free)
- ½ cup (44 g) unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1¼-1½ cup (180 g) powdered icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon milk, if needed, (regular or dairy free)
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°Fahrenheit and line a cupcake tin with 6 liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda together.
- Add in the egg, vanilla extract, oil, milk, and hot water, then mix until the cupcake batter is smooth.
- Pour the cupcake batter into the liners, filling up to 2/3 full and bake for 11-15 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool on a wire cooling rack.
- While the cupcakes cool, make the buttercream.
Chocolate Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add in the cocoa powder and beat until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat once more. Then add the icing sugar ¼ cup at a time until you have the consistency you want. If you’re finding the frosting too thick, you can add in 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until it is spreadable. Frost the cooled cupcakes and enjoy!
Equipment
Video
Notes
The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
This recipe was perfect for a quick small batch of cupcakes. Ingredients that I already had & not too sweet & puffed up nicely (I filled 8 muffin cups halfway and pulled them just as the timer hit 14mins) and i can’t get over how fast they were. And one bowl. Awesome
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thank you!