NOT the perfect chocolate cupcake.
It doesn’t exist! Really, I don’t believe there is a Perfect Chocolate Cupcake Recipe. Either that or my baking mojo is gone. I have never, ever had so many problems baking in my life. I absolutely have to find the perfect recipe within the next couple of weeks because I’m supposed to make them for a wedding.
I thought my chocolate cake recipe would be fine. It’s what the bride wanted because she loves my chocolate cake. What is good for cake wasn’t so good for cupcakes. Reading the fine print of the recipe it clearly stated the recipe was developed for an 8 or 9 inch pan and anything larger or smaller would not produce the same results. Yeah, found that out. The cupcakes were dry and fell apart when you touched them. So on to tracking down that perfect recipe.
My daughter told me she had the “perfect” recipe. I wasn’t happy with that one…dry. So this weekend I made three different recipes. Not a winner in the bunch. I went to the Dessert Bible by Christopher Kimble. Same cookbook where I found my winning chocolate cake recipe. Not good. They were bland, not enough chocolate and still somewhat dry.
Then I went back to my daughter’s recipe. Seems it’s an Ina Garten recipe. Tried tweaking it a bit by adding a little extra water. Should have tried for more fat. The things sucked the moisture right out of your mouth with the first bite. You couldn’t take a second bite because you couldn’t swallow the first.
Then I went to a tried and true McCall’s Cooking School chocolate cake recipe. It makes a great cake every time. But not so much for cupcakes. Better than the others but still dry.
I usually tell folks that if the cupcake is dry then you are over baking it. I don’t see how I can bake it any less without having raw cake batter pouring out when you bite into it. So now I’m on a mission and would take any and all recommendations to heart. I really, really need to find The Perfect Chocolate Cupcake Recipe.
A Little of This and a Little of That 
Hi there, saw this post on my phone’s Zite app’s Baking headlines and thought I’d pass the recipe I use, Easy Chocolate Cupcake recipe (which I think is from an issue of Chatelaine my mom had lying around her house last year), as well as a link to another Zite post I saw a few hours after yours that may help you out. I haven’t tried that one yet seeing as it was only posted yesterday.
Recipe first, link second (sorry you’ll have to copy and paste it in your browser). Hope they turn out well for you. (sorry this ‘comment’ is so long).
EASY CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
-hands on time: 15 mins
-total time: 1 1/4 hours
-makes 24-26 cupcakes
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups cold coffee or water
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp cider vinegar
In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
Whisk in coffee/water, oil and vanilla; stir in vinegar.
Spoon into lined or greased muffin cups.
Bake at 350 (180) until tester comes out clean, 20-22 mins [in my over it only takes 18 mins]. Remove from pan and let cool on rack before icing.
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“Chocolate Cupcake Recipe – The Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake Test Baked by 50 Bakers and Counting” from the Cupcake Project Blog
http://tinyurl.com/ksuptxs
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Oh thanks so much for the recipe. I was hoping to get some tips or tried and true recipes. I will definitely be trying this one out. Thanks much.
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No problem. The Easy recipe that I use results in moist cupcakes for sure. I think it’s the oil and vinegar that are used. Hope they turn out nicely for you.
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