A little indulgence here before Lent begins.....super chocolaty, super-moist, melt-in-your-mouth cupcakes. You don't need frosting for these, trust me. When you look at the recipe, you'll notice a lot of coffee goes into the batter. Don't be put off by that - you don't taste the coffee. It only brings out the intense chocolate flavor. A good quality cocoa powder helps too. And of course, the chocolate chips just put this cupcake over the top.
Here's what you need:
- 1-1/2 c. PLUS 1/3 c. sugar, divided
- 2/3 c. canola oil
- 2 tbsp. white vinegar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 c. cocoa powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. espresso powder (optional)
- 2 c. brewed coffee, brought to room temperature
- 1 c. semi-sweet, mini chocolate chips
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard-sized muffin tins with cupcake papers.
In a large bowl, beat 1-1/2 c. sugar, oil, vinegar, and vanilla until well blended.
In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder (if using).
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet sugar mixture. Stir in the coffee until well blended and smooth. Then add in the chocolate chips.
Fill the paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. (Be sure to stir the batter every now and then to make sure the chocolate chips don't sink to the bottom of the bowl.) Then sprinkle half of the 1/3 c. of sugar over the tops of the batter. (This will create a very light sugary crust when it bakes.)
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in one of the cakes comes out clean. Immediately after you take them out of the oven, sprinkle the remaining sugar over the tops. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the pans.
This recipe should yield about 2 dozen cupcakes. Here is a close-up of one I broke open with a fork..... enjoy!
I have never baked with coffee before, although I have seen many chocolate cakes with coffee in them. I am not a coffee drinker so I never thought to try them. I was surprised to read that you don't taste the coffee, so maybe it is time to try your recipe. Sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteOh, you are such a "temptress!" These sound amazing! Thanks for following my blog, & I'm following yours, too, via LF.
ReplyDeleteCAS
Cupcakes looks perfectly baked...
ReplyDeleteI love the cupcakes. You really have a lovely blog- came over from Balvinder Ubi's blog(http://simpleglutenfreekitchen.blogspot.com/) and am following your blog and you on pinterest.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sarah! Glad to have you here. Love Balvinder's blog! And am now a happy follower of yours.
DeleteYou say double chocolate and I am there, banging down your door!
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictorial and what luscious results!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
This recipe looks mouth-watering...your photos are too. YUM!
ReplyDeleteI am not able to comment on you ham recipe you just posted. When I click on comment , this box does not appear.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to know if I can do the same thing for chicken deli?
Balvinder, I had the very same problem on another blog... I wonder if it's a problem with the blogger template? I would think chicken deli meat would do just as well in that bbq sauce, though I must be honest - I have not tried it. But as I think of the ingredients, they are all typically used in most bbq sauces, so I think it would be fine. If you ever try it, let me know how it turns out : )
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