I have been craving a chocolate cupcake and wanted to try a new recipe so came about this one by combining, mixing adding and changing a whole bunch of recipes – got a little confused with what to leave in, take out, change, increase and decrease but in the end came up with what I believe it the perfect chocolate cupcake. 
They are light without being too much like a sponge cake, moist with the softest crumb and rose a little souffléish and settled down perfectly while on the cooling rack. The icing is pretty much my standard with the added sparkle of fairy dust. A few of my “taste-testers” also thoroughly enjoyed these, and highly recommend you give them a try. Added bonus: They keep very well so you don’t have to scoff them all in one day.
Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing
Ingredients
60ml cocoa powder
125ml boiling water
250ml cake flour
190ml castor sugar
5ml baking powder
2.5ml bicarbonate of soda
1ml salt
60ml oil
10ml vanilla essence
4 eggs separated (I am sure 3 would work equally as well)
1ml cream of tartar
Icing
60g butter
300g icing sugar
45ml cocoa powder
45ml milk
10ml vanilla essence
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Dissolve the cocoa in the water and allow to cool.
- Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a bowl and make a hollow in the centre.
- Add the oil, vanilla essence, cocoa mixture and yolks and combine.
- Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until still and fold into the flour mixture, starting with a third of the egg whites.
- Divide the mixture between 12 muffin sized tins lined with paper cases.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool complete before icing.
- For the icing, beat all of the ingredients together for 3 minutes.
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Yummy…pity I’m fasting. Should try it sometime.
By: halal786 on July 31, 2012
at 07:31
Oh what a pity – at least you can keep the recipe for when you are not fasting. Have a good day.
By: thecompletecookbook on July 31, 2012
at 09:34
You have me craving too my friend this looks so delicious
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
By: Choc Chip Uru on July 31, 2012
at 07:58
Thanks CCU! Have a super day.
By: thecompletecookbook on July 31, 2012
at 09:34
Nice bit of piping there, they look lovely!
By: Sous Chef on July 31, 2012
at 09:45
Thanks Sue! Have a great day.
By: thecompletecookbook on July 31, 2012
at 09:58
I love the fairy dust!
By: Tandy on July 31, 2012
at 11:29
Thanks Tandy. It’s great fun to use. Have a lovely day.
By: thecompletecookbook on July 31, 2012
at 13:43
Gorgeous swirls! It must be delicious.
By: Angie@Angie's Recipes on July 31, 2012
at 13:42
Thanks very much Angie. These really are scrumptious! Have a lovely day.
By: thecompletecookbook on July 31, 2012
at 13:44
You piped the icing so lovely…the addition of fairy dust is always important. They sound great Mandy.
By: Karen on July 31, 2012
at 13:50
Karen, thank you very much! I am loving the fairy dust. Think I need to put it on my list again so I have some spare. Have a lovely day.
By: thecompletecookbook on July 31, 2012
at 14:05
Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing and a bit of fairy dust, I need one, no, 2 or better yet 3, right this moment.
By: Norma Chang on July 31, 2012
at 14:43
*Sends Norma 6 cupcakes, just for good measure.*
By: thecompletecookbook on July 31, 2012
at 14:47
Thanks, they were delicious!!!!!
By: Norma Chang on July 31, 2012
at 20:56
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 09:12
The icing looks so yummy
What a pretty cupcake 
By: Tesney Ap on July 31, 2012
at 16:38
Thanks so much Tes. Have a lovely day.
By: thecompletecookbook on July 31, 2012
at 17:01
There’s nothing better than chocolate cupcakes although I love them without icing. Just that nice chocolate cake is great on it’s own for me.
By: dianeskitchentable on July 31, 2012
at 18:29
Hi Diane, I must admit to enjoying one while it was still warm without icing. Have a lovely day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 09:11
So pretty, Mandy! I’m glad you kept track as you were going – this definitely looks like a recipe worth repeating!
By: Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial on July 31, 2012
at 22:27
Thanks so much Celia! I will definitely be making these again soon. Have a lovely day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 09:13
I haven’t had a good chocolate cupcake in forever and this are making my mouth water Mandy!
By: Jed Gray (sportsglutton) on July 31, 2012
at 23:00
Hey Jed, hope you get to enjoy these soon then. Have a great day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 09:13
Deeeeeeeelish. I love the sprinkles of sugar ontop! WOW.
Can I split one w/ you, sweet Mandy? Xxxx
By: My Inner Chick on July 31, 2012
at 23:51
Absolutely Kim, then we can split another one and then another one! Have a beautiful day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 09:15
Very pretty!
By: Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide on August 1, 2012
at 00:37
hanks very much Greg. Have a great day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 09:15
They look delicious!
I love chocolate cupcakes
By: Bluejellybeans on August 1, 2012
at 00:42
Thanks Giovanna. I was thrilled with the outcome of these. Have a super day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 09:15
Chocolate is my ULTIMATE downfall – and chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting are OMG:) Happy Tuesday!
By: cravesadventure on August 1, 2012
at 00:57
Renee, if I may be so bold to say, you HAVE TO make these for yourself to enjoy. Have a beautiful day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 09:16
Just had dinner not a long ago and I was searching for something sweet, like this!! Too bad I have nothing around that I can munch on while I read your blog… Chocolate x chocoate = heavenly! Love your cupcake liners too!
By: Nami | Just One Cookbook on August 1, 2012
at 05:54
HI Nami, wish I could have sent you a couple to enjoy while you were reading. Have a lovely day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 09:17
This is so unfair! I drive for 7 hours to find an empty refrigerator and a post with scrumptious chocolate cupcakes. So very unfair!
By: ChgoJohn on August 1, 2012
at 06:41
Oh no! I take full responsibility for the latter. I would have kept a couple for you had I known… Have a happy day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 09:19
I love a simple classic like this
By: rsmacaalay on August 1, 2012
at 10:32
Thanks Raymund, they do always seem to be a hit. have a great day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 10:39
I love the way you piped the icing. It looks so gorgeous and really has the ‘wow’ factor xx
By: hotlyspiced on August 1, 2012
at 14:02
Thanks so much Charlie! Have an awesome day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 14:41
Outrageously fab photos! And I think everything should have a sprinkle of fairy dust!!
By: Promenade Claire on August 1, 2012
at 16:22
Claire, what a brilliant compliment, THANK YOU! I agree about everything having fairy dust – it would make the world a happier place.
Have a super day. 
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 16:36
I do love a good chocolate cupcake! Definitely making these this week. Yum!
By: Karista on August 1, 2012
at 16:45
Hi Karista, I would love to hear how you enjoy these when you make them. Have a lovely week.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 16:54
What a lovely original chocolate recipe! I love that it’s not too dark.. creamy chocolate, what could be better?! Sprinkled with sparkly sugar and nestled in such pretty little papers is such a pretty presentation! xx
By: Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen on August 1, 2012
at 20:37
Thanks so much Smidge. Glad you like the recipe and look. Have a lovely day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 21:36
Looks like chocolate cupcake perfection Mandy! So yummy and I love how the texture sounds. Would love to try this!
By: Geni - Sweet and Crumby on August 1, 2012
at 21:14
Thanks very much Geni! Hope you get to make them soon. Have a lovely day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 1, 2012
at 21:38
those cupcakes look divine! Rich and delicious and i especially love the cupcake liners
By: Jessica Maher (@kbelleicious) on August 2, 2012
at 03:28
Thanks Belle! These are very moreish and somehow taste nicer than if they were made in just the plain white liners! Have a super day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 2, 2012
at 10:24
NOT scoff them in one day, are you kidding me? That would be impossible with these beauties!
By: bitsandbreadcrumbs on August 2, 2012
at 04:03
What a beautiful compliment, thank you Betsy! Have a happy day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 2, 2012
at 10:25
Gorgeous swirls!! The cupcakes look so delicious!
By: Baker Street (@bakerstreet29) on August 3, 2012
at 09:08
Thank you for the lovely compliment Baker Street! Have a super weekend.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 3, 2012
at 09:49
This post looks so yummy! =D
By: mydearbakes on August 4, 2012
at 06:47
Thank you! Have a lovely day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 4, 2012
at 10:27
Ok, so I made these today BUT I only had a cup cake silicone tin thingy so it made 17 cupcakes instead of 12 muffin sized one. The first time I put the silicone thing in the oven was a challenge, it was like trying to hold a jelly in my bare hands and stuff it into the back of a van. I didnt realise I had to put the silicone cake thingy it on a baking tray first THEN fill the paper casings, so we nearly lost the whole lot on the kitchen floor on the first lot. The icing was a bit of a SNAFU as I used the wrong connection thingy for the mixer at first, then when I put the correct one on the butter was too hard and wouldnt get creamy so I added more milk, ha ha, very runny icing. However the cupcakes themselves were very light and delicious.
By: Moira Du Toit on August 6, 2012
at 16:15
I am not laughing…it’s a bad cough I have… Oh M, I can just see you in the kitchen – bet the pups would have loved it had you messed it all on the floor. Well done, I am very proud of you! Yay!!! Have one for me after supper tonight.
xo
By: thecompletecookbook on August 6, 2012
at 17:30
Going to make it this long weekend!!!!
By: Mevrou is oppad na heelword on August 7, 2012
at 15:41
Awesome Mevrou! I look forward to hearing how you enjoy them. Have a happy day.
By: thecompletecookbook on August 7, 2012
at 16:44