These Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream are a classic! Deep, rich chocolate cupcakes with smooth, creamy vanilla buttercream. Who could resist? (Spoiler: not me!)
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease two muffin pans or line with paper liners. Set aside..
In a large heatproof bowl, combine chopped chocolate and cocoa powder. Pout hot coffee over the top (see note) and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate chocolate mixture for 20 minutes.
Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
After chilling 20 minutes, remove chocolate mixture from the refrigerator. Add oil, eggs, vinegar (see note), vanilla extract, and chocolate extract (see note), whisking until smooth.
Add chocolate mixture to flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
Divide batter among 24 muffin cups. Each will be about ¾ full. Bake 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn/rotate cake pans halfway through baking to help ensure an even bake.
Cool cupcakes 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
For Frosting:
Cream room temperature butter and sifted powdered sugar until well mixed and smooth.
Add vanilla extract (and/or vanilla bean paste; see note) and cream. If the buttercream is too thin, you can add more powdered sugar to thicken it. If it seems too stiff, more cream can be added until the buttercream is the desired consistency.Enjoy!
Notes
Note on coffee: The cake won't taste like coffee, I swear! The coffee enhances the chocolate flavor, and I highly recommend it! If you would prefer not to, you can use hot water instead.Note on chocolate extract: I highly recommend this (sometimes overlooked) extract! It lends an amazing depth of flavor to chocolate baked goods! If you can't find it in your local grocery store, you can find some [here]. Even better, makes yourself some [Homemade Chocolate Extract] for next time!Note on vinegar: This may seem like a strange ingredient in a cake, but SCIENCE! The vinegar reacts with the baking soda (think second grade volcano science project), which gives your cake a lighter, fluffier texture. You won't taste the vinegar. That said, if you don't have white vinegar, consider taste in what you substitute. Apple cider vinegar would be a good fit, but your aged balsamic would likely lend a strange flavorNote on vanilla bean paste: The higher quality vanilla flavoring the better, since it is the primary flavoring in the buttercream! If you want to punch up the vanilla flavor, I suggest using vanilla bean paste (one of my absolute favorite ingredients)! If you're looking for vanilla bean paste, you can find it [here].