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Chocolate Chip Birthday Cupcakes - thumbnail

Moist Chocolate Chip Birthday Cupcakes

My Chocolate Chip Birthday Cupcakes are moist, rich in chocolate flavor, and topped with creamy chocolate buttercream and rainbow sprinkles.
Author: Nick Makrides
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep 30 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Cool 2 hours
Total 3 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 690 kcal

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

  • 185 g all-purpose flour
  • 220 g caster sugar
  • 50 g cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarb soda baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 200 g dark chocolate chips
  • 60 g unsalted butter melted.
  • 80 g vegetable oil or canola
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature (55g each)
  • 185 g buttermilk (see notes)
  • 60 g boiling water

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • 400 g unsalted butter softened
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1-2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 155 g powdered sugar
  • 50 g cocoa powder sieved
  • 200 g dark cooking chocolate melted and cooled to room temperature (see notes)
  • 100 g rainbow sprinkles

Instructions
 

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

  • Preheat a fan-forced oven to 130C / 265F (150C / 300F for no fan). Line your muffin tin with cupcake liners. More details on cupcake liners in the notes.
  • Combine dry ingredients - Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, bicarb soda, baking powder and salt to a medium sized mixing bowl and sieve. Then mix with a whisk. Add the chocolate chips and mix in using a spoon.
  • Add wet ingredients - Add the butter, oil, eggs and buttermilk to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined and no dry ingredients are showing. Take care not to overmix the batter.
  • Add boiling water - Lastly, pour in the boiling water and mix. The batter will darken and thin out.
  • Bake - Scoop the batter into the cupcakes filling them up 3/4 of the way. Bake in the middle rack of your oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one cupcake (one of the middle cupcakes) comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • Cream butter - Add the softened butter, salt and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. If using a stand mixer fit it with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
  • Add sugar and cocoa powder - Scrape down the bowl and add all the sifted powdered sugar and cocoa powder and begin beating on low speed. When no dry ingredients are showing, turn the speed up to high speed and beat for 10 minutes.
  • Add melted chocolate - Scrape down the bowl again and add the melted chocolate. Beat on high speed until everything is well combined, about 5 minutes.

Let’s Decorate!

  • Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with an open star top and pipe swirls on each cupcake. Finish with chocolate or rainbow sprinkles.

Notes

Dark cooking chocolate - you want to use dark cooking chocolate and not regular eating chocolate for this recipe as it’s designed to be melted and used in baking recipes. Make sure you let the melted chocolate cool down before using. Warm is ok. Hot will melt your frosting.
To make a smoother frosting
  • Add half of the frosting into a heatproof bowl and microwave for 10 seconds or until jiggly (not melted) in the center. Add to the rest of the frosting and beat on medium speed for a couple minutes.
  • Right before using or adding to a piping bag, use a spatula to beat the air out of the frosting until smooth. Alternatively, you can leave in the mixer on low speed until ready to use, up to 10 minutes.
Butter for frosting.
Make sure your butter is soft! If you store your butter in the fridge, microwave it for 10 seconds at a time, flipping it over each time until it’s soft. Not melted. You want it to be soft enough that if you press on it with your finger there’s a little resistance, but your finger can make a dent.
Storage - Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
Nutrition - is based on per cupcake. This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.
What size muffin tin do you use?
I use a Wiltshire muffin tin. It’s pretty standard in size.
Bottom 5.5cm
Height: 3cm
Top: 7cm
What size cupcake liners do you use?
I use a brand named Confetta who are based here in Australia, but any greaseproof cupcake liners will work. Opt for good quality ones.
Bottom: 5cm
Height: 4cm
Top: 7.5cm
A note on measurements – This recipe uses weight measurements for the most accurate results. Cup measurements can vary depending on where you are, which affects the precision needed for a recipe like this. Here is where you can learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales.

Nutrition

Calories:690kcal | Carbohydrates:58g | Protein:7g | Fat:47g | Saturated Fat:30g | Polyunsaturated Fat:2g | Monounsaturated Fat:11g | Trans Fat:1g | Cholesterol:115mg | Sodium:253mg | Potassium:317mg | Fiber:6g | Sugar:35g | Vitamin A:1028IU | Vitamin C:0.1mg | Calcium:102mg | Iron:2mg
Keyword Birthday, Chocolate, Cupcakes
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