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February 14, 2017

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes! Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

I love baking. I love baked goods. Who doesn’t?

What’s the problem?

Ummm. I dunno….maybe SELF CONTROL?

No one can be trusted with full batch of anything in my house.

As a result, I don’t bake much. My dessert section has been suffering!

One cupcake turns into two and then I’m like:

Sweet & Simple- Dessert for Two, solves my baking needs.

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com

Christina has figured out all of the formulas to downsize most baked goods into portions that serve 2-3. Small batch lifestyling!

There are 3 of us in my house.

This recipe makes 4 cupcakes.

Does that mean somebody gets two?

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com

Either way, we all get one!  This recipe reminds me a little of that moment in Bridesmaids when Kristen Wiig makes that single cupcake. Wasn’t that scene kind of the best??

But here, there are four!  My whole family is taken care of with these Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Perfect for a last minute Valentine’s day baking session or a whip up a batch because it’s Tuesday and that’s how we live situation!

Let’s gather our ingredients:

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com

Batter comes together like a dream. I mean, I see a few lumps in this photo but you know, I didn’t taste any lumps, so that’s good news.

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com

MMMM.

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com

4 cupcakes.

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com

BAKED.

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com

Don’t ever worry if your cupcakes look kinda wonky.

Frosting always saves the day.

Before (WONKY)

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com

Speaking of frosting.

Here we are going to make a beautiful vanilla bean frosting.

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com

Mix mix.

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com

Cupcakes + youtube = LEARNING!

Not too shabby. It was actually quite fun. Thanks, internet!

AFTER (The opposite of wonky)

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com

Sprinkles just because.

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com

Took a bite.

For posterity.

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com

Then washed it down with a cup of coffee.

#living

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Recipe makes only 4! Check out more on Shutterbean.com

The funny part is that Cooper said to me, “Next time can you make more?!”

No, son. I cannot.

Unless it’s for your birthday party.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting

makes 4 cupcakes

recipe slightly adapted from Sweet & Simple- Dessert for Two

for the cupcakes:

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk (or milk with 1/2 teaspoon vinegar added)
  • 4 teaspoons canola oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

Preheat oven to 350F and line four cups in a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and instant coffee (if using).

Next, add all the remaining ingredients and whisk until well combined.

Divide the batter between the paper liners, and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the top springs back when you lightly pressed. If you underbake them, they sink slightly, so be sure to test them with a toothpick too.

Let’s make cupcakes cool before frosting.

for the frosting:

  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 of a vanilla bean, seeds scraped (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon milk or cream

Beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Slowly add the powdered sugar, vanilla bean, vanilla extract while continuously beating.

Add the cream, starting with just 1 tablespoon and add more if needed to make the perfect frosting consistency.

Frost the cupcakes with the vanilla frosting and top with sprinkles. Serve!

 

  • Abby @ Heart of a Baker

    Miranda is me, this is REAL. Also, small batches save my life, so Christina’s book is a savior!

  • Karen

    I just got that book too and I love it! So far I’ve made the brownies and the Salted Caramel bars. Next I’m going to try the beer brownies!

    • mary

      i made the beer brownies with beer batter frosting.
      Oh.My.Gosh.

      I was a catering baker for years, and have to say, these brownies are now in my wheelhouse for top three recipes. And they even squeeze out my mom’s recipe!

  • Rachel

    I love the idea of a recipe designed to be a small batch – there’s no way my household of two needs 12 cupcakes sitting around. Your cupcakes turned out really cute.

    How would you describe the flavor and texture of this recipe? Is it deep and fudgy? Delicate? Did you like it better than other chocolate cupcake recipes? I’d love a little detail on what the end result tasted like 🙂

    I’m a fudgy chocolate cake lover myself!

  • Sara

    YES! There are four in our family – PERFECT. 🙂

    And, yes, that scene in Bridesmaids is one of my favorite movie scenes ever and definitely my favorite Kristen Wiig scene ever.

  • Lori

    Love, love, love the small batch idea and the frosting video! Happy Valentine’s! ❤

  • erica

    I will save this for when I do not a have a plate full of cupcakes sitting on the kitchen counter left over from yesterday’s Valentine party for my daughter and her friends. I made 24! Of course I do have a teenage boy so they will disappear without me having to do anything but still, I love the idea of 4 at a time. Thanks and happy Valentine’s to you sweet girl! xo erica

  • Aleeha

    Ooh, these look delicious, and they will make a super cute instagram photo too!
    Aleeha xXx
    http://www.halesaaw.com/

  • Diane

    Thanks! I am going to try these when my daughter is home from college – then we’ll have our family of 4 again and the other 3 of us won’t have to fight over the remaining cupcake 🙂

  • India

    That’s the best idea for a bake book – small servings! In one of Joy the Baker’s cookbooks, she has a single lady pancake and it’s the best. It stresses me out to have a ton of sweets around.

    Also, made hippy banana bread this weekend and it was amazing. My sisters & I have been texting saying that we all wanted to make it and I beat them to it. YUM! Sadly I undercooked it because I was so nervous about overcooking it. Any tips? It seems like an hour in the oven is so long, but I haven’t baked a loaf correctly in forever. 🙁 I tested a side part with a knife and it was clean, but then another part wasn’t. It totally bummed me out.

  • Sarah

    I just made these with Cup 4 Cup flour for my husband and me. What a perfect idea for homemade dessert that’s just the right amount. 🙂

  • Alison

    Yes! There are only 3 people in my family, too which is why I end up giving away A LOT of cake! Also, totally love that you admitted to googling how to frost a cupcake. 😛

  • Jane M

    Loved everything about this post. Was mesmerized by the frosting video! I need to try this technique STAT.

  • Joan

    Made. Devoured. Enjoyed. Happy Valentine’s Day!!

  • Sumreen

    OMG, this is just perfect! I don’t have a sweet tooth but still, I love to bake once in a while! And I was always looking for recipes for small quantities.

    And this is just perfect I have a family of 3 too and my son is too young plus he also does not like eating cakes or anything sweet for that matter. I would always end up feeding my husband with lots of sugary stuff and he is totally not happy with it 🙂

    This recipe just saved me!!

  • Cali

    We liked these! I always have powdered buttermilk in the fridge so this is totally a pantry dessert! Next time I’m going to try it with a peanut butter frosting because peanut butter and chocolate are my dream team.

  • Sumreen

    Hi, tried your recipe for the cupcakes and they were amazing! Tasted so good.

  • Kim

    I’ve already sent the link for these cupcakes to my best friend — Happy Best Friends Day, by the way. Thank you!

  • Jean

    Just made these for my son and me to help perk things up a bit during our stay at home stretch here. Usually I stay away from cupcakes as I’m a complete failure at baking them. These were absolutely delicious! The icing was maybe a bit sweet for us so I would cut down on the powdered sugar next time but this will definitely be my go to cupcake recipe from now on. Thanks, Tracy! Hang in there, we’ll all get through this one cupcake at a time.

  • Meghan

    We made these for a social distancing BYO-cupcake “tailgate” birthday celebration this week. Kids loved making them, decorating, and eating them. Only complaint from them was there weren’t any extras (haha!)

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