Ina Garten Beatty’s Chocolate Cupcakes

Ina Garten Beatty’s chocolate cupcakes are an easy make ahead dessert born on a Pennsylvania Dutch milk route. A friend’s grandmother baked cakes to deliver with the morning bottles, and Garten adapted that family recipe into a batch of 24 for any party.

Hot coffee is the ingredient that makes these cupcakes work, so don’t skip it or swap in water. It brings out a deeper chocolate flavor and creates the thin batter that bakes into a fudgy, moist crumb.

Source: Go-To Dinners (2022)

Ina Garten Beatty's Chocolate Cupcakes

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

24

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

320

kcal

Dense, moist chocolate cupcakes with a tender crumb from buttermilk and hot coffee, topped with a swirl of chocolate buttercream frosting.

Ingredients

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  

• 2 cups sugar
  

• ¾ cups good unsweetened cocoa powder
  

• 2 teaspoons baking soda
  

• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  

• Kosher salt
  

• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
  

• ½ cup vegetable oil
  

• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
  

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  

• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
  

• Chocolate Buttercream

Directions

• Prep the pans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the tops of two 12-cup muffin pans, line all the cups with paper liners, and set aside.
• Mix the dry and wet ingredients: Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
• Combine the batter: With the mixer on low, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ones. With the mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. (The batter will be very liquid.)
• Scoop and bake: Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups (using a standard 2¼-inch ice cream scoop). Bake for 25 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
• Frost the cupcakes: Pipe or spread the Chocolate Buttercream onto each cupcake. Store covered at room temperature (don't refrigerate) and serve at room temperature.

Tools for this recipe

• USA Pan 12-cup muffin pan (set of 2), KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart stand mixer, Zeroll original ice cream scoop, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make these cupcakes ahead of time?

These are great for making ahead. Bake and frost them, then refrigerate until the icing firms up before wrapping in plastic wrap. They freeze well for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Can I make this recipe as a sheet cake instead?

Grease and line a 9 x 13-inch pan with parchment paper, then grease and flour the paper. Pour the batter in and bake for 30 minutes instead of 25. Make a half recipe of the Chocolate Buttercream to spread on top once it cools.

What kind of cocoa powder works best?

A good Dutch-process cocoa gives the richest chocolate flavor and the darkest color. Brands like Valrhona or Droste work well here. Regular unsweetened cocoa will still taste good, but the result will be lighter and slightly sharper.

Why does the recipe call for hot coffee?

Hot coffee brings out a deeper chocolate flavor without making the cupcakes taste like coffee at all. It also creates the thin batter consistency that bakes into such a moist, fudgy crumb. Water will work in a pinch, but the flavor will be flatter.

How should I store leftover cupcakes?

Keep them covered at room temperature for up to two days. Don't put them in the fridge, because cold air dries out the crumb and makes the buttercream stiff. If you need them to last longer, freeze them wrapped in plastic.