Fast, fudgy cupcakes

Don't you love it when you find a recipe that does just exactly what you want it to?

I was looking for a good bake sale recipe recently. You know, something fast and easy, something “grab & go” (no wrapping required); something tasty, relatively inexpensive to make... and chocolate.

Many years of bake-saling have taught me that chocolate outsells everything else hands-down. And while chocolate whoopie pies are probably the bake sale VIP (very important purchase) of many folks, they're a bit of a project to make.

Thus my great good cheer at successfully turning one of my favorite chocolate cake recipes into chocolate cupcakes.

Cupcakes, I might add, that are so moist and delicious they don't even need frosting – score one for “fast and easy.”

And score another for “tasty” – between the Dutch-process cocoa, the chocolate chips, and the espresso powder, these cupcakes have everything going for them, flavor-wise.

Is there a bake sale in your future? Want to make 2 dozen ready-to-sell cupcakes in about 30 minutes flat?

Bake Sale Fudge Cupcakes, here we come!

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper or silicone muffin cups; if you're going to dress these cakes up for a special occasion, use pretty papers.

Place the following in a large mixing bowl:

1 cup (85g) Dutch-process cocoa
2 1/3 cups (283g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 2/3 cups (354g) brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional but tasty
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (14g) King Arthur Cake Enhancer, optional but good for texture and freshness
1 1/2 cups (255g) chocolate chips

In a large measuring cup or medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the following:

3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (340g) milk
1 tablespoon (14g) vanilla extract

Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients.

Add 1 tablespoon vinegar (cider or white) and 1/2 cup (99g) vegetable oil

Stir to combine.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans; a muffin scoop works well here.

Fill the cups about 3/4 full, like this.

Bake the cupcakes for 23 to 25 minutes.

They'll dome nicely. They're done when a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the center cakes comes out clean.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven, and tilt them in the cups so their bottoms don't steam.

As soon as you can handle them remove them from the pan, and transfer to a rack to cool.

Or enjoy warm; look at that lovely melting chocolate!

Success! Two dozen moist, delicious cupcakes, with fairly flat tops – perfect for decorating.

Or just stack ’em up, load into a carrier, and bring to your favorite bake sale or potluck. They're so moist, they don't even need frosting.

HOWEVER: If you have time on your hands, and want to try some fancy decorating – check out our blog post on how to frost cupcakes for any skill level.

Read, rate, and review (please) our recipe for Bake Sale Fudge Cupcakes.