Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

Here are three variations of a chocolate cupcakes recipe, including a low-fat version and one made with cream cheese.

Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe 1

1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
1 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup milk
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour

Beat oil and sugar with egg with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in vanilla, salt, and baking soda until well blended.

Put milk and lemon juice together in cup until curdled and pour into batter, beating to blend well.

Beat in cocoa powder and then the flour, beating 3 minutes after last addition, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl often.

Divide batter equally between 12 paper-lined cupcake wells. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack 20 minutes. Remove to platter to continue cooling. Frost as desired.

Low-Fat Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe 2

1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup cinnamon applesauce
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tbsp. oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup skim milk
powdered sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, and salt.

Beat the next six ingredients until combined, about 1 minute. Stir in flour mixture alternately with milk until just combined.

Pour batter into muffin cups. Bake 22-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool on wire rack 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe 3

12 oz. cream cheese
2 eggs
1-2/3 cups sugar
10 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups flour, sifted
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange 24 cupcake liners in muffin tins or liberally grease a cake/bundt pan.

Blend together the cream cheese, eggs, and 2/3 cup of the sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Sift the remaining sugar, the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla; beat until smooth.

Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full with the chocolate batter; spoon the cheese mixture on top. If using a cake or bundt pan, scrape the batter into the pan, then top with several layers of the cream cheese topping, spreading it thinly because it will sink in deeper after each application. Bake until the cake test done, 30 to 35 minutes for cupcakes, 40 to 45 minutes for cake. Let cool 10 minutes before turning out on wire racks to cool completely.