Baking, at its core, is the most delicious kind of science experiment. During quarantine, my family and I have been exploring and trying new recipes and found the act to be both a fun and welcoming challenge. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with reverting back to an old, classic recipe either. For my sister and me, chocolate cupcakes are one of our default desserts. A moist, fluffy cake topped with a silky smooth chocolate frosting hits just the right spot for any dessert lovers who have a sweet tooth. But I’ll bet you readers would much rather enjoy the cupcakes than read about them, so let’s get started.

Cupcake ingredients: 

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ tsp vanilla 
• ½ cup hot water

Silky chocolate frosting:

• 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
• 3 tbsp dark cocoa powder
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 4-5 tbsp heavy whipping cream

Peanut butter frosting alternative (as pictured):

• 1 ½ cups peanut butter at room temperature
• ½ cup softened butter, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 ½ tsp heavy cream or 2% milk

Cooking instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 300º F and prepare a cupcake pan with liners.
• Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
• Combine the egg, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla in another medium-sized bowl. 
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. 
• Add the water to the batter, mix until well combined. The batter should be thin. 
• Pour batter into cupcake liners until batter reaches halfway up the sides of the liners. Bake for 18-23 minutes or until a toothpick can be removed with a few moist crumbs. 
• Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Frosting preparation: 

• For the frosting, beat the butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
• Add the melted chocolate and mix until well combined. 
• Add in the cocoa powder until well combined. 
• Add about half of the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream and mix until well combined. 
• Add the remaining powdered sugar and salt and combine until smooth.
• Add remaining heavy cream until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.
• Pipe your lovely frosting onto the cupcakes.

If making the peanut butter frosting:

• Cream together the butter and peanut butter
• Add in vanilla extract and powdered sugar, and mix until combined
• Add in cream/milk and mix until the frosting reaches the desired consistency

I know, it’s a lot, but I can promise you that the results are 100% worth it! Whether you keep the cupcakes for yourself or share them with friends and family, the important thing is that you have fun, and conduct your scrumptious science experiment safely.