Easy Chocolate Cupcakes
Mix cake mix, buttermilk, and cocoa for easy chocolate cupcakes topped with homemade buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 354ml
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 113g (1 stick)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 box devil's food cake mix 15.25 oz
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 99g
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour 60g
- 3 Tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder
Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 226g (2 sticks)
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder 57g
- 2 cups powdered sugar 227g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- dash milk or heavy cream if frosting becomes too thick
Instructions
Cupcakes
Preheat oven:
Heat oven to 350°F.Mix cupcake batter:
In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, cake mix, sugar, flour, and cocoa powder using an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until well combined. The batter will be thick.Bake cupcakes:
Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Fill each liner about half to three-quarters full. Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool entirely before applying frosting.
Chocolate Frosting
Beat butter:
In a mixing bowl, beat room-temperature butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute until light and fluffy.Add dry ingredients:
Add cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla; beat on low speed for 1-2 minutes, scraping the bowl sides, until fully combined.Adjust frosting consistency:
If the frosting is too stiff, add a tablespoon of milk or heavy cream and beat until smooth.Pipe frosting:
Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M tip and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.