These small batch chocolate cupcakes for two are our favorite! Four decadent, ultra-fluffy dark chocolate cupcakes perfect for sharing. And by sharing, I mean stuffing in your face.
The internet has exploded with treats and sweets lately!
I tried to avoid the pull and insisted that I prefer indulgent appetizers to desserts. This of course is 100% true, but I still possess a teeny bit of a sweet tooth and when inundated with all things dessert, I cave.
I set off in search of the perfect cupcakes for two, which for someone who spends most of her time chasing a toddler, meant reading a zillion recipes and reviews during nap time and trying not to eat my phone.
I kept coming across the same tweaked recipe for Nutella Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes for Two. First it was a vegan version from Faith at An Edible Mosaic, then another from Georgia from The Comfort of Cooking, and finally a GF twist on the cupcakes from Sharon at What the Fork. Hello awesomeness. Check all these ladies out; their blogs are amazing!
Have I mentioned that I don’t actually DO Valentine’s Day? There are no special restaurant dinners are to be had and no crazy faux-romantic outings either. I’ve also banned anything balloon, stuffed animal, flower, or chocolate related as gifts. Every year I tell Paul the same thing:
Buy me shoes and feed me.
I never actually get shoes out of the deal, but when he’s not flying on the other side of the world he cooks dinner with me. I’d sit back and let him make dinner for me, but I get antsy and always wind up in the kitchen so I can help stir. [aka taste] Besides, I love cooking with my best friend!
These small batch chocolate cupcakes were absolute perfection and will be back on the menu tomorrow for dessert!
The chickpea thought they were muffins, which she proudly pronounces “mummums,” and spent a good 20 minutes trying to scale my leg until I gave her a taste.
UPDATE:
My little miss is now 4 and requests these all the time! We love how easy they are to make together and the fact that it’s the perfect serving size for out little family of three is even better!
Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes for Two
Yes folks, this recipe is family approved an guaranteed to make your toddler break out in a wild dance party to Uptown Funk.
Why am I still talking? Why are you still reading!? We have cupcakes to make!
Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes for Two
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 TBSP unsweetened dark-chocolate cocoa powder (not dutch-processed)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP milk (room temp)
- 2 TBSP avocado oil or favorite baking oil
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 1.5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 ounces room temperature cream cheese
- 1 TBSP granulated sugar
- 1/2 or tablespoon of milk to moisten
- an extra 1/2 tsp of milk if needed to thin
- one drop of pure vanilla extract
PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk of choice
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a muffin tin with 4 parchment paper liners, or spritz regular paper cupcake liners with oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Combine flour, sugar, dark chocolate cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- Bring milk to room temperature, then combine with oil and vanilla.
- Pour the wet mixture into the center of your flour mixture and stir clockwise with a fork until just incorporated. Over-mixing can sabotage the batter.
- Next pour mixture evenly into your paper liners and set the muffin tin atop an aluminum baking sheet. This trick prevent’s the bottoms of the cupcakes from getting crispy.
- Bake on the center rack at 350 F for approx. 20 minutes depending on oven.
- Adjustments will be needed for high elevations.
- Cupcakes are done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean from the center.
- Remove from muffin tin and allow to cool completely before frosting.
- frosting instructions: Combine ingredients and mix with a hand blender on medium until fluffy. To adjust thickness/consistency, add extra powdered sugar to thicken, or extra milk to thin. Fight the urge to spoon into your face and use a piping bag to swirl atop cupcakes.
- Top with sprinkles.
Notes
Nutrition
Love them so!
Hey now, don’t get too excited over the chocolatified blog post kiddies. You still have to eat your veggies!
If you get a chance to try these small batch chocolate cupcakes, let me know! You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
I used buttermilk instead of regular milk. And I stirred COUNTER-clockwise 😉
Tasted awesome!
So happy you enjoyed them Michelle! xoxo
Delicious! I’ve made this many times and they always turn out great. I have doubled this recipe with success. I have also made with some leftover cake flour and that created an even lighter cupcake. Yum!
These are crazy good. Super moist. My husband loved them.
So happy the cupcakes were a hit, Brandy! xoxo
So no eggs?
Hi Megan! You’re correct; no eggs are needed for this small batch recipe.
Delicious! Easy to make and moist
Yay! Thanks Sandra!
I need nutrition facts of small batch of chocolate cupcakes
Hi Slindelwa! I have updated the post with nutrition info. xo
This recipe is great when you need to only make a few cupcakes. Followed exactly (except used
regular cocoa versus dark) and they were soft, moist, and chocolatey.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Lauri – thank you!
I made these for my husband’s new years birthday. I substituted coconut oil for the Olive oil and i only had cocoa, not dark cocoa (though i added it to my shopping list) they were delicious and just the right quantity. Thank for sharing.
Yay! Hope he had a wonderful birthday!!!!
These cupcakes are perfect!! And very good for my self control issues LOL. Also, your photos are seriously gorgeous!
Thank you Sues! xo
I love that this is perfectly sized! It’s such a pain for baked goods when we don’t need a whole dozen cupcakes hanging around the house!!
They look so decodant! If I want to make 8 of these cupcakes instead, do I just double the ingredients’ amount? Thank you!
Hey Lily, thanks! Some baking recipes can be super finicky when doubled but I think since the batter will all end up in muffin tins it should work by simply doubling the ingredients – Let me know how it turns out!
No eggs needed due to the oil?
Yup! They’re still uber light and fluffy even with the small swap 🙂
I LOVE the fact that this makes a SMALL batch! I cannot be trusted with a large amount of cupcakes in the house… They may all somehow mysteriously disappear 😉
Oh yum! Love these cupcakes! For the person who has 0 self-control around anything sweet, chocolate-y and delicious, such myself, this portioned version is perfect! Thanks for this fantastic recipe!
omg. Thank goodness I’m single. ALL for me.
Um. I’d eat that frosting on toast.
Confession- When I made Greek yogurt frosting for granola bars (ha, 1 T greek yogurt to like half a cup of sugar), I used a drop on them and the rest was eaten on toast.
I love that the recipe for these dark chocolate cupcakes is a small batch recipes – I seriously love a good cupcake but don’t need 6 or 12 lingering around the house. I must make these though!
Thanks Thalia! I’m with you, lingering cupcakes always end up stale or scarfed so a small batch is essential unless I have a friend who wants them or needs a pick me up, then I make oodles!
Soooo can we talk about how perfect that frosting looks? I just want to take my finger and swipe some from the top!!
haha thanks! I totally used a ziplock bag.. 😉
I think I need to make one batch to “taste test” before making an actual batch to share with the husband. It’s only because I care. 😉
Your heart is as big as your sweet tooth =) Happy Valentines Day Mo!
Ever since the holidays (or as I call them, the Yearly Bake-a-Thon Extravaganza), I’ve been all about small-batch baking. This is exactly what I needed for this weekend. Thank you for posting 🙂
Stop it! You’re on a roll with delicious recipes this week and I don’t like it. Because a) I don’t have anybody to share food with/to cook for/feed me and b) I claim I don’t like cake so don’t tempt me to bake CUPcakes and eat my words. Okay, you baked four and there’s just three of you so send me one of those adorable cakelets. Extra frosting, please and thank you.
Peanut butter buttercream! Be still my heart. Maybe I could pair it with celery to keep up the veggie factor. Or not. 🙂
I’ve been making chocolate mug cakes for one, since the hubs doesn’t do sweets much. This also looks like cupcakes for one to me 🙂
My dessert tomorrow. Done and done.
These two person recipes are the best! Especially when you live in a small household! No need to make the two or three people in your house gain 20 pounds because you made a recipe for 24 servings 🙂 Thanks for sharing it !
I can’t get over how pretty these are!
Awesome. One for me and one for you. 😉
Mmmm these look delicious! I love dark chocolate!
Ahh these look amazing! I haven’t had actual Dark chocolate cake in so long!
omg yummmm yes please! xo jillian