Pioneer Woman basic chocolate cupcakes are an easy dessert made with cocoa powder, buttermilk and melted butter, ready in about 90 minutes. That makes them a solid go-to for birthday parties, potlucks or weeknight baking, since the batter comes together in one bowl with no mixer needed.
Melting butter with cocoa before adding boiling water is the step that matters most, because that blooms the cocoa into a richer flavor. Skip it and you’ll end up with flat, chalky cupcakes that no amount of frosting can save.
Ree Drummond uses salted butter here instead of unsalted, which adds a subtle salty edge that balances the sweetness of two full cups of sugar. The batter is also thinner than most cupcake recipes, so it bakes into a tender crumb that stays moist for days.
Pioneer Woman Basic Chocolate Cupcakes
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy24
servings30
minutes20
minutes180
kcalThis saucepan-method batter produces 24 soft cupcakes with deep chocolate flavor and a fine crumb that holds up well under any frosting you choose.
Ingredients
2 sticks salted butter
4 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
Directions
- Prep the pans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners, so they’re ready once the batter comes together.
- Bloom the cocoa: Melt 2 sticks of salted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the cocoa powder until smooth. Pour in the boiling water, let it boil for 15 seconds, then remove from heat to cool while you prep the rest.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Stir together the flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl, then set it aside so it’s ready when the cocoa mixture is.
- Combine the batter: Pour the cocoa mixture over the flour mixture and stir until halfway combined, then whisk the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and baking soda separately. Fold the egg mixture in and stir until the batter just comes together, since overmixing will make the cupcakes tough.
- Bake the cupcakes: Fill each lined muffin cup about two-thirds full with a scant 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, and check with a toothpick in the center to make sure it comes out clean.
- Cool completely: Let the cupcakes rest in the pans for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack. Wait until they’re completely cool before decorating, since warm cupcakes will melt frosting right off.
FAQs
Can I use unsalted butter instead of salted?
You can, but add 1/4 teaspoon of salt per stick to keep the flavor balanced. The recipe counts on the salt in the butter to cut through two cups of sugar, so leaving it out makes them taste flat.
How long do these cupcakes stay fresh?
They keep at room temperature in an airtight container for about 3 days, or up to a week in the fridge. Bring them back to room temperature before serving, since cold cupcakes taste dry even when they’re not.
Can I make the batter ahead of time?
The batter doesn’t hold well because the baking soda starts reacting as soon as it hits the buttermilk, so mix and bake right away. If you need to prep ahead, bake the cupcakes a day early and store them unfrosted in a sealed container.
What if I don’t have two muffin pans?
Bake in batches by filling one pan, baking it, then refilling once the pan cools down. Keep the remaining batter at room temperature while the first batch bakes, and work quickly so the baking soda doesn’t lose its lift.
Why did my cupcakes sink in the middle?
The most common cause is opening the oven door too early, which lets out heat before the structure sets. Overmixing the batter can also cause sinking, because it knocks out the air bubbles that the baking soda worked to create.
