Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes

Prep Time:10

Cook Time:20

Total Time:30

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes (makes about 16 cupcakes):

1 ⅓ cup (167g) all-purpose flour
⅔ cup (55g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
⅓ cup (80ml) neutral oil (vegetable oil, avocado, or melted coconut oil)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup (62g) sourdough discard (100% hydration)
⅔ cup (160ml) whole milk, room temperature (or non-dairy substitution)
½ cup (120ml) hot water (about 190°F or 88°C)

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened (but not melty)
3 cups (360g) powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar)
½ cup (41g) unsweetened cocoa powder
2-3 tbsp (30ml-45ml) whole milk (or non-dairy substitution)
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. This recipe makes about 16 cupcakes, so you may need to bake in batches.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, natural unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
In a medium mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer, mix together the oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard until smooth and fully combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter will be very thick at this point. Don’t worry!
Stir in the room temperature milk to loosen the batter. It should now look smoother but still thick.
Slowly and carefully pour in the hot water (about 190°F or 88°C) while mixing. Mix until fully incorporated. The batter will become very thin, and that’s exactly what you want for soft, moist cupcakes.
Divide the batter evenly between the liners, filling each one about ⅔ to ¾ full for a nice rise. Try to keep the portions even so they bake consistently.
In a preheated oven, bake for 17–19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Bake one tray at a time for best results.
Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
In a large bowl, beat the room temperature butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low (so you don’t have a powdered sugar snowstorm) until light and fluffy. Add 2 tablespoons of milk, if necessary add an extra tablespoon of milk for desired consistency.
These cupcakes are made to be slathered in a generous swirl of frosting.

Notes

Sourdough Discard: This recipe uses 100% hydration sourdough discard (equal parts flour and water by weight). You can also use active starter if that’s what you have, but I like to keep it simple and use discard.
Cocoa Powder: Stick with natural unsweetened cocoa powder for best results. Dutch-processed won’t react properly with the baking soda and could affect how your cupcakes rise.
Why is the batter so thin? That’s exactly how it should be! The hot water helps bloom the cocoa for deeper chocolate flavor and creates an ultra-moist, tender crumb.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Don’t skip this step! Using room temperature eggs and milk makes a big difference in how smoothly everything comes together.
Generous Frosting: These cupcakes are made to be slathered in a generous swirl of frosting, perfect for piping tall buttercream swirls with your favorite piping tip. Whether you’re using a star tip, round tip, or going freestyle with an offset spatula, there’s plenty of rich chocolate frosting to go around. In the photos I have used my favorite piping tip: Wilton 1M with a piping bag.
Kitchen Scale: For best results use a kitchen scale to accurately measure all ingredients.

Servings: 16 cupcakes