Chocolate cup cupcakes
These easy chocolate chip cupcakes are a really fun bake. They take our simple cupcake recipe and turn them into something even more delicious with the addition of chocolate chips.
Chocolate chip cupcakes are the perfect simple bake for kids or beginner bakers. They take a basic cupcake recipe to the next level with the addition of chocolate chips. They’re deliciously moist and the chocolate chips add a yummy twist.
Unlike chocolate chip muffins, the (optional) vanilla buttercream makes them a bit more special and gives to an way of adding even more chocolate chips!
How can kids help to make chocolate chip cupcakes?
Cupcakes are a great bake for kids to make as they are so simple. With this recipe you just need to mix everything together in one bowl so it really couldn’t be easier.
Your kids can get to measure all the ingredients out and mix everything together. And there are a few opportunities to practice cracking eggs – an important skill for any young baker.
My kids like to pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes. If you whip the buttercream for long enough it should be nice and soft and easy enough for them to try. If it looks a bit messy (which is can if your kids are in charge) then cover them with chocolate chips and no one will notice!
How do you keep the chocolate chips from sinking?
Chocolate chips can sink to the bottom of bakes if the batter isn’t thick enough to hold them up. I didn’t find that too problematic in this bake, but in a small bake like these cupcakes you can try keeping some back them spinkling them on top before they go in the oven.
Will the chocolate chips melt?
No. Chocolate chips are made to hold their shape so they shouldn’t melt in the oven. The same isn’t true of cut up bits of chocolate so if you want to have the nice bite of chocolate in your cupcakes use chocolate chips.
How long do chocolate chip cupcakes keep?
These will keep in an airtight container for 3-5 days. If you want to keep them for longer or make them ahead of time, you can wrap them and put them in the freezer before you ice them. They’ll keep in the freezer for a few months. Defrost them fully then ice them before serving them.
What can I use instead of self raising flour?
If you don’t have self riaising flour, swap it for an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and put in an additional teaspoon of baking powder.
Other simple cupcakes for kids
If, like us, you love making cupcakes we have lots of easy cupcake recipes for you to enjoy:
Funfetti cupcakes
Nutella cupcakes
Chocolate cupcakes
Vanilla cupcakes
Butterfly cupcakes
Strawberry cupcakes
Rainbow cupcakes
Monster cupcakes
Black Forest cupcakes
Chocolate fudge cupcakes
Biscoff cupcakes
Chocolate butterfly cakes
Eton mess cupcakes
Ice cream cone cupcakes
M&M cupcakes
Chocolate caramel cupcakes
Other delicious recipes full of chocolate chips
If you want to make something else with chocolate chips try one of these easy recipes:
Chocolate chip muffins
Double chocolate chip muffins
Chocolate chip cookies
Banana and chocolate chip bars
Chocolate chip loaf cake
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these chocolate chip cupcakes:
Muffin tin
Cupcake cases
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Spatula
Icecream scoop
Piping bag
Wire rack
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Ingredients
150g (1 ¼ cups)self raising flour*
150g (¾ cups) caster sugar
150g (2/3 cups) butter/margarine
3 eggs
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp vanilla extract
75g chocolate chips
For the buttercream icing
300g icing / confectioners sugar
150g butter, softened
25ml milk
a few drops of vanilla extract
25g+ chocolate chips
* If you don’t have and self raising flour, use an equal amount of plain or all purpose flour with an extra 1 ¼ tsp of baking powder.
How to make chocolate chip cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 180C / 170C Fan / 350F and line a muffin tin with cupcake cases.
Mix everything together
Add everything to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. You can do this in any order but we tend to always do it in the same order as below so we know we’ve not forgotten anything.
Get your kids to measure the flour, sugar, and butter/marg out and add them to your mixing bowl. If your butter isn’t soft, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften (but not melt) it, before adding it to your bowl so it’s easier to mix.
Crack the eggs into a small bowl before adding them to your mixing bowl. We do his just in case any shell goes in – and if it does simply fish it out with a larger piece of shell.
Get your kids to add the baking powder. Make sure they level the tsp with their finger so you get just the right amount.
Finally, add the vanilla. You might need to hold the spoon while your kids pour in the vanilla or vice versa if they are too young to do it all themselves.
Now, mix everything together with the k paddle of your free-standing mixer, a hand held mixer or wooden spoons until it is nice and smooth. You might need to give your kids a spatula to scrape down the sides of your bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
Finally add the chocolate chips and stir them in gently with a spatula. If you’re worried about them sinking to the bottom of the cupcake, leave some back to sprinkle on the top.
Bake the chocolate chip cupcakes
Get your kids to spoon the cupcake batter into the cupcake cases until they are about ¾ full. We find either a soup spoon or ice cream scoop works well for this job.
Bake the cupcakes in the oven for around 15-18 minutes. They’re ready when they have risen, turned a nice golden brown colour. To double check, insert a cocktail stick or skewer into the middle and it should come out clean.
Remove them from the oven and leave them to cool in the tin for a few minutes before taking them out the tin and putting them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate the cupcakes
Start by making the buttercream frosting. Add the icing and butter into a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. Pour in the milk and a few drops of vanilla, then mix it all together with the k-paddle of your mixer or a hand held mixer. Do it slowly at first to limit the mess. You can also put a tea towel over the top to stop the icing sugar flying out.
Once the icing sugar and butter have started to come together turn the speed up and mix it for at least five minutes. The longer you mix it, the softer it will become.
Add the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large star shaped nozzle. To make it easier for your kids to pipe, put a food bag clip on at the end – this will stop the icing from trying to come out the top!
Get your kids to pipe swirls of frosting on the top of each cupcake. You might need to help them hold the top with one hand and squeeze the icing while guiding the bag with their other hand.
If you don’t have a piping bag, you could try adding the icing to a large freezer bag then snipping the corner and using that instead. Alternatively, just spread the icing onto the cupcakes with a blunt knife or spoon.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top to finish. If your kids are too young to manage the piping they should be able to take charge of this job instead.
Serve and enjoy
Chocolate chip cupcakes
Equipment
- Muffin tin
- Cupcake cases
- Digital scales
- Freestanding mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Spatula
- Icecream scoop
- Piping bag
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 150 g (1 ¼ cups) self raising flour*
- 150 g (¾ cups) caster sugar
- 150 g (⅔ cups) butter/margarine
- 3 eggs
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 75 g chocolate chips
For the buttercream icing
- 300 g (2 cups) icing / confectioners sugar
- 150 g (⅔ cup) butter softened
- 25 ml (1 ½ table spoons) milk
- a few drops of vanilla extract
- 25 g+ chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 180C / 170C Fan / 350F and line a muffin tin with cupcake cases.
Mix everything together
- Add everything to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer except the chocolate chips.
- Mix everything together with the k paddle of your free-standing mixer, a hand held mixer or wooden spoons until it is nice and smooth.
- Add the chocolate chips and stir them in gently with a spatula.
Bake the chocolate chip cupcakes
- Spoon the cupcake batter into the cupcake cases until they are about ¾ full.
- Bake the cupcakes in the oven for around 15-18 minutes. They're ready when they have risen, turned a nice golden brown colour. To double check, insert a cocktail stick or skewer into the middle and it should come out clean.
- Remove them from the oven and leave them to cool in the tin for a few minutes before taking them out the tin and putting them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate the cupcakes
- Start by making the buttercream frosting. Add the icing and butter into a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. Pour in the milk and a few drops of vanilla, then mix it all together with the k-paddle of your mixer or a hand held mixer. Do it slowly at first to limit the mess. Once the icing sugar and butter have started to come together turn the speed up and mix it for at least five minutes. The longer you mix it, the softer it will become.
- Add the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large star shaped nozzle.Pipe swirls of frosting on the top of each cupcake.Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top to finish.
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If you liked these chocolate chip cupcakes, you’ll love our other easy cupcake recipes as well as our favourite easy bakes for kids.
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