Chocolate Cupcakes for Two

Name: Chocolate Cupcakes for Two
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 serving(s)
Ingredients: 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp. cocoa powder; 3 tbsp. sugar; 1/4 tsp. baking powder; Pinch of kosher salt; 1 large egg yolk; 2 tbsp. canola oil; 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 2 tbsp. whole milk; 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 3 tbsp. cocoa powder; 1 c. confectioners’ sugar; 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk; Valentine’s sprinkles, for decorating

Make the perfect sweet ending to a date — with no leftovers!

By Beth BranchPublished: Feb 1, 2024

Be the first to review!

Jump to recipe

a couple of cupcakes with frosting and flowers on top

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Yields:

2 serving(s)

Prep Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

40 mins

Valentine's Day is the perfect time for making a homemade treat, like cupcakes. But you don't always want to deal with the rest of the dozen that a recipe can yield. That's a lot of excess cupcakes!

To help you make a more intimate dessert for two, we boiled down our favorite cupcake recipe so you can make it just for two.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cupcakes:

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of kosher salt
1 large egg yolk
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. whole milk

Chocolate Buttercream:

4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk
Valentine’s sprinkles, for decorating

Directions

1. Step 1Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cups of a 6-cup standard muffin pan with paper liners. Fill the remaining empty cavities halfway with water to prevent the pan from warping.
2. Step 2Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Add egg yolk, oil, vanilla, and milk. Whisk until combined. Divide batter between the two paper liners. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 14 to 15 minutes. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Step 3Make the frosting: Beat butter on medium-high speed with a mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Add cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and milk. Beat until completely combined and frosting is smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Frost cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles.