Cupcakes are just the thing when you would like to eat satisfy that urge to eat cake without having to bake a big one. You can scale down (or up) the numbers to suit your requirement. And there is something special about peeling off the paper cup and eating a cake, even though small, that is just yours.
And if I have to decorate them, given my mediocre cake decorating skills, I don’t feel threatened the way I do when I face the task of decorating a big cake!
These cupcakes have been made in the microwave. I use my microwave everyday, mostly for cooking vegetables, making pappads and for heating up and crisping food. However, cooking wholly using the microwave is something I do less frequently except while making jams or certain sweets.
I have to point out that the texture of these microwaved cupcakes is somewhat like a sponge cake and to be frank, if I had to choose I do prefer the oven baked version. That’s not to say these aren’t good. They are and I have made them quite a few times. There’s something to be said for a cupcake that can made from scratch, frosted and is ready to eat in under 20 minutes. The recipe is one of those I copied down a long time ago, so I have no idea about its origins. And this is how it goes.
Microwaved Chocolate Cupcakes with Fudge Frosting
Ingredients
For the cupcakes :
- 1/4 cup butter , softened
- 1/4 cup castor sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour u2013 1 tbsps
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the fudge icing :
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 tbsps cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp water boiling
- 3/4 cup icing sugar
- strands Sugar decoration of choiceFor the cupcakes :
Instructions
- For cupcakes : Put the butter, sugar, egg, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cocoa powder and water in a bowl and beat for 2 minutes.
- Divide this batter into 10 double thickness small paper cake cases (you may also use two paper cases for each to achieve this thickness). My cupcake cases were a bit larger so I got 8 cupcakes
- Arrange five filled cupcake cases in a circle on your MW turntable. Cook at 100% for about 2 minutes. The cooking time will vary with the microwaves so check after about 1 1/2 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted. Repeat with the remaining five filled cases. My turntable is on the larger side so I put in all 8 cases in one batch.
- Allow to cool.
- For the frosting : While the cupcakes are cooling, put the butter in a MW safe bowl. MW at 60% for 40 seconds to melt the butter. Add the cocoa powder, boiling water and mix. Add the icing sugar while stirring constantly to obtain a smooth paste.
- Spread the frosting over the warm cupcakes and decorate as preferred. Let the frosting set. Remove the extra paper case (if using) and serve.
I'm Aparna and My Diverse Kitchen is my ovo-lacto vegetarian food blog where you'll find recipes, food stories & photography. I've been blogging since 2007 and believe the kitchen, and the dining table (by extension) is really the heart of a home. 
When you get the cake ready in 2 mts, its okay if u will have to compromise the texture. Liked the frosting too.
Yeah i love making cup cakes too and they are so cute.Your looks beautiful and love the frosting.I have never baked a cake in MW.I hardly use my MW , just to heat things.You should tell me how you do you papad in MW
Lovely cupcakes! Just want to eat them:)
Nice Aparna,Thanks for Gizzadas,they are eggless,so will try it.
The cupcakes looks good, and so do the gizzadas!
lovely .. the pic looks sooo cute. the frosting looks great
Aparnagreat microwave recipe. I will Have to do this. with 2 little girls, this is just great. I bet their mouth will be watering if I show these pics to them:)I have just resend the entry to the Grain event.
i’m sure even kids can make this. lovely recipe.
These look delightful. I don’t use my microwave for much besides storage – this looks like a great way to get me using the tool for the purpose it was intended.
Chocolate craving indeed…Love the frosting…
I agree these taste best when made in the oven..But I make these once in a while when in a hurry..Nice frosting.
Thats so lovely Aparna…thank you so much!
The frosting makes it look awesome and just right to gobble down …..great job…and I think I missed the older posts, but the tarts look gorgeous and I can somehow feel that they taste amazing too….
Yeah microwaved goodies are so different from oven-baked ones. But if you are saving time, why not. I like the frosting on the first cupcake. Looks cute
Aparna, they look lovely but I prefer to bake in the oven. I tried making a cake once and I threw it away.
My son just looked at your goodies and is asking me to make them right now! He’s like “Mom u have to because I want to eat them, and I can’t cook!”Thanks Aparna 😉
lovely cupcakes. they made me subscribe to ure blog,(heheheheheh). loved the one with chocolate frosting with silver dots. looks retro
Aren’t you clever? Microwave cupcakes, and such gorgeous ones. Lovely job, Aparna.
tahts lovely! i only use MW for heating *shameful*
ohoho!! awesome….. lovely cupcakes!!
Aparna those cakes look so adorable.. im hungry..
Aparna, the mw cupcakes look awesome (query – which material did u use for cupcake case, the usual ones are metal or paper, both cant b used in mw) The Gizzadas hv come out superb!!
I am so impressed you can make such perfect looking cupcakes in the micowave! Gonna have to try it sometime! mmm Chocolate sounds very appealing right now! yummy
talk abt sinful cupcakes 🙂 lovely recipe aparna…
Aparna,There is a cupcake event at foodbeam.com.I think you can send these.
Aparna, tks for ur email, I shall surely try them, the frosting looks great as well!
Hi Aparna, just wonderful cupcakes – love the way the icing all piped on top!Rosie x
That icing is hardly mediocre! Off to WIMO now!
love the second pic….
Never tried microwave cupcakes before… I have no idea how it’s going to work for me but your recipe sounds great.
oh what can i say but..simply brilliant!!! i love it
Those are lovely looking cup cakes!
looks fantastic! beautiful! Yummy!And checked the recipes of gizzadas too. Lovely!
Oh, yum! Just yum!
I’m off to check these intriguing looking pinch me gizzadas. Really lovely Aparna.
Oh the frosting is lovely dear Aparna,Ur gizzadas are superb! and very neatly done.
Thanks everyone for all the compliments. I’m blushing!As I wrote to you Purnima, I used the paper cases. And 2 for each cupcake to make sure they keep their shape. Since they’r cooked for so little time the MW doesn’t affect the paper.
Thank you SO much! I had a microwave chocolate cup cake recipe years ago but the cookbook disappeared, probably with a roommate. I can’t eat wheat anymore and I decided to go looking for a microwave recipe because I remembered it as being lighter than the regular cup cakes. I made your recipe substituting barley flour for wheat and they came out perfectly! I just ate my first chocolate cake in two years!
Happy to know that you found what you were looking for, Ranuel.First chocolate cake in 2 years, that’s something.:)
I really must remember not to visit your site before lunch!