One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
If you’re in the mood for chocolate cupcakes, but you’re out of milk, eggs, and butter, here’s a quick and easy vegan recipe that will do the trick. Or you can use the same batter to make an equally quick and easy cake!

Makes 24 Cupcakes
Here’s What You Need
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups water
- ¾ cup vegetable or olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Here’s What You Do
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. If you’re making a cake, grease the pan.

Stir the sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a large bowl.

Add the water, vegetable oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix it up with a spoon until nice and smooth.

Pour the batter into the muffin pans until they are two-thirds full. Bake for 25 minutes (longer for a cake), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Baking Times
- Two 8- or 9-inch round or square pans – 30 minutes
- One 13- by 9- by 2-inch pan – 40 minutes
- Two 12-cup muffin pans – 25 minutes
Excerpted and adapted from Baking Class © Deanna F. Cook.
This delightful baking cookbook for children ages 8–12 features 50 easy-to-follow, kid-friendly recipes.
Lively step-by-step photos teach bakers-in-training how to knead dough, make biscuits, decorate cookies, and produce a perfect pie, along with essential skills like following directions and accurately measuring ingredients. Kids will learn to make both sweet and savory treats and will use fresh fruits and vegetables in recipes such as:
- Bursting with Blueberries Muffins
- Zombie Zucchini Bread
- Awesome Oatmeal Cookies
- Peachy Keen Crumble
Bonus goodie bag stickers, pop-out gift tags, and bake sale signs encourage kids to share their homemade delights with pride!
2017 NPR's Best Books of the Year
2017 IACP Cookbook Award Winner
2017 National Parenting Product Awards Winner
2018 Mom's Choice Award Gold Winner
2019 New York Times "Best Cookbooks for Kids"
Also available in this series: Cooking Class and Cooking Class Global Feast!