Preheat your air fryer to 325°F (or the closest setting your air fryer has) and grease or line your cupcake cups
In a medium mixing bowl, combine all wet ingredients until well blended
1 Large egg, 2 Tsp vanilla extract, ¼ Cup olive oil, ½ Cup cold brew coffee, 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Add all of the dry ingredients, and stir to thoroughly mix
1 ½ Cups all purpose flour, 1 Cup granulated sugar, ½ Cup dark cocoa powder, 1 Tsp baking soda, ½ Tsp salt
Fill your chosen cupcake liners with batter about ¾ full
Place into the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer. If using individual cups, they can touch, but don’t mash them together or your cupcakes will be misshapen
Cook on the air fry setting for 12 minutes at 325°F
Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (moist crumbs are fine, just not raw batter). Add additional time in small increments if needed to finish cooking
Remove to a wire rack to cool completely
For the Frosting
Beat the butter, maple syrup, and maple extract in a mixer (or with a hand mixer) until well combined
½ Cup butter, ½ Tsp maple extract, 1 Tbsp maple syrup
Add the powdered sugar to the bowl
2 Cups powdered confectioner's sugar
Use a low speed setting to mix the powdered sugar into the butter (or else it will fly everywhere)
Increase to medium high and beat until fluffy (generally less than 1 minute)
If frosting seems too thick, add 1 tsp milk or cream at a time until desired consistency is reached
Pipe or spread frosting onto cupcakes once they’re completely cooled
Notes
You can use any unsweetened cocoa powder in place of the dark cocoa powder, but I like the depth of flavor you get with the dark
Any other type of oil can be used in place of the olive oil
Feel free to swap white vinegar for the cider vinegar
You can use brewed and cooled coffee in place of the cold brew
Swap other frosting types in as desired - chocolate, coffee, and maple are my favorite choices
If you want a denser, more moist cupcake, add an additional egg or some sour cream to the batter
Use a pair of kitchen tongs to gently remove the cupcakes from the air fryer, as they will be hot
Do not remove the wrappers or liners until the cupcakes are cooled completely
My 8-qt air Ninja fryer holds one dozen cupcakes at a time, which is how many this recipe makes. For smaller capacity air fryers, cook in batches
Store cupcakes in an airtight container out of the sunlight at room temperature for up to 2 days, or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 (but the cupcakes will start to dry out)
If you choose to use whipped cream instead of buttercream frosting, then the cupcakes should be refrigerated immediately to prevent melting
Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand of ingredients, any swaps or decorations added, and quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
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