The Best Chocolate Cupcakes
You can stop looking, these are best chocolate cupcakes you’ll ever make. They’re super moist, fluffy and decadent, with a smooth chocolate buttercream. These cupcakes are very easy to make, and better than any store-bought mix.
This chocolate cupcake recipe is truly the best if you want to enjoy homemade chocolate cupcakes made from scratch with a delicious chocolate frosting. They’re perfect for birthday parties, anniversaries, romantic dinners, potlucks, or just as a dessert for your family. Pair them with a batch of vanilla cupcakes to suit every flavor.
Video Recipe 📹
Watch the full video recipe to learn how to make the best chocolate cupcakes recipe.
Prefer the written recipe? Scroll down to the recipe box 👇
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Popular and Loved: This Chocolate Cupcakes recipe has over 3 million views on my YouTube Channel, over 1k comments, and 55k likes!
- Versatile: You can make variations for different flavors and decorate them in many different ways to fit the occasion.
- Simple Ingredients: All the ingredients are easy to find and pantry staples you may already have.
- Easy to Make: You don’t need any professional equipment to make these cupcakes, they’re very easy to prepare.
The Secret for Moist Cupcakes: Buttermilk 🥛
Buttermilk is a game-changer when it comes to baking ultra-moist and tender cupcakes. Its acidity helps break down gluten, creating a soft crumb, while also reacting with baking soda for a better rise. The result? Light, fluffy, and irresistibly moist cupcakes every time!
Substitutions and Variations
If you’re missing some ingredients or want to try different flavor combinations for this chocolate cupcakes recipe, you can try these substitutions and variations.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use regular milk with 1/2 tablespoon of white vinegar. Let it sit 5 minutes before using.
- Coffee: Coffee enhances the deep, rich flavor of chocolate by intensifying its natural cocoa notes without making the cupcakes taste like coffee. If you don’t like coffee, you can skip it, and use the same amout of water or milk, but the final flavor will not be the same. You can also use decaf coffee is you’re making the cupcakes for kids.
- Flavor combos: You can add some raspberries, coconut, or peanut butter for different flavor combinations.
- Oil: Instead of oil, you can use the same quantity of butter or coconut oil.
- Lower Sugar: You can reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe or use an alternative such as maple syrup, or coconut sugar, but the final product may differ.
- Filling: You can add a teaspoon of chocolate filling like a chocolate ganache, or peanut butter.
Tips and Tricks
- If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1/2 tablespoon of white vinegar to regular milk and wait 5 minutes.
- Use room temperature ingredients to achieve the best result.
- Don’t overbake! Check the cupcakes after 15 minutes by inserting a toothpick in the center. They’re ready when the toothpick comes out clean.
- Fill the liners 3/4 of the way. If you want flat tops (ideal for frosting), fill them 2/3 of the way.
- Wait until they’re fully cooled before frosting, or the buttercream will melt.
Make Ahead and Storage
You can make the cake and buttercream separately if making them ahead, then store the frosting in the fridge and the cupcakes at room temperature covered.
Store frosted cupcakes covered at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Common Questions
Yes, you can replace the amount of coffee with water or milk, but the final flavor will not be as intense as coffee enhances the chocolate flavor.
This recipe will make 12 cupcakes. You can double the recipe to get 24 chocolate cupcakes.
Yes! Just pour the batter into a 9-inch round cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). I recommend following this recipe for Chocolate Cake.
The Best Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 cup (125 g) All-purpose flour
- â…“ cup (40 g) Cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 large Egg
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) Buttermilk
- â…“ cup (80 ml) Oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) Brewed coffee or espresso
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- ½ cup (115 g) Butter softened
- â…“ cup (40 g) Cocoa powder
- 1¾ cups (220 g) Powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Make the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add sugar, stir and set aside.
- In a separate bowl whisk all wet ingredients.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk just until combined. don’t overmix.
- Scoop the batter into cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
Make the buttercream:
- In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add cocoa powder and. beat until combined. Beat in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating in between. Add vanilla extract, heavy cream and beat until incorporated. Transfer to a piping bag, pipe onto the cupcakes.
- Sprinkle some chocolate sprinkles.
Video
Notes
-
- If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1/2 tablespoon of white vinegar to regular milk and wait 5 minutes.
-
- Use room temperature ingredients to achieve the best result.
-
- Don’t overbake! Check the cupcakes after 15 minutes by inserting a toothpick in the center. They’re ready when the toothpick comes out clean.
-
- Fill the liners 3/4 of the way. If you want flat tops (ideal for frosting), fill them 2/3 of the way.
-
- Wait until they’re fully cooled before frosting, or the buttercream will melt.
- For better understaning of the recipe, watch the video recipe.
Receipe says 1/2 coffee. So its how many teaspoons of coffee added to water. Thanks
About 1-2 teaspoons.
I made a cup of coffee and then measured 1/2 cup for the recipe. I made a 9×13 cake instead of cupcakes and it’s so delicious and moist!
I love choclate. Am excited to try this as it sounds heavenly
me too but i am make this cuz i am going somewhere do you think chocolate is best choices or vanilla
me too but i am make this cuz i am going somewhere do you think chocolate is best choices or vanilla
Hi, so will adding coffee cause the cupcakes to have a bitter or coffee-like taste? Or do you not taste any of the coffee? Is there any difference when you don’t add the coffee?
In my experience the coffee helps tone down the sweetness of the cupcakes so it isn’t overpowering. You can’t actually taste it, nor are they bitter.
coffee enhances the chocolate. I always add to brownies instead of water.
Coffee is usually added to enhance the chocolate flavor like salt for sugar
Dutch process cocoa powder or natural unsweetened cocoa powder for both cream and batter?
is there any substitute for heavy cream…. its not readily available in my place and homemade is too much task for one 😫
Yes,use coconut cream,works great. Thick Greek yogurt also works well.
I use whatever regular milk or carnation milk if I have no cream.
Super and wonderful
Thanku for the delicious movement
I really love this, because it is well explanatory.
Thx so much I loved it 🥰😉
I love’d this. Thank you very much
Hi chef…can i use brown sugar instead of normal sugar
Yes, you can
Wanna clarify whether the temperature and time are same if i bake in the air fryer
Is the added coffee hot or at room temperature ?
Warm coffee
i think because of the coffee the consistency of mine became super liquidy
How many millilitres is half a cup?
120ml
For the chocolate cupcakes, how much batter goes into a standard size cupcake liner? Is it 1/3 cup each? Thanks!
I will be making a large batch about a week in advance of an event. Do they freeze well? What’s the best wrap to use to ensure they are moist when thawed?
what is the substitute for coffee?
Water
Can I skip egg,if I want to make eggless version of these cupcakes
Hi David,
I know I’m late, just discovered your work recently. I made these cupcakes last week after months of trying different recipes. There were amazing! Moist, soft & fluffy. Very tasty. I’ve found my recipe
I want to make more this week, how can I make 24 cupcakes from this ? Do I double all the ingredients?
Hi,
Glad you liked my chocolate cupcakes!
Yes, you can double the ingredients.
Love it! I made 14 medium cupcakes with this recipe.