Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
Incredibly moist, tender, and fluffy, this chocolate cupcake recipe is truly the best! You don’t need any special equipment to make these cupcakes, and all of the ingredients are pantry staples you probably already have on hand.
If you prefer chocolate cupcakes that are super moist and richly flavored, then this recipe is for you!
My two secret ingredients? I add a little bit of espresso powder to give the cupcakes a bold chocolate flavor, and some buttermilk to add moisture and keep them ultra soft and tender.
I’ve been making this chocolate cupcake recipe for years and it never fails to amaze me how simple it is to make bakery-quality cupcakes at home using basic pantry ingredients. The cupcake batter can be mixed up in one bowl using just a whisk too!
I love to top these with my homemade chocolate buttercream frosting (because the more chocolate, the better!). If you want to try something else though, I’ve also included several different frosting options that go well with these cupcakes.
Recipe Video
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Cocoa Powder
Be sure to use natural cocoa powder for the cupcakes. I’ve tested this recipe with Dutch process and it will cause them to sink in the middle. You can use either one for the frosting though! (I have a full post that explains the different types of cocoa powder if you want to learn more about each one and when to use them.)
Espresso Powder
One of my secret ingredients that I mentioned earlier! The espresso powder helps to really enhance the chocolate flavor in the cupcakes. If you don’t have any on hand, you can replace it with an equal amount of instant coffee or just leave it out. If you do leave it out, you’ll still need to add the boiling water or you can replace the water with ½ cup of strongly brewed hot coffee.
Buttermilk
Buttermilk is what makes these cupcakes super soft and fluffy! Regular buttermilk is always best, but you can use my homemade buttermilk substitute in a pinch.
Tips For Making These Chocolate Cupcakes
- Use a light metal pan. Darker pans tend to absorb heat faster, causing your baked goods to bake faster and potentially burn. A light-colored pan will allow your cupcakes to bake slowly and more evenly. I really love this USA cupcake pan!
- Don’t over fill the cupcake liners. This will cause them to sink. I only fill each cupcake liner a little over halfway full because they rise quite a bit in the oven. It won’t seem like much batter, but you should end up with exactly 16 cupcakes.
- Use room temperature butter for the frosting. If your butter is too cold, the powdered sugar won’t fully incorporate and you can end up with a gritty frosting. If it’s too warm, your frosting can end up greasy and difficult to pipe. You’re looking for the butter to be at a cool room temperature. In other words, it should feel cool to the touch, but when you press your finger into it you should be able to leave an indent without your finger sliding around. If the butter is too cold, just let it sit at room temperature for a little longer. If it’s too warm, put it in the fridge until it reaches the right temperature and consistency.
- Mix the frosting together on low speed. This will keep your powdered sugar from going everywhere and also prevent air bubbles from ending up in your finished frosting.
Can I Use This Recipe To Make Mini Cupcakes?
Yes! Just use a mini cupcake pan, fill each liner a little over halfway full, and reduce the baking time to 10 to 12 minutes.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Absolutely! You can double the ingredients to make twice the amount of cupcakes, or bake the batter in two 9-inch round cake pans. (If you want to make things a little easier though, I’d suggest just following my chocolate layer cake recipe instead.)
Different Frosting Options
I paired these cupcakes with my favorite chocolate frosting, but you’re welcome to use another flavor.
If you’re looking for something more classic, my vanilla buttercream frosting, strawberry buttercream frosting, and cream cheese frosting are all good options.
For something a little more fun or unique, I’d recommend using Oreo frosting, coffee frosting, or cookie dough frosting!
I guarantee that once you try this chocolate cupcake recipe, you’ll never want to use a box mix again!
If you make them, don’t forget to leave a comment below to let me know how they turned out. I’d love to hear what frosting you use too!
Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
For the chocolate cupcakes:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour spooned & leveled (125 grams)
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder (30 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar (100 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil (80 ml)
- ½ cup buttermilk (120 ml)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup boiling water (120 ml)
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder optional, but recommended
For the chocolate frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (226 grams; 2 sticks)
- 3 cups powdered sugar (360 grams)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted (42 grams)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk (45 to 60 ml)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- To make the chocolate cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two 12-count muffin pans with 16 cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined. Add the oil, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.1 cup all-purpose flour,¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder,¾ teaspoon baking powder,½ teaspoon baking soda,½ teaspoon salt,½ cup packed light brown sugar,½ cup granulated sugar,⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil,½ cup buttermilk,1 large egg,1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the instant espresso powder to the ½ cup of boiling water and mix until fully dissolved. Add to the mixing bowl and mix until everything is just combined. The batter will be thin, this is normal!½ cup boiling water,1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- Evenly distribute the batter between all 16 cupcake liners, making sure to just fill each one a little over halfway full. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and remove the cupcakes from the pan. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the chocolate frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth.1 cup unsalted butter
- Add half of the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until fully combined, then mix in the remaining half of the powdered sugar. Add the sifted cocoa powder and mix until fully combined.3 cups powdered sugar,½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low speed until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk,1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract,pinch of salt
- Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.
I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me to try this recipe a long time ago! I’ve only made chocolate cupcakes a few times in recent years and had not found a recipe I was at all happy with. For (yet another) birthday in the park with a steamy forecast, I knew I would be relying on the amazing frosting from your Vanilla Cupcake recipe. It paired so well with these light, fluffy, CHOCOLATEY cupcakes! Thank you so much, Danielle — another keeper!!
* I made one-and-a-half times the recipe, for 24 mini + 18 full-size cupcakes. I didn’t want to fuss with 1/2 an egg, so used “flax egg” for the additional amount and it worked great. (For reference: Baked full-size for 16 min, minis for 10 min, rotating halfway on each.)
this is my favorite recipe but my son was recently diagnosed with celiac. Any tips on how to make this GF but retain the moisture (i.e. additional egg)? Thank you!
Hi, Hillary! I haven’t tested this with a gluten free flour, so I’m really not sure. If you use one that substitutes 1:1 for all-purpose flour, you may not need to make any adjustments to the recipe.
I learned something new today. I didn’t realize that you could use buttermilk in cupcakes. I just so happened to be making chocolate cupcakes and this recipe came at just the right time. Since I don’t have espresso powder on hand, perhaps a bit of strong coffee will work as a substitution. Thank you for this recipe.
Absolutely! You can replace the boiling water and espresso with 1/2 cup of strong coffee.