These homemade Chocolate Cupcakes are a chocolate lover's dream come true. They're moist and rich without being too sweet, and the chocolate Russian buttercream has the same silky, glossy texture of Swiss meringue but is much easier to make. You'll be shocked by how gourmet they taste for being so simple! This is the best chocolate cupcake recipe and you'll feel the same way after the first bite!
A good chocolate cupcake recipe is like gold, and this one is always a huge hit! They're truly the best chocolate cupcakes I've ever tried.
I also can't say enough good things about the frosting. This easy chocolate buttercream frosting sometimes feels a bit like cheating because it's so simple to make. You don't have to mess around with whipping egg whites or pouring hot syrup, and it's not sickly sweet like American buttercream. It's also made with real chocolate for a truly decadent flavor. It's my favorite!
Plus, these cupcakes are the base for several of my other cupcake recipes! They shine in these German Chocolate Cupcakes with my homemade Coconut Pecan Frosting, and I love how they taste with a sweet cherry filling in these Black Forest Cupcakes. You can even make them with strawberry frosting for my Chocolate and Strawberry Cupcakes. Print, pin, or email this recipe to yourself (and your best friend) because you'll want to make it all the time.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The ultra-moist texture lets the rich chocolate flavor truly shine
- Chocolate lovers will love the chocolate-on-chocolate flavor
- This easy Russian buttercream is made with real melted chocolate and a secret ingredient that gives it a silky, glossy texture
- Use the easy two-bowl method for moist cupcakes every time - no fussy creaming method needed
Ingredients
Chocolate needs fat for flavor, and the sour cream and vegetable oil let that rich chocolate flavor shine while making the cupcakes super tender and moist.
- All-purpose Flour - This is the perfect base for the chocolate cupcake batter. Since the batter is so moist on its own, there's no need to use cake flour.
- Superfine White Sugar - This will add just enough sweetness to let the chocolate flavor stand out.
- Cocoa Powder (dutch processed) - Dutch-process cocoa powder has the boldest chocolate flavor, perfect for this cake. Natural Cocoa Powder can be used instead but it may make the cupcakes a little more dense and dry.
- Leavening agents - Use both baking powder and baking soda to get a nice rise and a tender crumb.
- Salt - Salt enhances flavor and will help activate the baking powder and soda.
- Whole Milk - For a tender, moist texture.
- Eggs - To hold the batter together and get a nice rise.
- Sour Cream - This is a great ingredient to make sure your cupcake batter is moist every time.
- Oil - Use vegetable oil, not butter, to keep the cupcakes extremely soft.
- Espresso Powder - The bitterness of coffee enhances the chocolate flavor of the cupcakes.
- Vanilla extract - This provides a wonderful base to build flavor on.
- Condensed Milk - This is the canned stuff from the store! It helps bring this chocolate frosting together really quickly without being overly sweet.
- Butter - It's very, very important to make sure the butter is at room temperature.
- Dark Chocolate - There's no cocoa powder here! The buttercream is flavored with real chocolate.
See recipe card for quantities.
Make the Chocolate Cupcakes
There are two components to this easy cupcake recipe and both of them are really simple! Just follow the step-by-step directions below for best results.
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients including the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. (But not the espresso powder). Whisk everything together.
- In a separate bowl, combine all the wet ingredients, except the hot water, this includes the eggs, milk, sour cream, vegetable oil and, vanilla. Whisk together lightly until it makes a homogeneous mixture.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and whisk until everything is combined and there are no lumps. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl.
- In a small bowl or a glass, combine the boiling water with the espresso powder and mix until completely dissolved. Pour the hot coffee into the cake batter and mix until combined. This helps make super moist cupcakes, and the hot liquid also blooms the cocoa powder.
- Divide the chocolate batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about â…” full. The batter is very liquid so it may be easiest to pour it in or use a batter dispenser.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the cupcakes are springy and a skewer inserted comes out with moist crumbs.
- Let the cupcakes sit in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
Top Tip
I always recommend weighing your ingredients with a kitchen scale, rather than using measuring cups. It's very difficult to measure accurately with cups and this can mess up your bakes.
Make the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
This frosting recipe has really great chocolate flavor and it comes together so much quicker and easier than other buttercreams. The texture is out of this world too. it's definitely my favorite chocolate frosting recipe! See the full post on this chocolate buttercream recipe.
Note: Before beginning, make sure the butter is at room temperature - it's really important it is not too cold and not too warm as this will stop the buttercream for forming properly.
- Melt chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments until totally melted. Set aside.
- Whip the butter on medium-high speed for a full 5 minutes. You can use a handheld mixer for this but your arm may get tired so I recommend a stand mixer if you have one. I like to pause every 90 seconds or so to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Slowly add the condensed milk, drizzling in while it whips. It's important not to rush this step or the buttercream might split - go slowly and gradually.
- Once all the condensed milk is incorporated, turn the mixer up to max speed for 1 minute.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour in the melted chocolate, vanilla and and a pinch of salt - continue to whip until incorporated.
I have a whole tutorial about making Russian buttercream that's loaded with helpful tips and suggestions, as well as a troubleshooting guide for if your buttercream has gone wrong! The secret is to make sure the butter is truly at room temperature and to follow the instructions carefully.
Decorate the Chocolate Cupcakes
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, pipe or spread the chocolate buttercream onto the tops of the cupcakes. I used a piping bag with an open star tip to get this result.
- Decorate with chocolate sprinkles and a piece of chocolate for a finishing touch. I made these mini chocolate bars with this mini chocolate bar mold - if you do this, make sure you follow my guide for tempering chocolate easily.
Substitutions
Nondairy milk - Use your favorite non-dairy milk in the cupcake batter instead of using whole milk.
Sour Cream - This can be swapped out for Greek yogurt.
Espresso Powder - You can replace this with instant coffee powder, but you'll need twice as much.
Dark or black cocoa powder - Try specialty cocoa powders for a darker deep chocolate flavor.
Variations
Fold in some crunch - For extra texture, add some mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts to either the frosting or the cake batter.
Change the frosting - I have lots of delicious frosting recipes on the blog, and you can certainly try any you'd like! This French buttercream has a rich, custardy flavor that's perfect for chocolate.
Mocha Cupcakes - Use the espresso buttercream from my Chocolate Espresso Cake for a latte-inspired bake.
Add a filling - I often will core out the center of these cupcakes with a cupcake corer and put a filling in the middle. You could fill them with strawberry coulis, Nutella, or chocolate ganache for the perfect chocolate cupcake!
Black Forest Cupcakes - Fill each cupcake with a boozy sweet cherry filling and creamy vanilla frosting for a fun twist on the classic.
Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes - Decorate each cupcake with the Strawberry Buttercream from my Chocolate Strawberry Cake and garnish with a chocolate-covered strawberry.
Make a whole cake - If you want a whole chocolate cake recipe you can use this same one! I use it to make my Chocolate Fudge Cake.
Mix up the toppings - You can put whatever you like on top of these cupcakes. They are super fun to use for themed parties. I'm making them with mini eggs for Easter dessert this year!
Equipment
To make the ultimate chocolate cupcakes at home, you'll need a few different baking tools and supplies:
- Cupcake pan with liners
- Mixing bowls (large and medium for the cake)
- Whisk
- Stand Mixer with whisk attachment or electric mixer to make the chocolate buttercream frosting
Storage
Store any undecorated extra cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days. Once decorated, the cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
I like to add some paper towels to the bottom of the container to absorb any extra moisture. If you have extra frosting, store it in a sealed jar or container in the fridge for one week.
FAQ
This recipe only requires 18-22 minutes in the oven at this temperature, although you should always check for doneness using a toothpick or skewer.
If you want moist chocolate cupcakes, you need to use the right recipe! You're looking for a recipe that includes plenty of fat, ideally in the form of vegetable oil and sour cream or yogurt. These ingredients almost always result in the softest, moistest cakes and cupcakes without much fuss. I also recommend being careful not to overbake the cupcakes, as these can cause the cake itself to dry out and become crumbly. Otherwise, just follow the recipe precisely for the best results.
That's a tricky question! There are so many flavor combinations that taste amazing with chocolate cupcakes. They're like a blank slate in some ways! If you want the perfect chocolate cupcakes, I recommend my chocolate Russian buttercream. It's extremely glossy and smooth, with just enough sweetness and chocolate flavor. It's like Swiss meringue buttercream (another go-to), but is much easier to make! You can even use vanilla buttercream (or stripe it with strawberry coulis!) or classic cream cheese frosting. The sky's the limit!
More Chocolate Dessert Recipes
If you love baking all things chocolate, check out some of these decadent delights:
Recipe
Chocolate Cupcakes with Silky Chocolate Buttercream
Equipment
- Stand Mixer for frosting
- Whisk Attachment for frosting
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cupcakes
- 2 cups All-purpose Flour 240g
- 2 cups White Sugar 400g
- ½ cup Cocoa Powder 50g
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ cup Whole Milk 120g
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Sour Cream 128g
- ½ cup Vegetable Oil 110g
- 1 teaspoon Espresso Powder
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Hot Water 240ml
For the Chocolate Russian Buttercream
- 2 sticks Unsalted Butter 227g
- 1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk 14oz / 395ml
- 5.5 oz Dark Chocolate 155g
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 pinch Salt
Instructions
Make the Chocolate Cupcakes
-  Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.Â
-  In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients including the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. (But not the espresso powder). Whisk everything together.2 cups All-purpose Flour, 2 cups White Sugar, ½ cup Cocoa Powder, 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder, 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Soda, ½ teaspoon Salt
- In a separate bowl, combine all the wet ingredients, except the hot water, this includes the eggs, milk, sour cream, vegetable oil and, vanilla. Whisk together lightly until it makes a homogenous mixture.½ cup Whole Milk, 2 Eggs, ½ cup Sour Cream, ½ cup Vegetable Oil, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and whisk until everything is combined and there are no lumps. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl.Â
- Â In a small bowl or a glass, combine the boiling water with the espresso powder and mix until completely dissolved. Pour the hot coffee into the cake batter and mix until combined.1 teaspoon Espresso Powder, 1 cup Hot Water
- Divide the chocolate batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about â…” full. Â The batter is very liquid so it may be easiest to pour it in or use a batter dispenser.Â
- Â Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the cupcakes are springy and a skewer inserted comes out with moist crumbs.Â
- Let the cupcakes sit in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.Â
Make the Chocolate Buttercream
- Make sure the butter is completely at room temperature before beginning. It can't be too cold or too warm or the buttercream won't form properly.
- Melt chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments until totally melted. Set aside.5.5 oz Dark Chocolate
- Whip the butter on medium-high speed for a full 5 minutes. I like to pause every 90 seconds or so to scrape down the sides of the bowl.2 sticks Unsalted Butter
- Slowly add the condensed milk, drizzling in while it whips. It's important not to rush this step or the buttercream might split -Â go slowly and gradually.Â1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Once all the condensed milk is incorporated, turn the mixer up to max speed for 1 minute.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour in the melted chocolate, vanilla, and a pinch of salt - continue to whip until incorporated.1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 1 pinch Salt, 5.5 oz Dark Chocolate
- The buttercream should thick and glossy - if it isn't, see the troubleshooting guide in my Russian Buttercream post.
VIDEO
Notes
It really helps and I love hearing all your feedback!
Sharon
Can I make these as mini cupcakes? What Would the baking time be?
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Sharon,
You can definitely make them as mini cupcakes!
The bake time will vary depending on your pan. I would check them after about 10 minutes and take them out when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Be careful not to overfill them too!
Hope they turn out great 🙂
Jules
Shivangi
Made this and it turned out amazing! highly recommend!
Jules Grasekamp
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
Jules