This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
I tested SIX batches of chocolate cupcakes in order to perfect this recipe and provide you with the recipe for amazing, extra-indulgent chocolate cupcakes. This will forever be your go-to chocolate cupcake recipe (complete with chocolate frosting).
Wickedly, chocolatey, deliciousness. I made these today for Christmas tomorrow. I had to try one today. This will forever be my go to chocolate cupcake recipe.
-Stacey
The Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe!
I tested 6 batches of chocolate cupcakes, all in the name of research, as Ryan would say!
3 of them were awful, 2 of them were good, and 1 was the clear winner! I wanted to create a classic, homemade chocolate cupcake recipe. But I didn’t want these cupcakes to get their only chocolate flavor from cocoa powder.. chocolate cupcakes need real chocolate in them!
But, if you put too much melted chocolate in your cupcake batter, you’ll end up with cupcakes that look like batches #4 and #5. Super delicious because of their great chocolate flavor, but WAY too dense.. almost like a brownie.
So I spent a little more time in the kitchen perfecting this best chocolate cupcake recipe, getting the proportions just right.
What makes these Chocolate Cupcakes moist?
Our recipe calls for a lot of moist ingredients. Buttermilk is an essential ingredient in these cupcakes. It adds moistness and flavor. You could substitute the same amount of sour cream.
Our cupcakes also call for melted chocolate. Chocolate cupcakes need real chocolate! Adding melted chocolate to the batter intensifies the chocolate flavor and makes them moist.
Our chocolate cupcake recipe calls for 3 oz of melted chocolate. Rough chop the chocolate baking bar into smaller pieces, place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes on 50% power. Stir and repeat until melted. Set aside to cool.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
FOR THE CUPCAKES:
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened natural cocoa powder – Like Hershey’s brand. Do not use Dutch Processed cocoa powder.
- Baking soda and baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – Let this come to room temperature before you start the recipe.
- Granulated sugar
- Bittersweet chocolate baking bar – Found the in baking aisle. Bittersweet chocolate is between 60-66% cacao.
- Large eggs
- Buttermilk – This is how you get that moist, tender crumb!
- Hot tap water – The hot water intensifies the chocolate flavor of the cocoa powder through a process called blooming.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING:
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Natural cocoa powder or Dutch process is fine, but don’t use hot cocoa mix! It’s not the same; cocoa mix is sweetened.
- Powdered sugar
- Milk or heavy cream
How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes from Scratch
FOR THE CUPCAKES:
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350º F and line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a second mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar for a minute or two, or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the melted & cooled chocolate and the eggs.
- Add in half of the buttermilk, beat for about 20 seconds. Add in half of the dry ingredients, beat. Then add the remaining buttermilk plus the hot water, beat just until the liquid is mixed in then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined.
- Bake. Divide the batter into the muffin liners, filling them no more than halfway full. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes at 350ºF, or until a few moist crumbs remain on a toothpick when inserted into the center. Let the cupcakes cool completely before you frost them.
FOR THE FROSTING:
- Beat the butter. Beat the butter on high for 3 minutes.
- Add the dry ingredients. Sift in the cocoa powder and 3 cups of powdered sugar. I like to sift these in because it helps break up clumps, creating a light and fluffy frosting. Beat the frosting on low speed until combined and thick.
- Finish. Mix in 3 tbsp of heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt. Taste the frosting and add more sugar if needed; if the frosting is too thick, beat in a dash of milk or heavy cream.
- Frost the cupcakes. Fit a piping bag with a piping tip; I used an Wilton 1M. Fill the bag about three-quarters of the way full with frosting and pipe it onto the cupcakes. Decorate with chocolate curls or sprinkles, if desired.
Recommended Frosting Piping Supplies
- Piping bags – I love these bulk piping bags
- Piping tips – Larger piping tips are better for frosting cupcakes. My go-to tips are the Wilton 1M, 2D, 12 and 199.
How to Pipe Frosting onto Cupcakes
I used a wilton 1M piping tip to pipe the frosting on these cupcakes. A wilton 2D and an Ateco 844 are both very similar to the 1M.
Start in the center of the cupcake, applying pressure to the frosting bag, going in a swirling motion until you reach the edge of the cupcake then lift the tip up and tip more frosting onto that base layer you just made, stacking the frosting and continuing in a swirling motion until you reach the center of the cupcake.
Total Time Required
- 15 minutes to prep the batter
- 17-19 minutes to bake
- 1+ hour to cool the cupcakes completely
- 5 minutes to make the frosting
- 10 minutes to frost the cupcakes
How to Properly Measure Flour
The most accurate way to measure flour is to use a kitchen scale, weighing it in grams.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale, follow this method.
- Aerate the flour with a whisk or spoon. Flour becomes heavy and compact as it sits. Aerating is the same as fluffing the flour, but not the same as sifting it. Do not sift the flour unless the recipe specifically calls for it.
- Use a spoon to sprinkle the flour into the measuring cup. Do not tap the cup against the counter, as this will compact the flour.
- Use the back of a butter knife to level off the excess.
Tips for Success
Here are some tips for perfect chocolate cupcakes!
- Measure the flour properly. Use the spoon-and-sweep method to ensure that you’re getting an accurate measurement for the flour. When you scoop your measuring cups into the flour, you compact it, which means you end up using more in your recipe.
- Don’t over-fill the cupcake liners. If you fill them more than halfway full when you’re portioning out the batter, your cupcakes are likely to spill over the sides.
- Don’t make substitutions. Follow the recipe as written.
How to Store Chocolate Cupcakes
Moist chocolate cupcakes are best stored at room temperature. Place them in an airtight container or loosely cover them on a plate; they’ll last up to 2 to 3 days.
Can I Freeze Cupcakes?
Yes, you can freeze these cupcakes. Place them on a sheet pan and freeze them uncovered until the frosting is solid. Then, wrap the cupcakes in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
Frosting to go with this Moist Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
Moist Chocolate Cupcake Recipe FAQs
The hot water intensifies the chocolate flavor of the cocoa powder through a process called blooming. This means the chocolate cake will have a more intense chocolate flavor once it’s baked.
No. If you’re using high-quality liners or baking cups, they don’t require spraying as they’re designed to release the cupcakes easily.
Our recipe relies on several moisture-rich ingredients, and one essential component is buttermilk, crucial for imparting both moisture and flavor to these cupcakes. In case you’re short on buttermilk, an equal measure of sour cream can serve as a suitable substitute.
Additionally, our cupcake recipe mandates the use of melted chocolate. Authentic chocolate cupcakes demand real chocolate! Incorporating melted chocolate into the batter heightens the richness of chocolate flavor and maintains their moisture content.
Chocolate cupcakes usually pack more sweetness and have a fluffier texture because they’ve got extra sugar and fat, plus that yummy frosting on top! On the other hand, chocolate muffins are less sugary, a bit denser, and usually skip the frosting, making them perfect for breakfast or a quick snack.
More Chocolate Desserts
- Doctored up chocolate cupcakes
- Easy chocolate cake
- Healthy chocolate cake
- Chocolate cheesecake
- How to make box brownies better
- Double chocolate chip M&M cookies
Tap stars to rate!
Moist Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/2 cup
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 oz bittersweet chocolate baking bar, melted & cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup hot tap water
Chocolate Frosting
- 4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, 2 cups
- 1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
- Rough chop the bittersweet chocolate baking bar into smaller pieces, place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes on 50% power. Stir and repeat until melted. Set aside to cool.
- In a mixing bowl combine the all purpose flour, unsweetened natural cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add in the eggs and cooled chocolate, beat again, 30 seconds.
- Add in half of the buttermilk, beat for about 20 seconds. Add in half of the dry ingredients, beat. Add the remaining buttermilk plus the hot water, beat just until the liquid is mixed in then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined.
- Fill the muffin liners 1/2 full. Bake for 17-19 minutes at 350º F or until a few moist crumbs remain on a toothpick when inserted into the center. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before adding the frosting.
Chocolate Frosting
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on high for 3 minutes.
- Sift in the cocoa powder and 3 cups of powdered sugar. I like to sift these in because it helps break up clumps, creating a light and fluffy frosting. Beat the frosting on low speed until combined and thick.
- Mix in 3 tbsp of heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt.
- Add in the additional powdered sugar (1-2 cups), mix on low. If the frosting is too thick, beat in an additional tablespoon of heavy cream.
Assemble
- Fit a piping bag with a piping tip, I used a Wilton 1M. Fill the bag about 3/4 full with frosting. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. Decorate with chocolate curls or sprinkles if desired.
Video
Notes
- Yields 24 cupcakes
- Fill the cupcake liners only 1/2 full.
- Moist chocolate cupcakes are best stored at room temperature. Place them in an airtight container or loosely cover them on a plate; they’ll last up to 2 to 3 days.
- How to Properly Measure Flour
- Fluff the flour with a fork
- Use a spoon to scoop the flour into your measuring cup
- Use a butter knife to level off the flour in the measuring cup
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️