Best Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
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This Best Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe makes decadent, moist, rich, and delicious cupcakes! They are quick and easy to make and are always a crowd favorite!
Chocolate cupcakes. Not just any cupcakes…but the best chocolate cupcakes. Like my chocolate cake, they are the most moist, rich, and delicious chocolate cupcakes I’ve ever tasted. They practically melt in your mouth. They are the perfect chocolate lover’s cupcakes! Top with chocolate buttercream or vanilla buttercream for the ultimate treat!
Table of Contents
How to Make the Best Chocolate Cupcakes
Not only does this recipe make the best chocolate cupcakes in my book, but they are also so quick and easy.
Ingredients for Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour in this recipe. You can also substitute with cake flour if you prefer or your favorite gluten-free flour for baking.
- Sugar – this recipe was developed using granulated sugar.
- Cocoa powder – the recipe was developed using unsweetened cocoa powder (natural cocoa powder) see the frequently asked questions for using Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Baking powder – helps the cupcakes to rise.
- Baking soda – also helps the cupcakes to rise.
- Salt – enhances the flavor of the cupcakes and balances the sweetness.
- Espresso powder – Optional, but I highly recommend adding espresso powder to your chocolate recipes. It enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Milk – this recipe was developed using whole milk. It has been successfully tested using buttermilk, skim, almond, oat, rice, and coconut milk. For a dairy-free cupcake recipe, see my notes below.
- Oil – this recipe was developed using canola oil, but lately, I have been using extra-virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil more and more. You can use your favorite oil for baking. You can also use melted butter if you like. See my notes below for this information.
- Eggs – use room-temperature eggs for better blending into the cake batter. For an egg-free recipe, see my notes below.
- Vanilla extract – Use your favorite high-quality vanilla extract. I love to use my homemade vanilla extract. It makes wonderful gifts to share with friends and family during the holidays. Extracting the vanilla from the beans takes about 5 minutes of upfront hands-on time and at least a month.
- Boiling water – it is so important in this recipe. Don’t miss it!
A couple of ingredients make my cake – and these cupcakes – different and the best I’ve ever had. One of these is the boiling water. It’s so important to my recipe, so please don’t skip it, even though you may think it sounds strange. It will make the cupcake batter thinner than most other batters, resulting in a very tender and moist cupcake.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This cupcake recipe is so simple. The batter can easily be mixed in a single bowl without using a mixer.
- Prep. Preheat oven to 325º F. Place cupcake liners in muffin pan. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Whisk dry ingredients. Add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add wet ingredients. Add milk, oil, egg, and vanilla extract to the flour mixture and mix until well combined. Carefully add boiling water to the cupcake batter. Mix until well combined and the batter is smooth. Note that the batter will be very thin but bakes beautifully!
- Bake. Evenly distribute the cupcake batter. Each cupcake liner should be about 1/2 full. Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. You can follow my tips for how to tell when your cake is done. Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
- Frost and serve. While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting according to the recipe instructions. Note that you’ll need 1/2 of the frosting recipe for a dozen cupcakes. Frost the cupcakes and serve.
How Many Cupcakes Does this Recipe Make?
This recipe is sized to make exactly a dozen cupcakes.
You can easily multiply the recipe to increase it when you are baking for a party or a larger crowd.
Chocolate Cupcake Modifications
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes:
Substitute with your favorite gluten-free flour that you use for baking.
Dairy-Free Chocolate Cupcakes:
Substitute with your favorite dairy-free milk such as almond, coconut, rice, oat, or soy milk.
Egg-Free Chocolate Cupcakes:
To make this an egg-free chocolate cupcake recipe, use 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce in place of the large egg in the recipe. You will note that you may have to bake the cupcakes for just a few minutes more. Be sure to check with the skewer for doneness.
I’ve also used Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer as well as a flax egg with great success.
To Use Butter and Other Oils:
I have tested the chocolate cake and cupcake recipes with additional oils and butter. I’ve tested using an equal amount of extra-virgin olive oil and melted coconut oil to the oil called for in the recipe. I’ve also tested using the same volume of melted butter in place of the oils in the chocolate cupcakes. While it makes the texture slightly different, it is still delicious and worth trying if you’d prefer to use butter instead of oils in your chocolate cupcakes.
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
Use the dairy-free and egg-free recommendations above.
Chocolate Cupcake Frosting
You have several delicious options when it comes to frosting for these cupcakes. You’ll notice that I’ve photographed them with my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. The combination of rich chocolate with creamy vanilla is absolutely amazing.
But you know, it is also incredible with these frosting options as well.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
For each of these frosting options, you’ll need 1/2 of the full recipe for a dozen cupcakes.
To decorate the cupcakes, you have a few options as well. You can swirl the frosting on top of the cupcake with a spoon or spatula, place the frosting into a zip-top bag and snip the corner to use as a quick frosting bag, or use a frosting bag fitted with a 1M tip (or open star).
Storage Tips
To make ahead and store. Store the cupcakes at room temperature on the counter. I like to store them under a cake dome or in a cupcake carrier to keep them fresh. I do not recommend storing them in the refrigerator unless you use a frosting that requires refrigeration, such as cream cheese frosting.
To freeze. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, and place them into an appropriate-sized freezer-safe, airtight container. Freeze the cupcakes for up to one month.
To frost once frozen. To frost the cupcakes, remove them from the freezer and allow them to thaw in the refrigerator. Then, frost once they have completely thawed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since this recipe uses both baking powder and baking soda, you can substitute Dutch-processed cocoa powder for the natural cocoa powder called for in the recipe. I do recommend if you use Dutch-processed and can have dairy, use buttermilk as the milk in the recipe. If you can not use dairy, add 1/2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice to the milk of your choice to add acidity to the recipe.
This chocolate cupcake recipe makes 12 cupcakes. To increase the recipe, I recommend multiplying the recipe in increments of 12 (2x = 24 cupcakes, 3x = 36 cupcakes, 4x = 48 cupcakes, etc…).
While I highly recommend using espresso powder in chocolate recipes as it enhances the flavor of the chocolate, I understand that some people have sensitivities or prefer not to serve it. You can omit the espresso powder from the recipe without having to make any substitutions for it.
The purpose of the espresso powder in the recipe is to enhance the flavor of the chocolate and not to leave a coffee flavor in the recipe. I tested this recipe using instant coffee (instead of espresso powder) and hot coffee (in place of boiling water and espresso powder) and found that it could leave a bitter aftertaste. I recommend before you make these substitutions for a significant event, to test it in a test batch first.
Here’s my best chocolate cupcakes recipe with vanilla buttercream frosting. I hope you love them as much as we do!
Best Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (198 g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (42 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (1.4 g) kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (1.15 g) espresso powder, homemade or store-bought
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) milk, buttermilk, oat milk, or other favorite plant-based milk
- 1/4 cup (49.5 g) oil, canola, vegetable, extra-virgin olive oil, melted coconut oil, melted butter *see notes in the recipe post
- 1 large (50 g) egg
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.35 g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) boiling water
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting , half of full recipe (or another favorite frosting)
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 325º F. Place cupcake liners in muffin pan. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Whisk dry ingredients. Add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add wet ingredients. Add milk, oil, egg, and vanilla extract to the flour mixture and mix until well combined. Carefully add the boiling water to the cupcake batter. Mix until well combined and the batter is smooth. Note that the batter will be very thin.
- Bake. Evenly distribute the cupcake batter. Each cupcake liner should be about 1/2 full. Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. You can follow my tips for how to tell when your cake is done. Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
- Frost and serve. While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting according the recipe instructions. Note that you'll need 1/2 of the frosting recipe for a dozen cupcakes. Frost the cupcakes and serve.
Notes
Make-Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To make ahead and store. Store the cupcakes at room temperature on the counter. I like to store them under a cake dome or in a cupcake carrier to keep them fresh. I do not recommend storing them in the refrigerator unless you use a frosting that requires refrigeration, such as cream cheese frosting. To freeze. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, and place them into an appropriate-sized freezer-safe, airtight container. Freeze the cupcakes for up to one month. To frost once frozen. To frost the cupcakes, remove them from the freezer and allow them to thaw in the refrigerator. Then, frost once they have completely thawed.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Originally shared in 2013. Updated 2023 to include additional modification options and FAQs.
Having made these a few times, they’ve become my ‘go to’ recipe for chocolate cupcakes. We run social events for international students from around the world – and they’ve all loved them. The only change I make is to mix a little instant coffee powder with the boiling water, instead of the espresso powder. Have made the butter icing before – yum! But often just dust with icing sugar. Thanks so much for posting the recipe. 🙂
I made this recipe using Hersheys Special Dark Cocoa – and baked the in Twinkie pans. Filled them with typical twinkie filling and topped with bittersweet chocolate ganache. To say they were good is a gross understatement. Fantastic recipe, thank you for sharing!
I would love to make this cake but am afraid of the espresso taste for the children (the cake is for a birthday party in less than a week). Would it be diluted with the boiling water?
You can omit it, if you’d like.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. My family loved it, my friends at the party loved it and I’m actually having my third one right now. Your recipe saved the day!
THIS RECIPE. *standing ovation*
I made these last night and was utterly terrified because the batter was very thin, almost like crepe batter. I went ahead anyway and poured the mixture into the liners — not without a huge mess, I must say — and put them into the oven, then spent several minutes biting my nails and pacing for fear that they would be a complete flop. (It was late at night, I was sorely craving cupcakes, and that was my last cup of flour; so they HAD to come out well. Haha)
Halfway through the prescribed baking time, I opened the oven for a peek…and to my surprise, they had the highest domes I had ever seen!
HOWEVER: 15 minutes simply wasn’t enough. While they had domed very nicely, their insides were still liquid. So I added another 7 minutes to the bake — as Kristen and Karen above suggested — and that turned out to be the perfect duration of time that the cakes needed.
These are THE moistest, HIGHEST-domed cupcakes I have ever seen, eaten, or made. I topped mine with a vanilla buttercream icing: my husband took one bite, and his eyes rolled back in sheer pleasure. He said they were the best I had ever made, and gave me a high five. I am *still* surprised at how such a thin batter produced cakes that held up!
Thank you very much for this, Robyn! <3
Made these today, and they are (without a doubt) the most amazing chocolate cupcakes I have ever tasted!
These are the best cupcakes
I have made these cupcakes several times and they are truly delicious! They always receive many compliments :)…like many others who have responded, I also use a little less boiling water and bake the cupcakes a few minutes longer than the recipe calls for. The only ingredient change I have made is to use buttermilk instead of regular milk in the cupcakes. I use regular milk in the frosting. Theanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe…they certainly are the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever tasted!
We just made these for an 8 year old’s bday and they were definitely a hit. The cupcakes were moist and very fluffy. We used the buttercream frosting recipe but used Peppermint extract instead of vanilla, and that worked really well. They smelled good, too! We doubled the recipe, filled the paper cups probably 7/8 full, and ended up with 25 good-sized cupcakes. We might add chocolate chips next time, but they were good as-is.
I had worried about relying on a recipe that I had never tried before, so I read all the comments first, and I was glad to have a heads up about the baking time. After 12 minutes they were still soupy. At 17 minutes, they were still too wet. We found 22 minutes to be perfect.
I don’t usually write reviews, but these were worth it. We are going to keep this recipe! thank you!!
Hey!!!
I know this post is not recent, but I really hope you see my comment.
I’m from Brazil, and I just discovered your blog some days ago. I made this cupcakes today and OMG!!!! It’s true, It’s literally the best chocolate cupcake!! My dad said it was the best cupcake he ever ate! For real!!!
The only thing I did differently is that I didn’t use espresso powder, cause I don’t think we have this espresso powder for baking here in Brazil, so I used instant coffee instead. But I don’t think it made too much difference. But, anyway, I’ll try to find the espresso powder here, or try to buy it online.
Well, the thing is.. I really just wanted to say I loved the recipe, and I love that I found your blog! Congratulations, it’s amazing!