Homemade chocolate cupcakes are easier than you think to whip up from scratch. These cupcakes are soft, moist, and topped with a velvety chocolate buttercream frosting.
If you're looking for a homemade chocolate cupcake recipe, this is it. You'll love these chocolate cupcakes because they are surprisingly easy to make and turn out soft and moist.
Not to mention they're filled to the brim with chocolate. The chocolate buttercream frosting on top is velvety and smooth, with rich chocolate flavor.
This cupcake is definitely intended for the chocolate fanatic in your life!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Flour - You'll need all-purpose flour for this recipe. I've only tested this recipe using all-purpose flour, so I can't say for sure how flour substitutes would work out. If you'd like to make cups using another type of flour, I highly recommend searching for a cupcake recipe that's been developed for the flour you'd like to use.
- Cocoa powder - You'll need natural cocoa powder for this recipe, not Dutch process cocoa powder. The two cocoas have different acidity levels and react differently with the leavening included in the recipe. This recipe was specifically developed for natural cocoa powder.
- Leavening - The recipe calls for baking soda and baking powder. Both are necessary for this recipe - one cannot be substituted with the other.
- Salt - Enhances the flavor of the cupcakes without making them salty.
- Sugar - Granulated sugar adds sweetness and moisture to the cupcakes. I don't recommend reducing the sugar listed in the recipe. Otherwise, your cupcakes can turn out dry.
- Eggs - Add moisture and structure to your cupcakes. Room temperature eggs are best for baking because they blend seamlessly into the batter without lumps or streaks.
- Buttermilk - Adds moisture and acidity to achieve the proper rise while baking. To make a buttermilk substitute, add 1.5 teaspoons of white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, then fill to the ½ cup line with whole milk. Wait 5 minutes, then use your buttermilk substitute in place of the buttermilk called for in the recipe.
- Water - Added to the batter to thin it slightly so your cake rises properly. Without water, the batter is too dense and heavy, making it likely to sink in the center.
- Vegetable oil - Adds moisture to the cupcakes.
- Vanilla extract - Enhances the flavor of the cupcakes.
Tips and tricks
Bring ingredients to room temperature - Room temperature buttermilk and eggs blend seamlessly with the other ingredients to create a smooth, even batter.
Leavening - Make sure you're using both baking soda and baking powder. To achieve the proper lift in this recipe, you'll need both ingredients.
Measuring flour properly - I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients, especially the flour. If you don't have a scale, use a spoon to scoop flour into your measuring cup, then level off the top with a knife. Scooping directly from a bin using the measuring cup compacts flour into the cup, adding extra flour to the recipe. This can make cupcakes dry.
Don't overmix the batter - All you need is a bowl and a spoon to mix your batter today. Only mix your batter until the ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing your batter can whip extra air in, causing your cupcakes to rise quickly and then fall in the center when they bake.
Allow cupcakes to cool - Do not unwrap your chocolate cupcakes while they're still warm. Your cupcakes will stick to the liners until they are fully cooled throughout. Once cooled, your cupcakes will easily unwrap.
Do not frost warm cupcakes - Buttercream is sensitive to heat and will melt between 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead, allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Frequently asked questions
To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, place whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for ten minutes. Buttermilk can be microwaved in 10 to 15 second increments, stirring in between, until room temperature. Take care not to bring milk to a warm or hot temperature. Hot ingredients can ruin the texture of the batter, causing cupcakes to turn out dense when baked.
Buttercream frosting is made with two main ingredients: confectioner's sugar and butter. It's popular because it's easy to prepare with minimal ingredients. However, because it's mainly made of sugar, it's very sweet. Unfortunately, making it with less sugar means it will begin to taste like butter, the other main ingredient. Instead, I highly recommend making a frosting that's already written to include less sugar, like ermine frosting. You could also add a dollop of whipped cream instead.
- Whipped buttercream frosting - Fluffier than a traditional buttercream.
- Whipped chocolate buttercream frosting - A fluffier chocolate buttercream frosting.
- Cream cheese buttercream frosting - Slightly less sweet and tangy.
- Ermine frosting - A less sweet cooked flour frosting. Perfect for those who don't like the sweet taste of buttercream frosting.
- Homemade whipped cream - Light and much less sweet than buttercream.
For years I've used this simple Wilton cupcake decorating kit (Amazon) to decorate my cupcakes. It comes with four piping tips, bags, and easy to read instructions. I also purchased this additional coupler (Amazon) to make it easy to secure the piping tips and to change out tips halfway through decorating.
Do not substitute, reduce, or omit moisture adding ingredients (sugar, buttermilk, oil, and eggs), measure your flour with a scale or the spoon and level method, and take care not to overbake your cupcakes.
I test for doneness by gently pressing onto the top of a cupcake with a finger. If the cupcake pops right back, they're done. If an indent is left, they need more time. You can also use the toothpick method. Insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake. If it comes back with batter, your cupcakes need more time. If the toothpick comes back with crumbs or nothing at all, they're done. Additionally, if you nudge the pan and your cupcakes are jiggly, they're not done yet.
Yes, with adjustments. When doubled, this recipe makes a two-layer round 8 or 9 inch cake. Follow my recipe for chocolate sheet cake, which includes directions for three different pan sizes (including a layer cake).
The reason natural cocoa powder can't be substituted with Dutch process cocoa powder is because they have different levels of acidity. Each type works differently with the rest of the ingredients in the recipe. I have formulated this recipe to work with natural cocoa powder, so this is the type of cocoa you will need. If you only have Dutch process cocoa powder on hand, I suggest searching for a Dutch process cupcake recipe so that you can guarantee your cupcakes will turn out properly.
Add 1.5 teaspoons of white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, then fill to the ½ cup line with whole milk. After 5 minutes, your buttermilk substitute is ready to use as written in the recipe.
Troubleshooting
Cupcake can turn out dense from expired leavening, overmixing the wet and dry ingredients (this overworks the gluten) or adding extra wet ingredients (like adding sour cream or applesauce to make cupcakes "extra moist"). If the balance of wet and dry ingredients is off, this can cause a change in texture, preventing your cupcakes from rising properly in the oven.
Sinking can happen for many reasons. Overmixing the batter (which adds extra air that's released during baking), underbaking, using expired leavening, using the wrong leavening, or accidentally doubling the leavening can all cause your cupcakes to sink in the middle.
This can be caused by humidity in your home or storing cupcakes in a sealed container while they're still warm. This can't really be fixed, but can easily be covered with frosting.
Baked goods can turn out dry for many reasons. No one intends to make dry cupcakes, but a step/ingredient could have been unintentionally missed while preparing your cupcakes. The most popular reasons include:
- Substituting/reducing the moisture adding ingredients (oil, buttermilk, granulated sugar, and eggs)
- Adding too much flour (I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to prevent this)
- Overbaking. If you haven't substituted/reduced any ingredients and are 100% sure that everything has been measured with accuracy, the only other reason baked goods turn out dry is from overbaking. I highly recommend watching your cupcakes through the door instead of relying on time alone. Ovens can run hotter or colder than the next oven, and some ovens even have hot spots, so I recommend testing early and often when trying a brand new recipe.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (42 g) natural cocoa powder, (NOT dutch process)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (113 g) buttermilk
- ½ cup (113 g) warm water
- ¼ cup (50 g) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1.5 cups (339 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (454 g) confectioner's sugar
- 6 tablespoons (32 g) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (57 g) heavy cream, or milk
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
- To a large bowl add your dry ingredients : flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to remove clumps and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, add your wet ingredients: granulated sugar, eggs, buttermilk, warm water, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Divide cupcake batter between 18 cupcake liners, filling about halfway full. Bake in preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes, or until cupcakes pop back when gently pressed in the center. If an indent is left, your cupcakes need more time.
- Remove pan from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Chocolate buttercream frosting
- To a large bowl add your butter. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until creamy and smooth, about a minute. Add confectioner's sugar 1 cup at a time until incorporated. Add cocoa powder and mix until incorporated. Add vanilla extract and heavy cream and whip at high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pipe or spread frosting with a knife onto cupcakes and serve.
Equipment Recommendations
Video
Notes
- Cupcakes are best served the same day of baking, but will remain moist for up to 48 hours when covered in a sealed container.
- Amount of frosting is enough to frost generously with a knife or to pipe tall frosting (as shown in the photos). For a thin layer of frosting, I recommend cutting the frosting recipe in half.
- Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking cake, based on reader comments and questions!
can i use coconut oil rather than vegetable oil?
Thanks
Yes, vegetable oil can be substituted with melted coconut oil.
Can I substitute coffee for the warm water?
Yes, the water can be substituted with coffee for a more intense flavor.
Can you freeze these cupcakes and your white ones?
Yes, these cupcakes and the white cupcakes can all be frozen!
I made these and they were so moist and chocolatey.
I adjusted the frosting amounts and found there was still enough for 3 rounds of icing. My heavy cream was out of date so used skimmed milk as this was all I had, it was still creamy and light. Also only had canola oil as was told you can interchange these with sunflower, and vegetable oil... Results very tasty chocolate cakes.
Can I use this recipe for a layer cake??
Hi Caroline, I am working on turning all of my cupcake recipes into cake recipes, but haven't tested this one yet. As written, I think this recipe would make a thin 8 or 9 inch 2-layer cake. If you want to give it a try, I'd guess that about 1.5x this recipe would make a standard size 8 or 9 inch 2-layer cake.
Can I use cake flour for this recipe?
Yes, you can! I've used cake flour and all-purpose successfully with this recipe.
why I can't use dutch processed cocoa?
Hi Ann, dutch cocoa has much less acidity than natural cocoa powder. I developed this recipe with natural cocoa powder, which will work perfectly with the amounts of baking powder, baking soda, and buttermilk listed. When substituting natural cocoa powder for dutch cocoa, you'd also need to change the amounts of leavening agents in the recipe, which can get tricky. I haven't tested this recipe with dutch cocoa, so it technically could work with some adjustments, but I don't want you to waste your ingredients if it doesn't work out. I'd suggest searching for a cupcake recipe that specifically asks for dutch cocoa if that is what you have on hand. Hope this helps!
Literally just made these today. Unfortunately I overbaked them just a tad. His was my first time making homemade cupcakes. I didn't make the buttercream icing since I did not have heavy cream. But next time I make these I may put mini chocolate chips in the batter to give it that extra chocolatey tast ☺️😋
Sounds like a great idea to add chocolate chips! Let us know how the next batch goes.
You can use milk in the frosting instead of heavy cream, it just won't be quite as creamy 😊
I have just printed the recipe and added what I need to a grocery list! My kids are going to love them!
I hope your family enjoys them! Come back and let us know how they turn out 😊