My easy Chocolate Cupcakes recipe yields cupcakes that are light, fluffy, and so much better than a box mix! Made quickly and easily in just one bowl, they can be baked and frosted in less than an hour. Recipe includes a how-to video!
The Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes
You’re going to be so happy you found this recipe. After all, who doesn’t love a perfectly balanced chocolate cupcake (preferably topped with a generous swirl of chocolate buttercream). My recipe is incredibly moist, so soft, and so perfectly fluffy. Taste wise, they’re sweet without being too sweet and have a pronounced chocolate flavor. Plus, they’re incredibly quick and easy to make in just one bowl! To put it simply, these chocolate cupcakes are just wonderful.
I first published this recipe six years ago and itโs been a huge hit with my readers and my own faithful go-to chocolate cupcake recipe (I prefer my slightly heavier chocolate cake recipe for cakes). However, the original recipe made a large, awkward number of cupcakes, so I’ve scaled down the recipe to now make a neat 24 cupcakes.
The original recipe also produced cupcakes with completely flat tops, and I’ve since remedied that so the cupcakes come out with subtle domed tops. They look lovely with a swirl of frosting, and speaking of frosting, these cupcakes go great with any kind!
What You Need
Making chocolate cupcakes from scratch is just as easy as using a box mix, but they taste so much better. Here are a few of the ingredients you’ll be using today:
- Cocoa powder. I recommend using natural, regular cocoa powder in your chocolate cupcakes. Dutch process will change the flavor and could impact the texture (if the baking soda isn’t fully neutralized), so I’d recommend sticking with the recipe as written.
- Hot water/coffee. It is very important that you use a hot liquid (the hotter the better, but be careful not to splash yourself with it while mixing) as this reacts with the cocoa powder, causing it to “bloom” and fully develop the rich flavor of the cocoa.
- Oil. Don’t be tempted to replace the oil with melted butter, please! Using oil makes these chocolate cupcakes super moist without weighing them down. The cocoa powder (when bloomed by the hot liquid) provides plenty of flavor, so butter is unnecessary (never would have thought I would type those words!) and actually yields a less-desirable cupcake.
- Cornstarch. I’ve updated this recipe to include a tablespoon of cornstarch. One of my favorite secret ingredients (you may recognize it from my worst chocolate chip cookies), this simple addition keeps them tender, soft, and fluffy and it also gives these formerly completely flat cupcakes a slight rounded dome.
SAM’S TIP: If you choose to use coffee, your chocolate cupcakes will not taste mocha-esque; rather the coffee helps to enhance the rich chocolate flavors of the cocoa powder. I recommend you use it!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes
- Whisk all of the dry ingredients and sugar together.
- Add the oil, egg, and vanilla and mix to combine (mixture will seem crumbly, just make sure the dry ingredients have all been moistened).
- Slowly drizzle in the milk and continue stirring until the batter looks uniform.
- Gradually and carefully add the hot liquid and mix until everything is completely combined.
Itโs very important to not fill your cupcake liners higher than โ full. If you do, the batter will spread out over the tops and the resulting cupcakes will have flat tops that are likely to sink in on themselves. Opt for under-filling rather than over-filling, and if you do happen to have leftover batter, make extra cupcakes or discard it.
- Evenly divide the batter among a lined cupcake pan and bake for 17-19 minutes.
- Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
SAM’S TIP: I recommend baking one pan of chocolate cupcakes at a time, just in case your oven bakes unevenly or does something funky while baking, or even just in case you accidentally leave the first batch in too long.
While you can always stick with the easy frosting I’ve linked to in the recipe, my chocolate cupcake recipe tastes lovely with just about any topping. Some of my top recommendations are brown butter frosting, marshmallow frosting, cream cheese frosting, peanut butter frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream, or vanilla frosting.
Frequently Asked Questions
This chocolate cupcake batter will be very, very thin–much different from the thick batter of my vanilla cake. Itโll seem almost watery/soupy. This is normal and means youโve done everything right!ย
While I do have a great chocolate cake recipe, you can use this recipe to make a two layer 8″ or 9″ cake. I provide instructions on how to do this in the recipe notes.
I don’t recommend it. I suggest you make my easy vanilla cupcake recipe instead!
With only 15 minutes to prep and only one bowl to dirty, what are you waiting for!?
Enjoy!
Letโs bake together! Iโll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Truly the Best Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 โ cups (333 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ยฝ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour
- โ cup (65 g) natural cocoa powder see note 1
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch see note 2
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ยผ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ยฝ cup (118 ml) avocado, canola or vegetable oil
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk room temperature preferred
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- โ cup (157 ml) whole milk room temperature preferred
- 1 cup (236 ml) hot coffee see note 3, may substitute hot water
- 1 batch chocolate buttercream or preferred frosting
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Arrange rack to center of oven and preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line two 12-count muffin tins with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (I make this recipe with an electric mixer but it can be done by hand using a whisk and spatula instead).1 โ cups (333 g) granulated sugar, 1 ยฝ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour, โ cup (65 g) natural cocoa powder, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 1 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder, 1 ยผ teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon table salt
- Add canola oil, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and stir until batter is combined (it will be a bit dry and crumbly but all of the flour mixture should be moistened before proceeding).ยฝ cup (118 ml) avocado, canola or vegetable oil, 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Drizzle in milk while stirring and stir until batter is uniform and completely combined.โ cup (157 ml) whole milk
- Gradually add hot coffee or hot water (take care not to burn yourself!) and stir until liquid is completely incorporated into the batter and you have a smooth chocolate batter. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well-combined. The batter will be very thin, this is normal!1 cup (236 ml) hot coffee
- Evenly divide batter into prepared muffin tin, but take care to fill liners between ยฝ and not more than โ of the way full, this is typically about 3 Tablespoons of batter or less per cupcake liner. Over-filled liners will result in cupcakes with flat tops and they may cave in on themselves. If you have excess batter, discard it (or make extra cupcakes!).
- Transfer one pan of cupcakes to 350F (175C) preheated oven and bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (or clean). Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes in baking pan before carefully removing to cooling rack to cool completely before frosting (I like to use a knife to gently pry up the cupcake from the bottom and then carefully lift it out to a cooling rack). Repeat with second pan of cupcakes
- Once cupcakes have cooled, frost with my chocolate frosting or your favorite frosting recipe.1 batch chocolate buttercream
Notes
Cocoa powder
I recommend using natural unsweetened cocoa powder for best results. However, in a pinch Dutch process cocoa powder can be used instead, but note that the flavor will be slightly different and the cupcakes will be darker.Cornstarch
Cornstarch is my secret ingredient, it makes the cupcakes tender and fluffy and gives them the perfect, slight domed tops. However, if you do not have it on hand you may omit it, note that your cupcakes will likely be flatter though.Hot coffee/hot water
A hot liquid is essential to properly blooming the cocoa powder (which gives the cake a pronounced, rich chocolate flavor). I like to use hot coffee because the coffee flavor enhances the chocolate, making the flavor even richer and deeper. However, you can just use hot water instead. The hotter the liquid the better; boiling is fine, just be careful! Please note I donโt recommend using other hot liquids such as hot chocolate which often have other additives and sugar added and could adversely affect the final outcome.Frosting
I used my Ateco 848 tip to pipe the frosting on the cupcakes in the photos above and in the video. If you wish to frost all of your cupcakes this generously you will want to double the frosting called for in the recipe that I linked to, but honestly you donโt need to and a more modest amount (half the amount shown) works great and allows the cupcake flavor to really shine, it just didnโt look quite as nice in the pictures!Baking chocolate cupcake batter in different sized pans
You may bake these cupcakes in two 8โ pans for 35-37 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. In two 9โ pans the cakes will take a bit less time, start checking at 30-32 minutes. This recipe should also work just fine in a 13×9โ pan, but I would keep an eye on it as I havenโt tested it in this size pan yet.Original recipe
I’ve received a lot of requests for the original recipe. As I mentioned in my post, this current recipe is the one I recommend, it’s simply scaled down from that one to make an even 24 cupcakes, to prevent the overflowing issue many people were having, and a bit of cornstarch has been added to improve structure. It’s a slightly better cupcake recipe for the changes and I recommend using the recipe as seen here. However, since so many of you have asked, here is the original recipe. Please note that I am not accepting comments or questions on the original and recommend you use the recipe I have published here currently.ยNutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Related Recipes
My chocolate cupcake recipe was originally published in March of 2016. A few small modifications were made to scale the recipe down to 24 even cupcakes without changing the texture, and the post has been updated to be more informative and a how-to video has been added.
Becky
Thank you for this recipe!! I will be making them tonight for nurses week. Two questions, can I double the recipe? And if I’m serving them tomorrow, should leave them on the counter or put in fridge? I’m just not sure if they would dry out in the fridge? Thank you !! ๐
Sam
Hi Becky! Yes you can double the recipe. I would store them in an airtight container at room temperature overnight, the fridge can sometimes dry them out so room temperature is best. Enjoy! ๐
Arlene
These cupcakes were excellent! I loved the coffee in them. I also made your vanilla cupcakes, paired with โthe best chocolate buttercreamโ and strawberry buttercream. My cousin said the chocolate cupcake with strawberry frosting was โprobably the bestโ cupcake he has ever had. Thank you for these amazing recipes!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them all so much, Arlene! ๐
Angela
Hi,
Hope you are well.
I noticed that the recipe has changed a little. Are you able to please provide the old recipe?
Thank you x
Sam
Hi Angela! As I mention in the post this is the same recipe only scaled down to 24 cupcakes, but if you want the exact original recipe you can find it here on my YouTube channel (if you donโt want to watch the video just check the description for the written recipe).
Angela
Hi Sam,
Thank you!
I have been filling the cupcakes just a little over half way however it seems to be rising to one side and some pointy rather than flat. Do you know why this could be?
Sam
Hmm I’m wondering if your oven is heating unevenly if they are baking up funny.
Amy
Can I please have the original cupcake recipe? I really liked how they came out. I clicked on your recipe page today to make them and the recipe is totally different than it was last week when I made them.
Thank you!
Amy
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Amy! Rest assured that it’s still the original recipe, just scaled to make an even number of cupcakes. We discuss this in the post ๐
Amy
Thank you, I just read that now that you said it. I was wondering if I could perhaps have the old measurements you used in that recipe before? My reason being that I use larger cupcake papers for my business and with the old measurements I get an even amount of cupcakes (24). Would you be able to share the non scaled back recipe with me? I’m also excited to try the cornstarch in the recipe as well!
Thank you ๐
Amy
Sam
It’s actually still published on my youtube channel. I never updated the description. ๐
Veronica
Could you please make another post with the original recipe? The other one didn’t include cornstarch. I have always used this recipe and everyone loves it. Thank you
Sam
Hi Angela! As I mention in the post this is the same recipe only scaled down to 24 cupcakes, but if you want the exact original recipe you can find it here on my YouTube channel (if you donโt want to watch the video just check the description for the written recipe).
Grace
Hi there! Iโd love to get the recipe too. The original one is a hit with everyone
Sam
Hi Grace! It is the same recipe just scaled differently to make an even number of cupcakes. ๐
Kathy
Can buttermilk be substituted for the regular milk? I have a lot of buttermilk! Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sure! And if you need to use up that buttermilk, definitely give our buttermilk pancakes a try too ๐
Kathy
Thanks! I forgot about buttermilk pancakes! I bought a small container and only need 1/4 c of it so lots left over!
Ray
Hi Sam,
I literally just tried these after looking tirelessly for cupcake recipes that were light and fluffy!!
I have found the one!!! ๐๐ฅณ๐ฅฐ
The cupcakes were airy and light just how i love it. I made one change in that i used one cup of cake flour created from all purpose flour then used 1/2 cup regular all purpose flour to make up the quantum of flour in the recipe. I also added some orange oil and voila!!! Cupcake heaven!! Anyway, this worked perfectly for me and is a definite keeper!!
Thanks Sam and do you have a similar recipe for vanilla cupcakes??? Kindly link.
Happy baking all๐๐๐
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you found our recipe, Ray! Sounds like your cupcakes were just perfect. Definitely give our vanilla cupcakes a try and let us know what you think ๐
Leticia
Loved how they came out!! First batch came out with to much of a top and looked like a mushroom but that was my mess up ha. But second batch came out great! Follow the 2/3 full step for sure. Just wondering why they feel a little tacky to the touch after they have cooled downed??
Sam
I’m glad they turned out for you Leticia! These are a very moist cupcake, but if they were too tacky they may have needed another minute in the oven. ๐
Beylah
Hi there! This recipe is so great, these cupcakes are *incredibly* moist and delicious! I do want to try it as a cake โ I saw your note about converting the recipe, but have you tried it, does it work well as a cake and hold its structure? I would need to change the measurements to accommodate a three-layer cake. Would love to know if you think that would be successful or if I should explore another one of your recipes! Thank you! ๐
Sam
Hi Beylah! Yes I have tried it and it works well. You’ll just need to increase the recipe by 50% to get your third layer. ๐
Maureen Grener
Very light and moist!!! Icing is to die for!!!! I added coffee to that too! Love it.
Reese
Lovely!! I made these and they were superb!! I was wondering though, how would you go about adding stout to this recipe to deepen the flavor — perhaps commiting half the coffee for stout?
Sam
Hi Reese! I haven’t tried substituting a stout so I’m no sure how it would go. If you do try it I would love to know how it turns out. ๐
Gwyneth Nibarger
These were delicious!
Traci Lyn
I want to learn how to make these
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
You can do it, Traci! Just be sure to read the post carefully and watch the video before getting started. If you have any issues, leave a comment and we should be able to help you ๐
Chelsea Thomson
Such a wonderful recipe! Iโve made several recipes in the last couple months and this one has the best chocolate flavor and is so moist (more moist than the buttercream recipes) it made more than 24 cupcakes so I was worried I had messed up but no they came out amazing. I filled them with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream and topped them with the chocolate buttercream recipe provided-so good!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Your cupcakes sound absolutely delicious, Chelsea! Thanks so much for giving our recipe a try โค
Zahraa
Please can I have the old recipe? I see this one is different now? I baked it last like 2 weeks ago and wanted to make it again and now everything is different.
Sam
Hi Zahraa! This is the same recipe, just scaled to make an even number of cupcakes. I explain it all in the post. ๐
Linda Foster
About the frosting, I kept whipping it, but it still isnโt stiff enough, what do I do??
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Linda! Did you add the milk one tablespoon at a time? It sounds like you may have accidentally added too much. Don’t worry though–you can just add more powdered sugar/cocoa powder until the icing is the right consistency again. Hope that helps! โค
G
So good! So easy! So reliable!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy these cupcakes checked all the boxes for you! Enjoy โค
Mindy
I made this chocolate cupcake and chocolate frosting recipe today! It was sooo delicious and spot on for texture, flavor, ease of preparation, etc. I used decaf coffee which definitely enhanced the chocolate flavor. The frosting was perfect as well! Thank you! I am definitely going to try some of your other recipes!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Mindy. Thanks so much for trying our recipe and coming back to leave a review; we really appreciate it! โฅ
Susan
Since this recipe makes about 30 cupcakes and I only need 12. If I make it all, is there a way I can store it to keep it fresh for use next week?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Susan! We’d suggest making a half batch instead ๐
Laura
I have made this recipe before and loved it! Over the holidays though, I was hopping to make a hot coco flavored cupcake. Would adding 1 cup of hot coco rather than coffee make the cupcakes too sweet?
Sam
Hi Laura! I wouldn’t recommend it because hot cocoa has sugar and other ingredients added. If you don’t have the coffee I would just use hot water. ๐