Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

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I’m excited to be sharing what I consider the BEST moist chocolate cupcake recipe around and its super easy to make (move over boxed cake mix!). Don’t get me wrong. I still love my german chocolate, chocolate cherry, chocolate raspberry, and rocky road cupcakes. But nailing a classic like chocolate cupcakes? It’s foundational.

When it comes to celebrations like classroom birthdays or baby showers, few treats are as beloved as cupcakes. They’re perfectly portable, pre-portioned, and adorable to boot. What’s not to love?

Plus, they come in so many fun flavors! From tropical coconut to juicy strawberry, salty peanut butter cupcakes to cookies and cream cupcakes, there’s a cupcake for every occasion. Valentine’s? Check. Easter? Yes, yes, so much yes. Halloween. Thanksgiving. Christmas. Winter Solstice. New Year’s Eve. Toddler parties. You name it, there’s a delicious cupcake that’ll fit the vibe.

What You Need To Make This Recipe

Ingredients needed to make chocolate cupcake recipe.

All-Purpose Flour — Plain white flour is all you need to make this simple chocolate cupcakes recipe. You should also be able to swap in a cup-for-cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend if needed; just make sure to rest the batter for 30 minutes before baking to allow the flour time to rehydrate.

Granulated Sugar — White sugar has a neutral flavor that allows all the chocolatey goodness of these homemade chocolate cupcakes to shine through.

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder — If possible, reach for Dutch-processed cocoa, which is less bitter-tasting than regular. That said, conventional cocoa powder, black cocoa powder, or even raw cacao powder can also be used to make this easy chocolate cupcakes recipe.

Baking Soda — For leavening. To make sure your baking soda is still fresh, mix a small amount with the acid of your choice (e.g. lemon juice or vinegar). If it foams and bubbles, it’s still active! If it doesn’t, it’s time to replace your batch.

Salt — A touch of sea salt helps to enhance the flavor of chocolate.

Buttermilk — For adding fat, moisture, and a touch of acid, which contributes to an extra tender crumb. Unless you have a plan to make buttermilk biscuits and/or a buttermilk pie in the near future, you probably don’t need a whole jug just for this chocolate cupcakes recipe. Instead, make your own buttermilk by mixing regular milk with vinegar or lemon juice! You can also thin out sour cream or plain yogurt with some milk instead.

Vegetable Oil — For a neutral-flavored fat that imparts tons of moisture. Feel free to swap in fruity or peppery olive oil for a fun, grown-up twist on this moist chocolate cupcake recipe. Other options include avocado or peanut oil.

Egg — For binding the chocolate cupcake batter together. You can easily use liquid eggs that come in a carton, but don’t swap in egg whites; they don’t have enough fat and can dry out the cupcakes.

Vanilla Extract — For warmth and depth. You can also use an equal amount of vanilla paste or vanilla powder.

How To Make Chocolate Cupcakes

Set of two photos showing cocoa powder spooned into a bowl and whisked together with other dry ingredients.

1. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to a large mixing bowl.

2. Whisk the dry ingredients to combine.

Set of two photos showing wet ingredients added to a bowl and whisked together.

3. Add the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla to a medium mixing bowl.

4. Whisk the wet ingredients to combine.

Set of two photos showing batter whisked together and scooped into a lined cupcake tray.

5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until well combined and no dry streaks of flour remain.

6. Divide the cupcake batter among the cupcake liners, filling each about ⅔ full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove and finish cooling on a wire rack. Frost the cupcakes as desired.

Chocolate cupcakes on a cooling rack with two frosted.

Pro Tips For Making This Recipe

Try my favorite new YouTube trick and use high-quality olive oil in place of vegetable oil. It’ll turn classic chocolate cupcakes into fancy chocolate cupcakes in a flash, imparting the flavorful qualities of your favorite cold-pressed bottle. Try an Italian varietal for grassy undertones, Greek for spicy, or Spanish for more fruity and nutty flavors.
For best results in baking, start with room temperature ingredients. Letting your eggs and buttermilk come to room temp means they’re easier to incorporate into the batter. This is great news, because we want to mix the batter as little as possible while still incorporating all the flour. Why? Over-mixing causes the build-up of excess gluten, which can cause the otherwise moist crumbs to be tough.
Invest in a good airtight container that will fit your cupcakes. These convenient carrying cases make it so easy to share your fresh baked goodies with co-workers, friends, and classmates!
Sometimes, I like to swap out half of the buttermilk for hot coffee, which amplifies the cocoa powder’s flavor.

Multiple chocolate cupcakes with frosting on top with one in front.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a chocolate muffin and a chocolate cupcake?

In my mind, chocolate muffins and chocolate cupcakes are definitely related. The biggest difference is that cupcakes are typically frosted, whereas muffins are not. Additionally, chocolate muffins are totally acceptable to eat for breakfast whereas you might witness a raised eyebrow or two if you eat homemade cupcakes for breakfast. That said, I promise not to judge you either way!

What is the best frosting to use?

Since chocolate plays well with so many flavors, chocolate cupcakes are amazing chameleons depending on what frosting you add.

Top them with classic chocolate frosting or vanilla frosting for approachable crowd-pleasers. Lace your chocolate buttercream with some espresso powder to make a lovely mocha frosting, or top them with whipped chocolate ganache for death by chocolate cupcakes.

You can also use peanut butter buttercream for a salty-sweet treat, or cream cheese frosting to add a bit of tang!

What’s your favorite frosting to pair with chocolate cupcakes? Let me know in the comments!

Do they have caffeine? Do they have dairy? Do these cupcakes have nuts?

If you’re looking for a short answer, then yes, not necessarily, and no. Chocolate naturally contains caffeine, so adding cocoa powder to the batter means that caffeine is part of the mix. That said, it’s not a ton! Each cupcake will have about the same amount of caffeine as a decaf cup of coffee.

As for dairy, I do use buttermilk in this super moist chocolate cupcakes recipe.

However, you can easily use non-dairy buttermilk if needed. If you’re aiming to make your cupcakes completely dairy-free, make sure your frosting is, as well.
In terms of nuts, unless you add some chopped ones to the batter or use nut-based milk to make your buttermilk, this basic chocolate cupcake recipe is totally nut-free.

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