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This is truly the only chocolate cupcake recipe you will ever need to make a perfectly moist, rich, and decadent dessert from scratch. These cupcakes feature a deep chocolate flavor and a tender, springy crumb that stays moist for days thanks to a few secret ingredients. They really are the BEST Chocolate Cupcakes!
While I love a box cake mix for yellow cake, chocolate cake mix isn’t my favorite. Instead, I prefer making homemade and needed a rich chocolate cupcake that stays fluffy and moist like a traditional box mix does. These ultra-chocolatey, fudgy cupcakes are a dream come true. They’re easy enough for beginners but have that bakery-level flavor – super moist, rich, and chocolatey with a silky smooth chocolate buttercream frosting.
The secret to the best chocolate cupcakes is the combination of blooming the cocoa powder in hot liquid and using oil instead of butter. Blooming the cocoa powder in hot water or coffee opens up the flavor profile, creating a much more intense chocolate experience. Because oil is a liquid at room temperature, these cupcakes have a superior mouthfeel and stay soft far longer than traditional butter-based cakes (even when refrigerated), ensuring a bakery-quality result every time.
Ingredients in Chocolate Cupcakes
- Make sure to use regular unsweetened cocoa powder not dutch-process cocoa powder. Since these cupcakes are leavened with Baking Soda, the chemistry of the recipe may be interrupted if using dark cocoa.
- The addition of an acid like white vinegar reacts with the baking soda to create carbon dioxide bubbles. This reaction is what gives chocolate cupcakes their lift and prevents them from becoming too dense or fudgy. You can use lemon juice in its place.
- Using vegetable oil instead of butter is the key to a moist chocolate cupcake because oil coats the flour proteins more effectively, which limits gluten development. This produces a more tender crumb that does not dry out as quickly as butter-based recipes.
- Blooming cocoa powder involves mixing it with a hot liquid (like water or coffee) to dissolve the solids and release the flavor oils. This step ensures that the chocolate flavor is evenly distributed throughout the batter and results in a darker, richer cupcake.
- The recipe mentions using hot water, hot coffee or hot water and instant coffee granules. Adding hot coffee to the batter blooms the cocoa powder which intensifies the chocolate flavor without leaving a coffee taste. The heat also helps dissolve the cocoa solids for a smoother batter. You can use any of the three options.
- I like making my cakes and cupcakes using all-purpose flour because I always have it on hand. These are super moist cupcakes without using cake flour.
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Dorothy’s Expert Cupcake Tips
- You don’t need a mixer – if you want to use one, mix at low speed until the dry ingredients are somewhat incorporated, then switch to high speed until the batter comes together. Use a paddle attachment if using a stand mixer. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
- Cupcakes are done when a toothpick entered in the center comes out clean.
- Don’t over mix the batter and don’t over fill the muffin tin – just fill it about 2/3 full for perfectly domed tops that don’t overflow.
The Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
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Ingredients
- 3 cups (372g) all purpose flour
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt, not kosher, just regular table salt
- 2 cups (474ml) hot water or hot coffee (see note)
- ¾ cup (177ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) distilled or white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, (or use your favorite)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with liners (about 30).
- Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine water, oil, vinegar, instant coffee (if using), and vanilla in a large mixing cup.
- Whisk to combine, then add to the dry ingredients and whisk just until the batter comes together. A few lumps are okay.
- Fill cupcake liners about ⅔ full and bake for about 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make desired frosting. Frost as desired.
Notes
- Hot Water Note: You can use hot coffee, hot water, or add 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules or instant espresso to the 1 cup hot water and stir.
- The original recipe in this post included this cooked frosting.
- Store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days to keep them fresh. Once frosted, store at room temperature loosely covered.
- You can also freeze unfrosted or frosted cupcakes.
- Do not use dutch process cocoa in this recipe.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes
- I like to whisk all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt) in a large mixing bowl. If your cocoa is lumpy, you can sift the ingredients together.
- Then I whisk the wet ingredients in a large measuring cup.
- Once you add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients the batter will be thin.
How to Frost Chocolate Cupcakes
I love the silky chocolate frosting used in this recipe but you’re not limited to it. There are so many other delicious frostings you can use:
- Chocolate Ganache or whipped ganache for rich extra chocolatey cupcakes.
- Cooked Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting is another favorite because it’s like ganache but smoother.
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting for a classic cupcake.
- Whipped Cream Frosting for something lighter.
- Cream Cheese Frosting is the best frosting in the world!
- Peanut Butter Frosting because peanut butter and chocolate are the best!
FAQs
You can make this into a layer cake – you’ll need 3 8-inch or 9-inch rounds. If you’re making a sheet cake, you can use a 9×13-inch pan but only fill it 2/3 full and make some cupcakes on the side.
Dry cupcakes are usually caused by over-baking or over-measuring the flour. Be sure to use the spoon and level method for your flour and check the cupcakes for doneness a few minutes before the timer goes off.
Cupcakes typically sink if the batter is over-mixed, which incorporates too much air, or if the oven door is opened too early during the baking process causing a sudden temperature drop.
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Hey Dorothy: I made these cupcakes today. They turned beautiful and delicious. I used Ghirardelli cocoa and some expresso powder, weighed the ingredients, and made your icing recipe too. I’ll freeze at least half since it’s only the two of us. Thanks for another terrific recipe! Happy Easter! Kathy
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