This chocolate cupcake recipe makes the moistest, most chocolatey cupcakes with a swirl of easy chocolate buttercream on top. They're basically a mini version of my easy chocolate cake recipe, just even easier. Buttermilk, brown sugar, and a little oil keep them soft for days, and a spoonful of espresso powder makes the chocolate taste even MORE chocolatey. Want something a little lighter? Pipe on my whipped ganache frosting instead.
If you've ever struggled with dry cupcakes or ones that sink in the middle, this is the recipe for you. I'll show you how to mix your batter, how full to fill your liners, and how to whip up the chocolate buttercream frosting that goes on top.
Quick Glance at the Recipe: Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
- Recipe Name: Moist Chocolate Cupcakes with Easy Chocolate Buttercream
- Why You'll Love It: Super moist, rich chocolate flavor, and easy enough for beginners (even a 5-year-old!)
- Time and Difficulty: 40 minutes | Easy
- Main Ingredients: Cocoa powder, buttermilk, brown sugar, oil, espresso powder, butter, melted chocolate
- Method: Cream, alternate dry and wet, bake, frost
- Texture and Flavor: Soft, fluffy crumb with a little dome and deep chocolate flavor
- Quick Tip: Fill your liners only ½ to ⅔ full for perfect domes that don't collapse
Jump to:
- Quick Glance at the Recipe: Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
- What Makes This Chocolate Cupcake Recipe So Good⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Chocolate Cupcake Ingredients
- How To Make Chocolate Cupcakes Step-By-Step
- Common Chocolate Cupcake Problems To Avoid
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review
- Final Thoughts
- Chocolate Cupcake Recipe FAQs
- More Chocolate Recipes To Try
- Ready To Master Cake Decorating?
- Leave Me A Review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Recipe
What Makes This Chocolate Cupcake Recipe So Good
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This chocolate cupcake recipe is based on my favorite chocolate cake, simplified for everyday baking. It's one of the first recipes I ever taught my daughter Avalon to make, and she was only five years old at the time. If she can do it, you can do it!
- Oil AND butter. Cocoa powder is super drying, so you need oil for a moist cupcake. Butter adds the flavor and helps make the crumb fluffy.
- Warm buttermilk. It blooms the cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor and makes the cupcakes really tender.
- Brown sugar. That extra molasses means extra moisture and a richer, deeper flavor.
- Espresso powder. It doesn't make your cupcakes taste like coffee. It just makes the chocolate taste more like chocolate. I use coffee in my death by chocolate cake for the same reason.
- A real creaming step. I've had plenty of tasty one-bowl cupcakes, but they come out fudgy, not fluffy. Creaming your butter and sugar is what gives these their light, airy crumb.
Chocolate Cupcake Ingredients
You probably have everything for this recipe in your pantry already, and the only optional ingredient is the espresso powder. I always recommend weighing your ingredients with a digital kitchen scale for the most accurate results, especially the flour and cocoa powder.
- All-purpose flour: Gives your cupcakes structure. Weigh it! Too much flour is one of the top reasons chocolate cupcakes come out dry.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens and helps the cupcakes rise when you cream it with the butter.
- Brown sugar: Adds moisture and depth from the molasses. Sift it first so you don't get hard little lumps in your batter.
- Cocoa powder: Really any kind works here. Dutch-process gives you a darker color and a more intense flavor, while natural cocoa tastes a little more like milk chocolate. Here's my full breakdown of Dutch process vs natural cocoa powder if you're curious.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Your leaveners. They react with the acid in the buttermilk to give you a nice rise and a little dome.
- Eggs: Add structure and richness. Warm them in a glass of hot water for 5 minutes so they mix in smoothly.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture, tenderness, and a little tang. Warm it to about 100º F so it blooms the cocoa. No buttermilk? Use my easy buttermilk substitute.
- Unsalted butter: Adds flavor and helps create a fluffy crumb when it's creamed with the sugar. Make sure it's softened, not melted.
- Vegetable oil: The secret to moist chocolate cupcakes. Oil stays liquid at room temperature, so your cupcakes stay soft for days.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the chocolate flavor. Use the good stuff.
- Espresso powder (optional): Deepens the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee. No espresso powder? Use the same amount of instant coffee, crushed fine or dissolved in your warm buttermilk. Or leave it out, but your cupcakes won't taste quite as rich.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness in both the cupcakes and the frosting.
- Chocolate chips: Melted into the buttercream for a rich, fudgy chocolate frosting.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the buttercream. Sift it so your frosting is silky smooth.
- Heavy cream: Thins the buttercream to the perfect piping consistency. Add a little more if your frosting is too stiff.
How To Make Chocolate Cupcakes Step-By-Step
Before you start, preheat your oven to 350º F and line your cupcake pan with paper liners. Make sure your butter is soft, warm your buttermilk to about 100º F in the microwave, and warm your eggs in a glass of hot water for 5 minutes. Warm room temperature ingredients create an emulsion and a much smoother batter.
- Mix your wet ingredients. Combine your warm buttermilk, oil, and vanilla and set it aside.
- Whisk your dry ingredients. Whisk together your flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder in a separate bowl.
- Cream your butter and sugars in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Don't rush this step, this is where your fluffy texture comes from.
- Add your eggs one at a time on low speed, letting the first one mix in before adding the second. Scrape the bowl!
PRO TIP: No stand mixer? You can cream your butter and sugar with a hand mixer, but mix the rest of the batter by hand with a spatula so you don't overmix it.
- Alternate your dry and wet ingredients. Add ⅓ of the dry, then ⅓ of the wet, and repeat two more times on low speed until just combined.
- Fill your cupcake liners ½ to ⅔ full. A medium cookie scoop makes this super easy.
PRO TIP: Filling your liners too full is the #1 reason cupcakes collapse. The batter rises up and then spills over the edge instead of forming a dome. For perfectly even cupcakes, set your pan on a scale and pipe your batter into the liners.
- Bake your cupcakes at 350º F for 18 to 20 minutes, just until the centers are set. Don't overbake!
- Cool completely on a cooling rack before you frost them.
- Make your chocolate buttercream. Cream your butter until smooth, then add your melted chocolate, sifted powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and heavy cream and mix until creamy.
- Adjust and frost. Add a little more heavy cream if your frosting is too thick, then pipe a big swirl on each cupcake.
Common Chocolate Cupcake Problems To Avoid
- Overmixing the batter: Once you start adding your dry ingredients, mix only until combined. Overmixing builds gluten and makes your cupcakes dense instead of fluffy.
- Overfilling the liners: Fill them ½ to ⅔ full. Any more and the batter rises over the edge and collapses as it cools.
- Overbaking: This is the most common reason cupcakes come out dry. Start checking at 18 minutes and pull them as soon as the centers are set.
- Using cold ingredients: Cold eggs and buttermilk can make your batter break and look curdled. Warm them first for a smooth, even batter.
- Skipping the sift on your brown sugar: Brown sugar loves to clump, and those lumps don't always mix out. Sift it before creaming.
- Frosting warm cupcakes: Even slightly warm cupcakes will melt your buttercream right off. Let them cool completely.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review
Wow! I made these for my husband's work team. He and I ate a couple of cupcakes before I delivered them to his work . . . you know, to test and make sure everything turned out well. Oh my gosh, we almost decided to keep them all at home! They are so good! I went over the top and filled the cupcakes with fudge and iced them with vanilla buttercream. But the chocolate cake part itself really, ahem, takes the cake. I even had them refrigerated and they were still moist and yummy. I'll be baking those again soon. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
- Genevieve
Final Thoughts
These are my go-to chocolate cupcakes, and honestly they're the ones I trust most. Avalon could make them at five years old, and they still turn out moist and fluffy every single time. The little details are what make the difference: warm buttermilk, sifted brown sugar, a real creaming step, and NOT overfilling your liners.
The chocolate buttercream is my favorite on top, but you can switch it up. Try my chocolate fudge frosting for something extra rich, fresh strawberry buttercream for a springy twist, or my easy cream cheese frosting for a perfect birthday treat. And if you want the vanilla version, my moist vanilla cupcake recipe is made the same way.
Chocolate Cupcake Recipe FAQs
Can I bake this chocolate cupcake recipe as a cake?
This batter is very similar to my Easy Chocolate Cake, so for a layer cake I'd use that recipe instead. My Death By Chocolate Cake is another great option if you want something extra rich.
Does this chocolate buttercream have egg whites in it?
No. The chocolate buttercream in this recipe is made with butter, melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar, so there are no eggs in the frosting. The frosting you see in the video is my easy buttercream, which uses pasteurized egg whites. If you need an egg-free option, this one is perfect, or try chocolate ganache or American buttercream with ¼ cup of sifted cocoa powder mixed in.
How do I freeze chocolate cupcakes?
Wrap each unfrosted cupcake in plastic wrap and put them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. When you're ready to use them, just take them out of the bag and let them thaw at room temperature. No special defrosting needed.
Can I cut this chocolate cupcake recipe in half?
Yes, this recipe halves easily if you only need a dozen cupcakes. Or make the full batch and freeze the extras so you have cupcakes on hand whenever you need them.
Can I turn the chocolate buttercream into a mocha buttercream?
Yes! Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of espresso powder that you've rehydrated with a tiny bit of water, then taste and add more if you want a stronger coffee flavor.
More Chocolate Recipes To Try
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Leave Me A Review
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Recipe
Equipment
- Mixer with whisk and paddle attachment (stand or handheld)
- Cupcake pan
- Paper cupcake liners
- Medium cookie scoop
- Digital Kitchen Scale
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 8 ounces all-purpose flour
- 5 ounces granulated sugar
- 3 ounces brown sugar sifted
- 3 ounces cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 10 ounces buttermilk warm
- 4 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 4 ounces vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon espresso powder (optional, or instant coffee)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Easy Chocolate Buttercream
- 12 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 12 ounces chocolate chips melted
- 1 ounce cocoa powder
- 16 ounces powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Before you begin: Preheat your oven to 350º F and line your cupcake pan with paper liners. Warm your buttermilk in the microwave to about 100º F, bring your butter to room temperature, and warm your eggs in hot water for 5 minutes. Warm ingredients create an emulsion and a smoother batter.
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Combine the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and sifted brown sugar in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. If you don't have a stand mixer, use a hand mixer for this step, then mix the rest of the ingredients by hand to avoid overmixing.
- Add the eggs one at a time while mixing on low, letting the first one mix in before adding the second. Scrape the bowl to make sure everything is mixed well.
- While mixing on low speed, add ⅓ of the dry ingredients, followed by ⅓ of the wet ingredients. Alternate two more times until just combined.
- Fill your cupcake liners ½ to ⅔ of the way full. This recipe makes about 24 cupcakes. Bake at 350º F for 18 to 20 minutes until set. Do not overbake.
- Cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting.
Easy Chocolate Buttercream
- Cream the butter until smooth.
- Add the melted chocolate, heavy cream, sifted powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Cream until smooth.
- Add more heavy cream if needed until the frosting is the consistency you need, then pipe onto your cooled cupcakes.
Genevieve Peterson says
Wow! I made these for my husband's work team. He and I ate a couple of cupcakes before I delivered them to his work . . . you know, to test and make sure everything turned out well. Oh my gosh, we almost decided to keep them all at home! They are so good! I went over the top and filled the cupcakes with fudge and iced them with vanilla buttercream. But the chocolate cake part itself really, ahem, takes the cake. I even had them refrigerated and they were still moist and yummy. I'll be baking those again soon. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Dominic says
These were incredible! For years I'd used an old one bowl recipe from Martha Stewart, but lately had found it to create sunken cupcakes almost half the time. I ended up shopping around and still wasn't quite satisfied. I tried yours and will not be looking anywhere else. It's easy to put together and creates such a fudgy and soft cupcake without the common crisp tops or sunken centers. Thanks Liz!
Carrington Brown says
Can I use this recipe as a cake?
Sugar Geek Show says
It's very similar to my easy chocolate cake, so I'd use that recipe instead 🙂 Or check out my death by chocolate cake
Maryam says
If I need to use this recipe to bake a cake how long should I bake it?
Sugar Geek Show says
I would recommend using my easy chocolate cake or death by chocolate cake recipe instead 🙂
LIZ says
Can I double the recipe to make double the serving? Or a different recipe for doubling / triple ?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes you can double the recipe
Sohail says
What can be used as an alternative to buttermilk ?
Elizabeth Marek says
https://sugargeekshow.com/buttermilk-substitute/
Maricris B says
Can I substitute pasteurized egg whites for raw egg whites? Thanks.
Elizabeth Marek says
Do you mean for the buttercream? You can only use pasteurized egg whites for this recipe, not raw egg whites.
Shelly O says
Hands down the best chocolate cupcakes! thank you for another good recipe.
Angie says
These cupcakes are so so good. Truly the BEST chocolate cupcakes ever. Thank you Liz.
Mary says
Oh, freezing them would be nice so they are on hand! Do you need to wrap the cupcakes individually in plastic wrap or anything to keep them moist? And how/when do you need to thaw them for use?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I would wrap individually in plastic wrap and then into a freezer bag. No need to defrost in a certain way. Just take them out of the bag and leave at room temperature.
Mary says
I LOVE these cupcakes! Best chocolate cupcakes ever!! I often get orders for a dozen, can I easily half this recipe and be safe?
Thanks!!!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you can, or you can freeze leftover cupcakes in freezer-proof containers for up to 6 months
Erin says
Best Chocolate Cupcakes...EVER. All of the other chocolate cupcake recipes I've tried have had such a sticky texture, but not these, which is EXACTLY what I was looking for. So light and fluffy, it was the perfect bakery cupcake. Your vanilla cupcakes were awesome, so I knew these would be too. Thanks so much!!!!!
Blossom says
Baking a cake for my niece for her bday but she is allergic to raw egg. whats the replacement for egg white in the chocolate buttercream. Please can u suggest. Thank u ?
The Sugar Geek Show says
There isn't a replacement for this recipe, you could make chocolate ganache or you could make American buttercream and add in 1/4 cup sifted cocoa powder
Kaitlyn Middleton says
Can you use instant coffee instead of espresso powder?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I'm not sure it would work exactly the same https://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2017/01/16/baking-with-espresso-powder
Anisha Thomas says
Hey love thanks for the recipe but do u use low fat buttermilk or whole because I can't find while buttermilk anywhere!
The Sugar Geek Show says
I don't think it matters as long as it's buttermilk