Moist Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
The ultimate moist chocolate cupcakes with tons of rich chocolate flavor thanks to buttermilk, brown sugar, and a touch of oil. They bake up with a nice little dome that's perfect for a swirl of easy chocolate buttercream frosting!
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Calories: 417kcal
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.
Video
Notes
Room temperature ingredients: Make sure your buttermilk, butter, and eggs are warm before mixing. This creates a smooth batter and even baking.
Espresso powder: It won't make your cupcakes taste like coffee. It deepens the chocolate flavor. No espresso powder? Use the same amount of instant coffee, crushed fine or dissolved in the warm buttermilk. The chocolate flavor will be slightly less intense. You can also leave it out.
Buttermilk: Essential for flavor and moisture. If you don't have it, make a buttermilk substitute with whole milk and white vinegar or lemon juice.
Mixing: Don't overmix once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, or your cupcakes will be dense. No paddle attachment? Mix by hand with a spatula.
Filling: Fill liners only ½ to ⅔ full so the cupcakes dome instead of collapsing.
Preheat: Preheat your oven to 350º F for 30 minutes before baking to give your cupcakes a good rise and set the dome.
Storage: Baked, unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 6 months. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and put them in a freezer bag, then thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition: Calculated per frosted cupcake (1 cupcake with chocolate buttercream).
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.7g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 233mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 521IU | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg
