Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipe (VIDEO)
This Chocolate Cupcake recipe is so easy and the results are amazing every time. Top them with our 6-minute Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and you have the ultimate chocolate lovers cupcake! Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is.
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We love homemade cupcake recipes from Vanilla Cupcakes to Pumpkin Cupcakes. They are always the first dessert to disappear at birthday parties. If you are a fan of cupcakes made from scratch, this Chocolate Cupcake Recipe is a must-try!
Chocolate Cupcake Video Tutorial
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Why you will Love these Chocolate Cupcakes
First, this recipe is SO EASY! Simply mix the dry ingredients, then mix the wet ingredients, and whisk them together. They bake up with a beautiful domed top.
These chocolate cupcakes are moist and fluffy at the same time with a tender crumb. The coffee is the secret ingredient here and makes these intensely chocolatey and gives the cupcakes a deeper color. You can’t really taste the coffee in these and you probably wouldn’t know it’s there if you didn’t read the recipe, but it really makes the chocolate flavor shine.
How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes
- Quick prep – Preheat the oven and line a 12-count cupcake pan.
- Mix dry ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt), breaking up any big clumps of cocoa.
- Mix wet ingredients – In a second bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (warm coffee, vinegar, oil, egg, vanilla)
- Combine batter – Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and whisk just until combined. The batter will be a little loose with small lumps.
- Fill and bake – Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full and bake at 350˚F for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer the cupcakes to a rack to cool before frosting.
Pro Tip: Do not overfill cupcake tin. If you add more than 2/3, it will flow over, get stuck to the tin, and won’t form that perfect dome top. It’s better to have a little batter left over than to overflow the pan.
Common Questions
For best results, use unsweetened natural cocoa powder.
Our recipes are written for using a conventional oven. We bake at 350˚F on the center rack of the oven for exactly 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
This cupcake batter converts well to a cake and you will want to double the recipe for a 9-inch, 2-layer cake. See our Chocolate Cake Recipe for guidance on baking the cake.
You can substitute 1 cup coffee with 1 cup room temperature buttermilk. In my tests, the coffee gave the best color and more chocolate flavor (see photo below). If you are concerned about caffeine, decaf coffee will also work.
The Best Frosting for Chocolate Cupcakes
There are so many ways to frost a cupcake. We love them with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. You could also make Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting, or any of these cupcake icings:
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Vanilla Cupcake Frosting
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Swiss Merignue Buttercream Recipe
- Chocolate Ganache
Make-Ahead
- Storing at Room Temperature: Make the cupcakes a day in advance, cool completely to room temperature then cover and store at room temperature until ready to frost and serve.
- Freezing: Freeze un-frosted cupcakes for up to 2 months in a freezer safe zip bag or storage container.
- To Thaw: Defrost cupcakes in the refrigerator overnight. For the softest texture, allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature before serving.
I hope this Chocolate Cupcake recipe becomes a go-to favorite for you! I cranked out 8 batches of cupcakes when I was developing the recipe and I am confident these are the ultimate chocolate cupcakes.
Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
This Chocolate Cupcake recipe is easy with great results every time. A surprising ingredient makes these moist, fluffy and super chocolatey cupcakes. Try these with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, measured correctly
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup warm coffee, or 8 fluid oz
- 1 Tbsp white distilled vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350˚F with the rack in the center of the oven. Fill a 12-count muffin tin with cupcake liners.
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In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together dry ingredients, breaking up most of the cocoa clumps.
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In a second mixing bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.
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Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and whisk just until the ingredients come together and no dry streaks remain. Batter will be a little loose and lumpy.
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Use an ice cream scoop to portion batter, filling each cup 2/3 full (do not over-fill). Bake 18-22 min (20 minutes was perfect), until a toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the pan then transfer to a rack to cool completely to room temperature before frosting.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Made these for a birthday celebration at a nursing home I work at a couple weeks ago. They raved about them. Everytime they see me they ask when I am making them again. Well that will be tomorrow. Fabulous recipe.
That’s great! So glad they were a hit!
So I am assuming this is dairy and soy free?
Got no idea, have to bake for my sons class and got no idea what is dairy and soy free.
Hi Laurika! I don’t see anything in my ingredients lists that contain soy but you may want to double-check the ingredients lists of the supplies you use for these cupcakes just to be sure (sometimes they add fillers and other ingredients). The cupcakes themselves are dairy free but the buttercream frosting I recommended to make with these cupcakes is not. I don’t have a dairy-free frosting recipe but these cupcakes taste great even without the frosting.
Literally the BEST chocolate cupcakes I’ve tried! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, LaTeisha! It sounds like you found your new favorite!
My new ‘go to’ chocolate cupcake recipe. Easy, fail proof, delicious. I tested these storing in airtight containers in the fridge, freezer, and room temp and they stayed moist for days-longer for frozen. Thank you for this recipe!
So glad to hear that, Niki! Thank you for sharing.
Just made these delish cupcakes. I doubled the recipe and made huge cupcakes. Easy and yummy.
Bless you for these even tho they are sinful🤣🤣🤣🤣😋😋😋
You’re welcome, Rita! I’m so glad you loved them.
Very very good happy I found the recipie, love the added coffee !! Thank you..
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Donna!
I have tried millions of recipes, professional and personal, but none have worked. Until now. THIS IS THE HANDS DOWN BEST RECIPE!
Thank you, Jane! That’s wonderful to hear. I appreciate your feedback.
Absolutely perfect!
Exchanged white vinegar for apple cider, and didn’t have coffee so I used a double espresso and enough water to make 1C of liquid. Very impressed!
These will be my new go-to chocolate cupcake recipe.
Hi Dana! Thank you for sharing your experience with the recipe. So glad you loved them.
I’ve done these twice and both times they came out dense and hard. I measured everything by weight and used erythritol and monk fruit sweetener.
Hi Patrick! Since the recipe was changed and substitutions were made, I am not sure if that would impact the density of the cake. I know that sugar is an important ingredient for moisture in cakes, so it could be. Also, be sure to not over mix your batter. This can cause it to become dense as well.
Fabulous recipe! Tasty, light cupcakes! I was distracted when making these and made numerous “mistakes,” from adding one too many eggs to using cold coffee instead of warm. All the same, they came out wonderfully light and chocolaty. Thank you, Natasha–I love your site and rely on your recipes for everything from dinner to dessert.
You’re so nice! Thank you, Annie! I’m happy you’re loving my recipes!
Hi!
Can I use white vinegar insted of distilled vinegar in the recipe.
Yes, it’s essentially the same thing. 🙂
Heyyy Natasha!
I love your recipes! I really want to try this one, but I’m afraid of adding vinegar because I really hate it. Will I taste it in the finished product?
Thank you!
Hi Zara, you will not taste the vinegar in this recipe!
Can I sub the vegetable oil with canola canola oil?
Thanks!
Yes, that will work!
Hi Natasha!
Just made these today. Frosting frosting was great and cupcakes came out nice and even. I was a bit disppointed because I thought there’d be no coffee flavor but my family and I could still taste it. Any idea why? Thanks! Otherwise, great recipe!
Hi Zara! Did you add espresso powder or instant coffee granules to the batter directly without dissolving them? We used brewed coffee. It could also be the type of coffee roast (darker roasts have a more potent flavor). Some baking cocoa powder is very concentrated as well and it can make your cake taste like coffee. You could try using hot water in place of coffee next time. I hope that helps!
I made this recipe exactly how you instructed and they came out terrible. They were doughy and not very chocolatey. 🙁
Hi Audrey! That has never been my experience. It could be that you used too much flour or over-mixed the batter. The coffee also enhances the chocolate flavor. I am not sure what went wrong but I would look over the recipe again to see if you missed anything. You can watch my tutorial here on how to measure your ingredients correctly.
Hi Natasha!
I’m planning on baking these next weekend for a family get together, and I want to make them peppermint flavor. How much peppermint extract would you suggest to put in the batter?
Hello Skyler, that sounds delicious! However, I haven’t personally tried it to advise. If you do an experiment, we’d love to know how it goes!
Home smokes these came together so quickly. Simple. Delicious and fast!!! Thank you. That frosting is perfect. 😋
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Erin!
For this recipe, you have mentioned 1 cup warm coffee, 1 cup warm water+ 1/2 t. sp instant coffee is fine with it?
Hi Tanuja, yes, that would be fine. Just make it according to the package instructions.
Hi, there’s no package instructions. Pls help me out. I made it before without knowing it turned out so bad. this time i don’t want to do mistake again.
It’s hard to say exactly without knowing what type of coffee it is. If it is instant coffee that dissolves in hot water it should be about 1 teaspoon per 8 ounces of water. You can taste it and see if you need to add more or less. I hope that helps.
I use your recipe all the time but I have two questions, when I use the slider to cut the recipe in half(to make 6 cupcakes) how do I measure the .71 cups or the 3.21 teaspoons? And, this time the texture of the cupcake wasn’t soft, how did that happen and what can I do to prevent that
Hi Kyla! You may want to use the metric option on the recipe card and use a food scale to weigh it out in grams for the most accurate measurement and best results. If they were not moist/soft but rather dense, then it is very possible that you used too much flour.
Excellent recipe! We followed them to the T but added a 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. Outstanding cupcakes. For the topping, we did a simple thin chocolate ganache layer…delicious! Never would have thought coffee and vinegar would work, but IT DOES! Thank you Ms. Kravchuk!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Marina! Happy Holidays!
Natasha,
Loved the recipe, came out so good.
As I didn’t add frosting, it’s not sweet enough with added sugar. how much sugar is needed to avoid frosting.
Thanks
Hi Saritha! The proper balance of sugar is very important in baking. It affects the texture, volume, taste, etc. I cannot advise since I have not tested this. You’d have to experiment with it. You may also consider my brownie recipe since it does not have frosting and it is significantly sweeter.
I am not a baker. Let’s start with that. But I was in the mood for something chocolate AND I wanted cupcakes. So I did what anyone in my position would do, I looked up a recipe. I chose this one because it didn’t require milk (which I don’t keep in the house) and it had coffee in the recipe. Anything with coffee sells me instantly 😉 They are amazing!! They came out so super moist, the perfect amount of chocolate. They satisfied my craving and then some. I will add two things; I know that you have to temper the egg when you are adding anything warm to them otherwise you risk getting scrambled eggs. I would advice the instructions to add something about that when adding the coffee. My coffee was a little more than “warm” but I knew what to do so it was all good. Maybe that’s why my final batter wasn’t “loose and lumpy” like it said it would be. IDK. The other thing that was a little different in my recipe is that I only drink flavored coffee. So today we had butter pecan in the pot and that’s what I used. OMG! SO GOOD! Bottom line: I will be keeping this recipe for future cravings.
Hello Chicki, thank you so much for sharing that with us. We appreciate your feedback and suggestion!
I wnat to make these for my friend for her birthday. could I use nesquik instead of cocoa powder?
Hi Alvy, I have not tried that to advise. I wouldn’t use substitutions especially on your first try just to be sure that you will achieve great results!
I ended up using melted chocolate in the cupcakes instead and they turned out great. I used a combination of nesquik and melted chocolate in the frosting and it was delicous!
That’s good to know!
I’ve tried your vanilla cupcakes and they turned out amazing ! I want to try this one too but can I substitute vinegar with lime juice?
Yay, that’s lovely to hear, Chloe. One of our readers substituted it with lime juice. Here’s what they said ”I just made these today and woww🤤🤤🤤🤤they were the best chocolate cupcakes ever definitely gonna try again and also I used lime juice instead of white distilled vinegar and still it was soo good. I hope this helps!
could i use instant coffee with hot water for the coffee because that’s all i have in hand. i don’t have like coffee grounds and a coffee maker.
Hi Christina! Yes, that would be fine. Just make it according to the package instructions.
OMG… simply the best chocolate cupcake recipe ever. I’ve used twice now and worked perfect both times and everyone loves them. thanks you Natasha.
Do you think it would convert into a vanilla cupcake if I left out the cocoa and replaced coffee with milk?
I have tried your vanilla cupcake recipe but didn’t like the result, i followed the recipe exactly and they domed up and then sank down and were quite dense.
Hi Jeanette! I wish it were that simple but for baking science reasons, I do not recommend this recipe for a vanilla cake. Dense cupcakes are a result of over-mixing batter or using too much flour. Watch my tutorial on how to measure your flour correctly, HERE.
-I also recommend using an internal oven thermometer to see how your oven heats. Be sure to let it fully preheat before baking and do not open the oven door in the process, a temperature drop could cause them to sink. If your oven runs hot, the cake will bake faster on the outside, causing the dome and then sink. I hope that helps.
Hey! Why do we not use backing powder in this recipe?
Thank you <3
We use a different ingredient that helps with the rise of the Chocolate Cake. 😉
Love your recipes. Way, way too many advertisements. It’s distasteful.
Hi Annette, Thank you for sharing your concerns and feedback. The only way we can continue providing free recipes is by having ads on our site, so we are not able to remove those at this time. We find that most people would rather see the ads than pay to see the recipes. But we will definitely take note of your feedback and use it to improve our website.
I appreciate your feedback, and I hope you love every recipe you try.
Can I use coconut oil? Some times I run out of olive oil. I’m new to this recipe.I hope it comes out well, all the recipes I have used have failed. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!
Hi Jade, that should work fine. I’m sorry you don’t have much success baking. A helpful tips is to watch my tutorial on e how to measure your ingredients correctly, HERE.
This was literally the best chocolate cupcake I’ve ever made / tasted! Amazing!!
So glad to hear that, Ellie! 🙂
Woopie! Best choc cupcake recipe for sure! Just dusted with powdered sugar (icing sugar) makes a delectable treat! Tks!
Thank you for that great feedbvack!
Hi will the cupcakes stays moist and fluffy or it will get harder when we eat directly from the chiller?
Can u help to describe the texture while its chilled as im going to use whipp cream as topping so they need to be chilled
Hi Virgi! These cupcakes stay pretty moist and fluffy, I think they are just fine eaten directly from the refrigerator. In general, cakes are best enjoyed at room temperature because it helps with the texture, but this cupcake batter uses oil and not butter so even out of the refrigerator, they will still be moister than a batter that uses butter.
These were amazing and so simple. A keeper for sure . I used your icing recipe as well. Delicious!
Wonderful, Kim! Thank you for the review. 🙂
Hi Natasha. Made these last week, love the recipe. How long will these last in the fridge?
I’m happy to hear that. In an airtight container, these hold up well for quite a few days, I’ve enjoyed them up to 5days. They lose moisture over time.
Sounds delicious Can I use melted butter instead of oil? Thank you!
I haven’t tested it but it could work. Please let us know if you experiment.
Hi, Is it possible to skip egg in this recipe? If so, what should I add instead..
Hi! I have a recipe for eggless chocolate cupcakes you can use instead.
Natasha, I have to provide cupcakes for a grown-up birthday party and tried so many recipes this past weekend that I could barely tolerate tasting another one. That said, you win both in ease and taste. Thank you! Can they be frozen with the frosting and if so, how should they be stored?
Hi Emily, thank you for your great comments and feedback. I haven’t tried that but one of our readers shared this “I made half the recipe of chocolate icing and frosted all 12 cupcakes. Individually wrapped them in Saran wrap, placed in a large zip lock bag and put in freezer. Freezing the icing was not a problem. I’m sooooo ready to bake more of these fantastic cupcakes. Thank you!” I hope that helps!
Hey Natasha,
Is powdered sugar and granulated sugar the same?
The major difference between the two is the size of their particles. I recommend checking Google too for more tips.
Hi Natasha,
I’m from Canada, and I can’t seem to get my hands on any distilled white vinegar. Do you recommend any substitutes that I can use? Thanks for your help!
Hi Francesca, distilled white vinegar is the same thing as white vinegar. Can you find this in Canada? Apple Cider Vinegar would be the next best alternative.
What is the purpose of the vinegar? I have never seen it in any of the other cupcake recipes?
It reacts with the baking soda to make the cake rise. 🙂
I made these for a friend for her birthday, and they were a hit! I spent time beforehand looking for a chocolate cupcake recipe I could trust. Thank you.
Thank you for the trust, Amanda, I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try!
I actually used this recipe to make a 3 layer 6″ s’more cake. The cake/cupcakes are SO easy to make! I love the fact the batter comes quickly together with a whisk. 2 thumbs up!
Hi Lynn! That’s wonderful. Thank you for sharing that with up. I’m sure it was delicious!
Natasha, these cupcakes are just to DIE FOR. I just took them out of the oven and they look perfect, and they tasted even better. Honestly, i was a little skeptical about the vinegar and the coffee but i am regretting my disbelief because they turned out beautiful. I didn’t make the chocolate buttercream, but a vanilla version by Betty Crocker and paired them together and it was a more balanced flavor combo for my pallette but others may love the rich and overpowering all chocolate flavor. Either way i loved the cupcakes and i loved how exited you were in your video.
So glad to hear that, Jana! Thank you for the feedback.
This is my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe! These cupcakes are moist and packed with tons of chocolate flavour. The best part about this recipe is that it takes me less than an hour to make. They are also super easy to make! Thank you.
You’re welcome, Greg. Thanks a lot for your good comments and feedback and good to hear that this is your go-to recipe!
Hi Natasha!
Would you sift and then measure the cocoa powder or measure and then sift?
Many thanks
Hi Carol! I usually fluff up my cocoa powder with a fork or spoon and then I measure it. If it’s clumpy, then I would also sift it before adding it to my recipe.
Hi Natasha , I haven’t tried this recipe yet and I want to make it perfect but the problem is I don’t have coffee so, What can you substitute for coffee?
You can substitute 1 cup coffee with 1 cup room temperature buttermilk. In my tests, the coffee gave the best color and more chocolate flavor. If you are concerned about caffeine, decaf coffee will also work.
on your Chocolate Cake Recipe no Eggs are included, but in Chocolate Cupcake Recipe it does use Egg. Why is there No Egg in Cake Recipe? TIA Alex G.
Hi Alex, the cake is made specifically to be an egg-free cake.
Hi there I have a few questions when using Canadian measurements what is the difference? Also what is the difference between regular white vinegar and distilled vinegar I can’t seem to find distilled vinegar
Hi Kim, white vinegar is the same as distilled vinegar. I believe in Canada you use the metric system. You can convert most of my recipes to metric by clicking “metric” on the recipe card.
This was an amazing recipe! I was a little worried in the beginning that the vinegar and coffee taste would be in the cupcake but it wasn’t! and when I tasted it, it was like magic! thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
Thank you for following the recipe as suggested, great to hear that you enjoyed it!
They were amazing, but the sugar in the frosting was SO MUCH, and I didn’t follow my common sense and followed your recipe, and the product was SO SUGARY, but… who cares about some sugar?! Great to make. I highly recommend it.
I doubled the recipe expecting to get 24 cupcakes but only got about 21.. not a big deal but I wonder if the Canadian flour would have anything to do with it? I put a mini Reese’s cup in the middle of the batter before baking for a nice peanut butter surprise 😋
Most likely, if that is the only change that you did to the recipe then that might be the reason for it. I’m still glad you enjoyed the cupcakes!
I’ve made these several times with various frostings. I use avocado oil instead of olive oil (don’t like the taste of olive oil in sweet baking though it’s great in bread recipes). Love how light they are and yet how richly chocolate flavored. They are always a hit. The vinegar and baking soda rise creates such a fluffy texture!
I also used this as a base to make earl grey cupcakes as well. Brewed earl grey tea in place of coffee, almond flour in place of cocoa, some ground earl grey tea in with the dry ingredients for flavor, and replaced 1 tsp vanilla with almond extract. They were great!
Will probably experiment with other flavors as well. Thanks for this!
Thank you for the awesome feedback. I appreciate you sharing your experimentation with the recipe.
I don’t care for coffee flavor, can I just substitute water?
Hi Cindy, that would be fine. The coffee is the secret ingredient here and makes these intensely chocolatey and gives the cupcakes a deeper color. You can’t really taste the coffee in these and you probably wouldn’t know it’s there if you didn’t read the recipe, but it really makes the chocolate flavor shine.
Hi Natasha I want to make easy chocolate cupcakes. can I use white distilled malt vinegar or can I replace with something else. Thank you for your wonderful recipes.
Hi Cath, I haven’t tried those substitutions, so I can’t speak to that. Substitutions may hinder the recipe outcome. I always suggest making a recipe as written the first time around.
Hi, Natasha. I used olive oil in my batter, and it tasted horrible. The olive oil was too strong. I think vegetable oil would’ve been a better choice. I re-did the recipe and it was delicious!
Thanks!
Hello Keesha, did you use plain olive oil? It has to be the plain now and not extra virgin but canola or vegetable oil works well!
Hi Natasha. I have used this recipe multiple times just as written. They turn out great every time! I take these to parties & family events. They disappear fast! Thanks for the great recipe.
Great to hear that, Susie! Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
I made these and they turned out beautifully and taste really good! Thank you for the recipe! They were perfect!
So glad you enjoyed these.
Hi Natasha I love your recipes and videos. Can I use caster sugar instead of granulated, thank you.
Hi Catherine, I haven’t tried a caster sugar substitutions, so I can’t speak to that. Substitutions may hinder the recipe outcome. I always suggest making a recipe as written if possible.
Hello natasha, I need help please. Can i make it in one go for 75 cupcakes? Or should I make in batches of 12 or 24? Am afraid 75 can alter the texture n quality of them, it’s for tonight. Help me out please.
Hi Juana, you can adjust the servings by clicking “servings” in the recipe card and it should adjust the ingredients too.
Hello Natasha, have 75 cupcakes to do. Can I make them in batches of 24. Or adjust the measurements to 75 directly? Am afraid 75 at one go will be too much. Help me out please, it’s for tonight.
Hi Juana, you can click “servings” on the recipe card to adjust the serving size and it will also adjust the ingredients. I hope that helps.
Hello young lady I am having problems downloading your danish cheese recipe can you help me what’s going on
The print-friendly recipe is at the bottom of each post. Once you scroll there, click on the print icon in that recipe card which will open a print screen, then you would need to click file —> print. I hope that helps! If not, please let me know exactly what steps you are taking and where you are navigating to print our recipes.
You have 1 egg in this chocolate cupcake recipe but no eggs in your chocolate cake recipe. How can the cake rise with no egg or baking powder?
We use a different ingredient that helps with the rise for the Chocolate Cake.
I have been using this recipe for years and its perfect. I used whipping cream instead of your frosting and thought it turned out great. My family doesn’t eat sugar so I used honey instead.
Great to hear that honey works well too! Thank you for sharing.
Love this recipe.
Can I swap all purpose flour to self raising flour? Is so, do I use the same amount?
I have not tested this to advise.
Hi Natasha may I know what is the ratio of coffee:warm water? Is it 3 tsp instant coffee into 1cup of warm water? TIA
Hi Roxanne, we used brewed coffee but I suggest following the package instructions which will usually give you a fairly strong coffee.
Hi Natasha, these are the best chocolate cupcakes I’ve made and the icing is amazing, definitely going to try the vanilla cupcakes today thankyou for your amazing recipes
Hello Margaret, thank you for the awesome feedback! That is so inspiring for us to receive some good reviews, thanks for sharing!
My 11yo and I made these but threw in some chocolate chips and made a lemon-cream cheese frosting. Also, the coffee I had was lavender infused and the faint lavender flavor was wonderful.
Hello Jessica, that’s great to hear! Thanks for sharing and glad you had a good time making this recipe with your 11-year-old.
Hi Natasha I want to make these for Easter, I have a question on one of your comments I read you used espresso for your coffee correct. Is that one cup?
Thank you
Hi Francesca, we used brewed coffee but I suggest following the package instructions which will usually give you a fairly strong cup of coffee.
Hi Natasha, I just made your easy chocolate cupcake recipe ( double recipe) it yielded 48 wonderful , delicious cupcakes… ( even the second batch that I had to wait for the first ones to be cooked), puffed up beautifully.. I’ll know for next time, one recipe yields 24… easy-peasy recipe, I can’t wait to frost them and serve them at my daughter’s baby shower tomorrow. Thank you Natasha for your great recipe, next I’m going to make your vanilla ones… 🙏🏼💝
Hi Maria, I am so happy to hear that. Thank you for sharing and I hope you love the vanilla ones as well!
Best chocolate cupcake recipe ever!! So easy and the coffee really does enhance the chocolate flavour. The only issue I ran into was thinking that I would overfill my cupcake pan, so I ended up making 17 cupcakes instead of 12, which was a mistake because some were too small in the end. Don’t be scared to fill them up – the recipe mentions 2/3 of the way but I could go a bit more than that without mess.
Hi Kristen, thanks for sharing your experience. I will these 2/3 of the way every time and have great results.
I had such high hopes for these cupcakes, and seeing the raving reviews I can only wonder what error I made. I ended up making three separate batches, and agonized over the measuring for the ingredients, the temperatures and the timing, and every batch failed miserably.
I followed the recipe to a T, and when I didn’t get good results, I changed my baking time, to see if that would improve them, as I have a gas stove and perhaps it was baking them too fast, too hot.
I’m not sure what went wrong, but they ended up sticking horribly to the cupcake wrappers, and tasted vaguely of the white vinegar! After trying to peel them from the wrapper, and ending up with a crumbly mess, I had to admit that the texture was good, but then the vinegar aftertaste nailed the coffin on this one.
So sad, it must be my user error, as these worked for so many others. Back to the drawing table I go!
Hi Rachel, I’m sorry to hear that! What a bummer after 3 batches. I will do my best to troubleshoot. This has been a popular recipe for us. Did you possibly swap the leavening and use baking powder instead of soda? Baking soda is 4x stronger and does not substitute straight across. It sounds like you suspect the issue is with the oven – this recipe is not written for convection baking so adjustments would have to be made in that case. Also, you should not be able to sense the vinegar at all. It helps activate the baking soda but should not be noted in the final cupcake.
Hi Natasha!
Thank you so much for replying, I want to work out the wrinkles and have amazing cupcakes! 🙂
Oh, nope I double checked the soda vs powder (I’ve made that mistake before and learned!). My oven is gas, I’m not sure if it’s a convection but I’ll definitely check that now! That could be the culprit.
For the vinegar, I read in the comments about substituting for buttermilk instead of vinegar and milk, so I’ll try that!
Thank you so much for your help in troubleshooting, I hope this batch is the winner!
Hi Natasha,
I tried out this recipe and it turned out terrible. It tasted like raw dough. When I make it again, is there anything I can substitute the coffee with, like water or milk? Thanks 🙂
Lots of Love from London
Hi Anita, I’m sorry that it did not work out well for you. I have so many great reviews about this recipe. Did you make any substitutions? I hope you try again, look over the steps and ingredients recommended. I have not tested this but one of my readers said they used buttermilk instead of coffee and her family loved it. Also, be sure you are measuring your flour correctly as this could alter the taste and texture of the cupcakes. I hope this helps. https://natashaskitchen.com/how-to-measure-ingredients-video/
I accidentally put regular sugar instead of powdered sugar for the frosting so I decided I’ll make cookies out of it and it actually came out pretty good.
Great to hear that, Abby! Thank you for sharing.
I used these as the base for “Ding Dong” cupcakes with an ermine frosting and whipped ganache. They were delicious.
Thank you for your easy, excellent cupcakes. Much better than a box mix!
Yum! That sounds amazing, Kathy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha, with 1 cup of warm coffee.. what is the ratio of warm water and instant coffee (brand?)
Thank you
Hi Roxanne, we used espresso, but instant/ brewed works also and I recommend following the coffee packaging instructions to make a cup. I hope you love this recipe!
These are the BEST chocolate cupcakes I’ve ever eaten and made. Thank you so much for such an amazing recipe.
Wow! That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Tina!
Hello natacha, these cup cakes look good…kisses from Portugal
These are the best chocolate cupcakes EVER!! Thank you so much! (And by the way, I am Russian😊) Definitely making these again!
Thanks a lot for your great comments and feedback, Isabela!
why did they turn out dry for what reason? what did i do wrong?
Both, Vanilla and Chocolate cupcakes 🙁
Hi Angelina, a dry cupcake is usually the result of under-baking. The process is pretty fail-proof, but make sure to measure ingredients correctly. This article on measuring should help. Also, make sure to try the recipe exactly as written before making substitutions or modifications.
Hello Natasha, my 7yr old Granddaughter and I are in the process of making these Cupcakes now but she says she knows they will be delicious.
Thank you for sharing with us
Aww, I love that you’re baking this together! I hope you both love it, Rose!
Hey Natasha,
Just wondering if you could male a suggestion regarding how to store the frosted cupcakes if I want to make them a day in advance.
It depends on the frosting you use. If you use a buttercream frosting, it would be ok to leave it at room temperature overnight. If it’s cream cheese based you should refrigerate overnight. It won’t hurt to just cover and refrigerate though – that is what I would do.
It’s going to taste better to use Vegetable oil or Olive oil, and if Olive oil then what kind? Thank you!
Hi Angelina, you can use canola or vegetable oil if you don’t have plain olive oil on hand.
I’d like to make these cupcakes, however it’s for a kids party. Is the coffee flavor overwhelming?
Hi Julia, you shouldn’t taste the coffee. The coffee amplifies the chocolate flavor 🙂 I hope you love this recipe!
Amazing recipe, my cakes came out so springy and moist and delicious. Used a jug to pour the batter into the cases as its quite thin and that worked really well. I’m over the moon that I’ve found the perfect chocolate cupcake recipe.
I’m happy to hear that you loved this recipe, Amelie. Thank you so much for the review!
Natasha, fantastic recipe for both the cupcakes and frosting! Instructions were exact down to the cooking time. I doubled the recipe for a super bowl party; rave reviews. My piping skills could use some improvement but overall a great success!
I’m sure you’ll do better as you practice. Thanks for your good comments and feedback, Marci!
Do you have any gluten free recipes for children. Chocolate cup cakes etc please
Hi Kim, here are the Gluten-Free recipes on my website so far.
Hi! I made these and it didn’t turn out the way I had wanted. I’m not too sure why. Maybe I over-mixed the ingredients. But it still tasted great! The tops just weren’t the right texture. Thank you sharing your recipe!
I’m glad it tasted great! I hope you give it another try soon!
Delicious! I’m making them for a library baking club, and managed to reduce the baking time to 15 minutes at 375, and was also able to make it all in one bowl! The kids are going to love them!
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
These are better than bakery cupcakes! I ate one and it will be hard to not eat the rest. Amazingly delicious!
These cupcakes are so good! Now I’m craving one! Thank you so much for sharing that great review with me, Sonia!
Hi! So I have been searching for the best tasting quick and easy chocolate cupcakes. These were PERFECT!!! I did a batch of coffee and a batch with buttermilk, my whole family liked the buttermilk better. My only thing is that next time I will probably add more cocoa powder if you are using buttermilk. Other than that these were the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever made! And they were very quick and easy.
For my buttermilk, I use milk and you can add either vinegar or lemon juice, for this I used lemon juice since there was already vinegar in the recpie and it was DELICIOUS!!
Thank you so much for this delicious recipie!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
One word…WOW! I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfectly! I used pure vanilla I had received as a gift from St Maarten…what a difference. No need to look any further for the perfect chocolate cupcake! Thank you so much Natasha ☺️
You’re so welcome, Wendy. I’m happy that this recipe wowed you! I hope you’ll love all the other recipes that you will try.
Hi Sheila, a dry cupcake is usually the result of under-baking.
Hey, Natasha? Do you know why my brownies dry out after an hour or so out of the oven, is it under baked? They tasted fine though.
Hi Justin, I wouldn’t leave them out unnecessarily. I recommend storing them in an airtight container.
These are the best cupcakes I have ever had! Perfect amount of sweetness, moist, and just the right amount of richness. The coffee makes it amazing!
Isn’t it so good! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Best cup cake I ever made. Moist and not too sweet. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Is it ok to omit vinegar or replace it with something else? If replacing what is suitable to replace it?
Hi Fahima, I haven’t tested anything besides vinegar, but vinegar does help activate the baking soda, and the reaction helps to darken the color of the cupcake. Another one of our readers substituted it with lime juice. Here’s what they said ”I just made these today and woww🤤🤤🤤🤤they were the best chocolate cupcakes ever definitely gonna try again and also I used lime juice instead of white distilled vinegar and still it was soo good. I hope this helps!
Ms Natasha can I use 100% wheat flour instead of all purpose flour in this cup cake?
Hello there, I honestly have not tried that to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
did you seen me a text that I won something from you if you did please let me know if not please let me know I have never got something like that before so help me out it said I won 750 please help
Hi Marilyn, I didn’t send any messages and I don’t have any giveaways at the moment.
There was a scam offering people pries/gifts from you. Thankfully I realized in time before I gave any details to the page, They selected a number of people from those who had responded initiallyand then you were redirected. perhaps you have been hacked
Hi Marie, yes, scammers are relentless in their pursuit. When you see these types of accounts, please report them and block them.
Wow!! is all I have to say… This is by far thee most amazing cupcakes I’ve ever tasted. Super chocolatey and moist. Thanks for the recipe.
That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Leesha!
Best cupcake recipes ever, i have made two batches already, my kids love it. Thank you for sharing.
You’re so welcome!
This is the best cupcake recipe I’ve ever seen! For such a quick and easy recipe, it came out amazing. The chocolate and coffee go so well together and it’s not over powering. Thanks so much Natasha!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review, Adin!
wow I made this with 1 tbsp instant coffee with cream cheese filling and they are awesome thank you
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Jenn!
Hi!
I was wondering if you think this will turn out if I use apple cider vinegar in place of white vinegar and dairy free milk in place of the coffee? I want to make for my daughters birthday but she has many food allergies. Thank you!
Hi Megan, I haven’t tested anything besides vinegar, but vinegar does help activate the baking soda, and the reaction helps to darken the color of the cupcake. I peeked through the comments, and I’m not finding anyone mentioning a dairy-free substitute either. I wish I could be more helpful here. If you happen to experiment with either, I’d love to know how you like this recipe.
Hi, Natasha! I want to make these, but am wondering if the yield is 12 or 24 in a normal cupcake tin. I’ve seen a comment saying it’s 24, and just want some clarification. Thanks!
Hi Victoria, we used a 12-count muffin tin. If you use a cupcake tin it should make 24.
Made these cupcakes and they were amazing!!! I would like to make it into a cake with eggs. I know that you have a chocolate cake recipe but it has no eggs. Can I use this exact cupcake receipt as a cake?
Hi Ruth, this recipe doesn’t rely on eggs and they are not necessary for the cake.
WOW! BEST CUPCAKES EVER. they are so moist, not too sweet, chocolately, and super easy to make! amazing recipe
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Umaina!
I made this recipe before and it came out great. Today I tried to make it into a cake. But the batter was extremely lumpy and the cake is gummy:( idk what went wrong
Hi Shakira, we have a chocolate cake version of this recipe. Click here to get our chocolate cake recipe which also has a video tutorial so you can see where things may have gone wrong.
They look delicious. I wonder if a cream filling could be inserted and make them even better than Hostess does?
Hi Vinko, I haven’t tested that, but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
great recipe Natasha, I wonder why there’s no baking power…
I made the exact measurement and added 1 TSP of BP..the frosting is fantastic..
Hi Anna, we used baking soda in this recipe so baking powder is not needed.
Bonjour Natasha
il faut que j’arrête de faire vos recettes (j’ai pris 5kg depuis que je suis abonnée) trop trop bonnes !!!!!!!!Bon promis juré je commencerais un régime après les fêtes!!!!!!!
Bises
Agnès
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes, Agnes!
I made the chocolate cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting. It taste really good. It was moist. The cream cheese frosting was the best. My coworkers like it to.
Thanks for sharing that with us, Rhemy. I’m glad you all loved it!
The best cupcake! I made these twice already they are moist and delicious! Thank you so much!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Mimi!
This is the best recipe ever! My cupcakes where so delicious , oh my god they are so moist and sweet. Just perfect.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Dudu!
I was a bit sceptical as my batter looked very wet and runny but I trusted the recipe and baked them anyway. They came out so perfectly moist!! I paired them with a classic American buttercream and they taste delicious. Thankyou!
I’m so happy they turned out perfectly, Bhumi!
These turned out fantastic! I added toasted walnuts for a little crunch. Also used your white buttercream frosting. Wonderful recipes, thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome! Great to hear that you loved these cupcakes!
Perfect! I made them this morning and they are moist and chocolaty! There was a lot of leftover batter (filled 12 muffin tins) so I scooped it into a mini muffin tin – additional 16 mini bites! I followed the recipe exactly – no need to make changes. Thanks, Natasha!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Kathy!
Your chocolate cupcakes recipe was divine!! Made 50 of them for church for Pastor Appreciation and everyone raved! I gave you credit for the delicious flavors. Also used your Buttercream frosting recipe and tinted it orange and yellow, with piped chocolate leaf on top.
I’m happy to hear that it was a huge hit!
Hi Natasha – These are the absolute best chocolate cupcakes I’ve ever made. Adding coffee was a game changer! I always use foil-lined baking cups (not the paper ones) so nothing sticks. I made half the recipe of chocolate icing and frosted all 12 cupcakes. Individually wrapped them in Saran wrap, placed in a large zip lock bag and put in freezer. Freezing the icing was not a problem. I’m sooooo ready to bake more of these fantastic cupcakes. Thank you!!!
I’m so glad to hear that and thanks for the tip!
hi my name is faith and i am 12 years old and i want to say those chocalate cupcakes are realy delicious
Hello Faith, yes these are so good. I hope you can try or taste this soon!
I made the cupcakes and it was so good and tasty.
There were a lot of icing left as we don’t eat too much sweet.
That being said,
Can I double the ingredients and bake it in a pan? If so how much long do I have to bake?
HI Sathmi, I have the chocolate cake version of this recipe posted. I hope you totally love it!
Thank you very much.It’s an egg less recipe, Does not adding eggs make a huge difference?
Hi Sathmi, this recipe doesn’t rely on eggs and they are not necessary for the cake.
I made this recipe gluten free by using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 and they came out perfect. (You have to cook them a minute or two after the toothpick comes out clean so they don’t sink.)
I made a batch of GF recipe cupcakes and they were awful. But this one was lovely!
Glad you enjoyed making a gluten-free version of this recipe!
I was just going to ask if 1:1 gf flour works well, thanks, I will try it
What frosting do you prefer with these cupcakes? I want to try out the recipe but unsure which frosting to try.
Hi ALize, we love it with this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, but you can also try it with these other frosting recipes HERE.
I know there have been a few comments concerning the vinegar, I live in Spain and I cannot find Distilled White Vinegar anywhere not even Amazon unless it is imported from the US which is very expensive. Can anyone advise if they have tried using Raw Apple Cider Vinegar? I see lime juice is one possible alternative but I want to keep as close to the recipe as possible
Hi Lee, I haven’t tested anything besides vinegar but vinegar does help to activate the baking soda and the reaction helps to darken the color of the cupcake as well.
I use the chocolate cupcake recipe to make a one layer cake. I made two adjustments: I reduced the flour to 1 1/4 cups and reduced the oven temperature to 340 degrees. The cake was done in a little over 30 minutes. This cake was by far the best I have ever made. Moist and did not sink in the middle . It was also easy to handle as I split the layer in half to make a place forest cake. I find i the cake easier to handle when I refrigerate it for a few hrs after it has cooled completely. Thank you so much.
You are so welcome, Karen. Kudos to you too for doing a great job!
I would really like to make your chocolate cup cakes for my great grandchildren, but I can’t copy the quantities out fast enough! Is there a written recipe anywhere please Natasha? x
Hi Yvonne! Yes, The blog post has the written recipe at the top of the recipe click “jump to recipe,” and that will take you to the recipe card!