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

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, measured correctly
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup warm coffee, or substitute with room temperature buttermilk
- 1 Tbsp white distilled vinegar
- 1/3 cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F with the rack in the center of the oven. Fill a 12-count muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together dry ingredients, breaking up most of the cocoa clumps.
- In a second mixing bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.
- 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.
- 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.
I made these and it tasted really really good. Everyone loved them, and they looked so professional. I had a question. How many tsp or tbsp of coffee should add for 1 cup of coffee
Glad to hear that you enjoyed it! We used brewed coffee but I suggest following the package instructions which will usually give you a fairly strong coffee.
Best chocolate cupcake and frosting recipe! First time I’ve left a review on a recipe.
I made these with my best friend and they were delicious!!😍 Sooo moist and flavorful. I don’t think I’ve ever tried such chocolate cupcakes! Thank you
Hi Eva! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed them. Thank you for the review.
I love making these cupcakes! Always get compliments. I have to make these vegan for a party this weekend , what is the best egg substitute for this recipe?
Hi Cate, try our eggless chocolate cupcakes
HI! Can I replace the sugar in the recipe with Splenda sweetener?
Hi Sophie! I haven’t tested a sugar alternative. If it’s a granulated Splenda that can be used in a 1:1 ratio, it should work. You can reference your package or look in the company website for guidance on how to use their product in baking.
Can I substitute the coco powder for melted chocolate?
Hi Emily! Without testing that, I don’t know what adjustments need to be made.
Hi Natasha , do you use 240 ml measuring cup set?
Hi Tanuja! If you click on “metric” in the recipe card, it will give you metric conversions. While 240 ml is a standard US cup for liquid measurements, ingredients like flour, sugar, or cocoa powder don’t weigh the same as liquids, so measuring by volume (ml or cups) can lead to inconsistent results. If you don’t have a food scale, it will work to measure in cups but please watch my tutorial on How to Measure Ingredients (Wet and Dry) VIDEOhere.
I made this today + the buttercream frosting for my son’s 7th birthday today. I wish I could share the photos from tonight. Shared it via text to my hubby and he thought it was store bought! Cupcakes were moist and my youngest decided to eat all the frosting but the cake (haha!). I will using this recipe to make 50+ for all the guests this weekend! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Hi Natasha, is there an issue with doubling the recipe? Thanks
Hi Ben! Yes, you can double the recipe.
Awesome, thanks! Making these for my daughter’s 6th birthday:)
Happy Birthday to her! This will be perfect for that occasion!
I’ve tried countless chocolate cake recipes and this one is THE one. Reminds me of Whoopie Pie texture- so moist and delish. I plan to make marshmallow whoopie pie filling with it next time and experiment. I’m not a fan of buttercream frosting. Was also very easy. Thank you for sharing!
That sounds delicious! I’m so glad you found this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Hi, Natasha. I tried this recipe today and I love it. The flavor is authentic and I like the frosting—it’s not too sweet. Is it better to under mix or overmix the batter?
Other than that, I love this recipe and I found it outshines the store-bought cupcakes and store-bought frosting in terms of flavor and quality!
Hi there! I’m happy to hear that you loved it! It’s crucial to not overmix the batter in this recipe as it can collapse in the center. The batter should be slightly lumpy and loose, which is perfectly fine
Thanks! I wonder what you meant by “…collapse in the center”?
Meaning it can cave in.
These are the absolute best chocolate cupcakes ever! They are so moist and bake perfectly every time! I add some dark chocolate chips to the batter for a little extra surprise when you bite into them! Everything I make from your recipes hits EVERY TIME!! Thank you for what you do!!
Hi Rebekah! I’m so glad you loved them. Thank you for sharing!
I was wondering if I only have salted butter do I just not add extra salt?
Hi Laura, that’s right, if you are using salted butter, you may want to adjust the salt in the recipe.
I made these and your chocolate buttercream 6 minute frosting. The best ever. Very easy to make and don’t have to buy special ingredients. I will never make box cupcake or frosting again. If you haven’t tried these, you need to!!!!!!
Hi Lisa! I’m so glad you found this recipe! Thank you for sharing.
10/10 amazing
Thank you for the review, Nelly!
Hi Natasha! Other than water and buttermilk, what other options do you have for the substitute of coffee?
Hi Maria! You need a liquid. I haven’t tested any other alternatives. Milk, water, buttermilk, and coffee will all work.
Hi Natasha,
Can I substitute the coffee for just warm water? X
Hi Chan! Yes, that will work.
The cupcakes were delicious, the frosting was way too sweet and thick, it was not able to go through my rose tip.
Hi Alfonsa! I’m glad you loved the cupcakes. It sounds like your butter may have been too cold and the frosting wasn’t mixed long enough for all of the ingredients to incorporate well and the frosting to become fluffy and soft.
Buttercream frosting is generally very sweet. If you’re looking for less sweet frosting, then I would suggest a whipped cream frosting or something like my Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe which is less sweet than traditional buttercream.
The best! I’ve made these several times. Wondering if I could make a double layer cake using it. I guess I’d just double it?
I’m glad you love it! yes, you can double the recipe.
Natasha please tell me how to make cofee?
Can i use 1 cup of hot boiling water and 1 tbs of coffee and mix it then add it
A standard recommendation is to use approximately 2 tablespoons (10.6 grams) of ground coffee per 6 ounces of water to make brewed coffee.
Please natasha tell me can i add hot boiling coffee at the end of the batter to enhance the flavor
Hi Tahira! We use warm coffee to help with this but it would be fine to use hot water.