This Chocolate Cupcake recipe is my go-to for birthday parties and bake sales, since they are perfectly moist and oh-so chocolatey. Top them with our chocolate frosting, and you have the ultimate chocolate lover’s cupcake!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Helpful Reader Review
“I made these last weekend for my husband and my wedding anniversary, and oh my goodness, DELICIOUS!!! The cake was so simple and quick to put together, baked beautifully and the icing was delicious and so lovely and thick! Can’t wait to bake it again!!!” – Jazz ★★★★★
Chocolate Cupcake Video Tutorial
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 and taste way better than a store-bought box mix.
Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
Ever since my daughter was little, we’ve celebrated her birthday with these decadent chocolate cupcakes, so they’ve become a staple on her day. Fast forward to now, and she has begun to make the cupcakes and Chocolate Buttercream herself (and I’m not allowed to help). She loves them so much that we even made Mini Chocolate Cupcakes out of them.
This chocolate cupcake recipe is moist and fluffy at the same time with a tender crumb. Adding coffee is the secret ingredient here, making these intensely chocolatey and giving the cupcakes a deeper color (and yes, you can sub with decaf coffee). You can’t really taste the coffee, and you probably wouldn’t know it’s there if you didn’t read the recipe, but it really makes the chocolate flavor shine.
Ingredients for Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes
After coffee, you’ll notice this recipe for chocolate cupcakes requires all the usual suspects for the perfect chocolately texture and taste.
- All-purpose Flour – Be sure to measure correctly for the best crumb.
- Cocoa powder – Use naturally unsweetened cocoa powder for the best chocolate flavor and light, fluffy texture.
- Sugar, baking soda, and salt – remaining dry ingredients, giving sweetness and rise
- Brewed coffee – warm regular or decaf coffee works perfectly. The acidity of the coffee deepens the chocolate flavor. Swap with room-temperature buttermilk if necessary.
- White distilled vinegar – reacts with the baking soda for a better rise.
- Vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract – remaining wet ingredients for moisture, strength, and flavor. P.S. If you are egg-free, try our Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes.
Pro Tip:
I’ve tested chocolate cupcakes with coffee and with buttermilk, and the coffee makes for a better tasting, darker colored, more moist cupcake, but buttermilk works in a pinch. See the difference below.
Pro Tip:
To make a cake instead of cupcakes, double the recipe and cook in two 9″ cake pans. See our Chocolate Cake Recipe for guidance on baking the cake
How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes
This recipe for chocolate cupcakes couldn’t get any easier, but the result tastes like it’s straight from the bakery.
- Quick prep – Preheat the oven with a rack in the center, and line a 12-count cupcake pan with liners (I love parchment paper liners – excellent for being non-stick).
- Mix dry ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, breaking up any big clumps.
- Mix wet ingredients – In a second bowl, whisk together the warm coffee, vinegar, oil, egg, and vanilla.
- Combine cupcake batter – Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and whisk just until combined. The batter will be a little loose with small lumps. Overmixing can make the cupcake too dense.
- Fill and bake – Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full and bake at 350˚F for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (do not overbake or your cupcakes will be dry). Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then transfer the cupcakes to a rack to cool before frosting.
Pro Tip: Do not overfill the cupcake tin
Use a trigger-release ice cream scoop for even portioning and fill each cup 2/3. If you overfill, 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.
The Best Frosting for Chocolate Cupcakes
This moist chocolate cupcake recipe only gets better when topped with my 6-minute Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. If you want something different, try any of these popular frosting recipes:
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Vanilla Cupcake Frosting
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Swiss Merignue Buttercream Recipe
- Chocolate Ganache
- White Chocolate Frosting
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Homemade Whipped Cream
Helpful Reader Review
“Made these, and used coffee in the chocolate buttercream recipe instead of cream for a mocha frosting. They were delicious, my sister loved them.” – K Booth ★★★★★
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
This chocolate cupcake recipe is perfect for party prep because you can make them ahead of time and they refrigerate really well, maintaining their soft and moist texture.
- Make-Ahead: Make the cupcakes a day ahead, cool, cover, and store on the counter overnight, and then frost before serving, or freeze (see below).
- Store Frosted Leftovers: Pack into an airtight container and store on the counter for a day, then move to the refrigerator for 4-5 days. If you don’t have a cupcake carrier, you can flip a storage container upside down to store cupcakes on the lid, snapping the bottom on top.
- Freezing: Cooled unfrosted cupcakes or Cupcakes frosted with buttercream can be covered and frozen up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or quick-thaw on the counter for 2 hours.
My Chocolate Cupcake recipe is sure to become 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. Let us know your favorite way to decorate in the comments!
Easy Chocolate Cupcakes
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
- Quick prep – Preheat oven to 350˚F with the rack in the center of the oven. Fill a 12-count muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Mix dry ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Break up any larger cocoa clumps with your whisk.
- Mix wet ingredients – In a second mixing bowl, add the wet ingredients: coffee, vinegar, oil, egg, and vanilla, and whisk until well blended.
- Combine batter – Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and whisk just until the ingredients come together and no dry streaks remain. The batter will be a little loose and lumpy.
- Fill and bake – 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. Don't overbake. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely to room temperature before frosting.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Cupcake Recipes to Try Next
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Vanilla Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
- Greek Yogurt Cupcakes
- Cherry Stuffed Honey Cupcakes
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!
I used this recipe to make black forest cupcakes for family afternoon tea and it was a star of the table. I followed the recipe to the tee other than used lime juice instead of vinegar. Its the best chocolate sponge/cake I’ve ever had and made everyone still speaking of how was they were. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear this recipe was a hit! That’s so great! Thank you for your wonderful review, Kess!
Hi Natasha. I am anxious to try these but am wondering if I need to make any adjustments for altitude? I live in Colorado.
Thank you!
Hi Martha! I don’t have experience with high altitude, but this high altitude guide has been my reader go-to! I hope it’s helpful!
Hi Natasha, approximately how many cupcakes does this make?
Hi Aamni, this makes 12 cupcakes.
Hi Natasha. I don’t have coffee or buttermilk, but I really like to try this recipe. what should add instead?
Hi Nishali, it really needs those ingredients. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own buttermilk at a ratio of 1 cup whole milk to 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice. Combine and let it sit 10 minutes to curdle then stir and use. I hope this helps!
Hi Natasha, would this work in a 9×13 pan with same amounts?
Hi Karen, I honestly haven’t tested that to advise.
Can you use instant coffee? Or does it have to be freshly brewed?
Hi Selene, your favorite coffee will work; 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!
Hi
Can I just double the recipe to make 24 cupcakes?
Thanks,
Kim
Hi Kim! YEs, doubling the recipe will make 24. I would double all the ingredients.
Hi Natasha!
What will be the substitute for coffee? Thanks!
Hi Jenny, 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. But also, please see the section in the recipe titled: “Can I Substitute the Coffee?”
Hi Natasha, I would like to know if I can cook/bake the chocolate cupcake using a steamer and if yes how many minutes. Thanks
Hi Lynette, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you happen to experiment, I’d love to know how you like that.
I made a batch of this but they tasted too much like dark chocolate. A little bitter.. how can I correctly calculate the coffee?
Hi Judith, make sure to use the correct type of cocoa – natural unsweetened (not dutch process). Also, make sure not to reduce the amount of sugar that balances the chocolate flavor. I suggest making a cup of coffee according to the package instructions depending on how you are preparing coffee (drip versus instant).
Hi Natasha,
We are going to a picnic. I’d like to bring these cupcakes. I’m wondering, will your buttercream frosting hold up to summer heat?
If not, do you have one that will?
Thank you
Hi Patti, this chocolate buttercream would hold up better than other non-buttercream frostings, but it should still be kept out of the sun and refrigerated as long as possible until you need to put them out in heat.
I tried to make these cupcakes and they came out dense and the bottoms of the cupcakes were sunk in. What do you think I did wrong?
Hi Hazel, 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.
Can you tell me which of your frosting would be best to use for an hot outdoors picnic? Thank you.
Hi Patti, a buttercream frosting would be the most stable.
I made4 batches of these cupcakes with the chocolate buttercream frosting for my son’s birthday party earlier this month and everyone loved them! We couldn’t stop eating them and now I can’t stop thinking about them… I think about them daily. Thanks for all the recipes and cute videos!
Hi Allison, glad to hear that these cupcakes were a hit! Thanks for your review, I appreciate it.
Made these for my daughter’s birthday. I’m often looking for a cake recipe that doesn’t come out dry. This recipe was moist, easy and delicious! I doubled the recipe thinking I’d have 24 cupcakes but ended up with 36. I’m saving this recipe as a go to for chocolate cake going forward!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite! Happy Birthday to your daughter!