This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
These Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes are moist, decadent, ultra-flavorful and easy. I baked a batch for a family dinner this past Sunday and they were a big hit with my sisters and all the kiddos. I recreated them today with some chocolate decorating ideas to impress your sweetheart :).
The frosting recipe makes enough to cover 24 cupcakes or 1 cake. It’s a good idea to go ahead and double the cupcakes recipe and just make 24 (you won’t regret making extra).
Since these are egg-free chocolate cupcakes, they also happen to be vegan. You won’t miss the eggs!
The cupcakes were adapted from Simply Recipes. The frosting is from the prague chocolate cake.
Ingredients for Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour *measured correctly
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm coffee (freshly brewed, instant coffee in 1 cup water or 3 espresso shots in enough water to equal 1 cup)
1 Tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup olive oil (not extra virgin
Prague Chocolate frosting (frosts 24 Chocolate Cupcakes or 1 cake):
2 sticks of Butter or 1 cup (must be at room temperature)
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
3 Egg yolks
¼ cup Water
1/3 cup chocolate chips
Making the Chocolate Cupcakes:
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Brew your coffee.
2. In a large bowl whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt until there are no more cocoa lumps (a few tiny lumps are ok; it also helps to sift the cocoa before using it).
3. In a separate bowl, mix together 1 cup coffee, 1 Tbsp vinegar, 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/3 cup olive oil
4. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until they come together. Your batter will still be lumpy.
5. Use an ice cream scoop to pour batter into your lined cupcake pan; They should be about 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 minutes on the center rack or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan 5 minutes and remove to cool on a rack. You can even sprinkle these with powdered sugar once they cool or use the decadent Prague frosting (my favorite).
Making the Chocolate Prague Frosting:
1. In a small sauce pan, whisk together 3 reserved egg yolks, ¼ cup water, and 1/3 cup condensed milk.
2. Start heating the pan over low heat and gradually increase the heat until it’s just letting off steam but not boiling. Whisk constantly until your mixture is the consistency of raw condensed milk. Remove the mixture form heat and immediately stir in 2oz chocolate, whisking until smooth. Let your mixture cool off to room temperature (I transferred it to another bowl to cool faster).
3. In a separate bowl, using electric hand mixer, beat butter on high speed for 5 minutes. Once chocolate is cooled to room temp, add it to the butter and beat together for an extra 3 minutes.
4. Pipe the frosting onto your cupcakes with whatever frosting tip your heart desires. I used a large star tip working in a circular motion; starting at the center and staying close to the cupcake.
Decorating the top with Chocolate: Click here for the updated tutorial .
If using decorative chocolate, refrigerate cupcakes until ready to serve or this frosting gets a little soft to hold chocolate upright.
Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes with Prague Frosting

Ingredients
Ingredients for 12 cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup warm coffee
- 1 Tbsp white distilled vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup olive oil, not extra virgin
Prague Chocolate frosting (frosts 24 cupcakes or 1 cake):
- 2 sticks of Butter or 1 cup, must be at room temperature
- 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 3 Egg yolks
- ¼ cup Water
- 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Brew your coffee.
- In a large bowl whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt.
- In a separate bowl, mix together 1 cup coffee, 1 Tbsp vinegar, 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/3 cup olive oil.
- Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until they come together.
- Use an ice cream scoop to pour batter into your lined cupcake pan; They should be about 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 minutes on the center rack or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan 5 minutes and remove to cool on a rack.
Making the Chocolate Prague Frosting:
- In a small sauce pan, whisk together 3 reserved egg yolks, ¼ cup water, and 1/3 cup condensed milk.
- Start heating the pan over low heat and gradually increase the heat until it’s just letting off steam but not boiling. Whisk constantly until your mixture is the consistency of raw condensed milk. Remove the mixture form heat and immediately stir in 2 oz chocolate, whisking until smooth. Let your mixture cool off to room temperature.
- In a separate bowl, beat butter on high speed for 5 minutes. Once chocolate is cooled to room temp, add it to the butter and beat together for an extra 3 minutes.
- Pipe the frosting onto your cupcakes with whatever frosting tip your heart desires.
This recipe sounds delish! Will be making them today! Just wanted to add something… I saw a comment from someone asking if they can leave the vinegar out? I have been baking for a while and to my knowledge the vineagr is crucial in this recipe to help the baking soda activate. Cupcakes might not rise so well without that activation process.
Very true. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise! 🙂
I have instant coffee granules…can you help me out with that?
Totally use instant coffee. It works great; just make it like you would an instant mug of coffee. I’ve used instant and had the same results.
Hi there Natasha Im trying the frosting for this recipe Ive followed the frosting recipe and Ive made it 2 times and it still comes out watery have you got any advice on where Im going wrong with the frosting, thank you
It’s hard to say without watching you make it but I’m thinking it might be In Step 2; let it thicken up just a little bit more so it’s the consistency of condensed milk.
Thanks a lot for this great and tasty recipe, I made them for b-day and today for Sunday, everyone LOVED, thanks a lot.
Loved your blog, made so many recipes from this blog
You are welcome Natalya, I’m glad that you like the recipes :).
Hey Natasha this recipe looks amazing was just wondering if the taste of the cupcake would still be the same if I used a vanilla icing with candy coated pecans? or which icing would go best with the pecans… im a beginner with baking from scratch lol!
I think Vanilla would work better with candy coated pecans. That sounds amazing!
Thank you!! and they did come out amazing i ended up not using frosting and instead making a carmel sauce it was amazing!!
Thanks for letting me know. I think these cupcakes are amazing no matter what you put on them; even if you eat them plain. 🙂
Can I bake this as a cake mixture?
Yes; this recipe makes one 8-9 inch cake round. If you want a two tier cake, double the recipe 🙂
Hello Natasha,
I have always loved baking from when I was a child. Whenever i baked I would have good cupcakes, but the center would always be dry and crumbly. When I see these pictures I can totally see that these cupcakes are super moist. Especially the one where you add the vinegar, olive oil,and vanilla essence. I really see that you are talented. Thanks again for such a wonderful recipe!
You are welcome Harini 🙂
hi, can i sub all purpose flour to self raising flour?
I’ve never tried making these with self rising flour so I can’t really recommend it…
Hi Natasha,
Your recipe looks delish! One question, can I use a different oil, say canola, for the olive oil? Thanks! Can’t wait to try these! 🙂
I’ve only tested them with olive oil but it should still work with canola 🙂
hi natasha,
Looks so yummy and I cant wait to try baking this cupcakes..Am gonna try this tomorrow. I hope I’ll do it like you do hahaha!
Do you have a step by step on how to make the happy birthday greetings of top of the cake, which is using other color than chocolate.
Thanks for your kind assistance. God bless.
I will appreciate if you can email me your response. my email add: beberly_a@yahoo.com
Thanks and more power to you.
There is a link in this post: https://natashaskitchen.com/2013/01/15/decorating-cakes-with-chocolate/
Great recipe and directions are plain and very clear!!!! You are awesome and the recipe is a hit!!!! Love it!!!! Thanks alot!!!!!!!!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Hi natasha! I hv tried this cupcake recipe n it has rich flavour n very moist indeed. 5 full stars natasha.. i jz love ur recipes n it nvr fails me. This is the kind of texture i hv been looking for. To everyone.. nvr doubt on this recipe… and in any of her recipes.. it sure does looks good inside a picture but wait till u really tried it! U wont b disappointed.. n honestly thats from my heart. Thx natasha.. this recipe is a keeper for my family again… hv a wonderful day..
Thank you Sara for such a wonderful review 🙂
Best cupcake recipe ever!!! I just made my second batch and have to exercise all the will-power in me to not eat them all. They are so moist and melt in your mouth. I have been looking and trying all kinds of cupcake recipes and this is definitely a keeper. Thank you!
Awesome :D, and you are welcome Vera.
Thank you Natasha for this recipe! Cupcakes are so moist and fluffy, but the frosting well, …it turned out completely weird consistency and flavor…
That happened to me once when I boiled the mixture by accident (see step 2 of the frosting) (well, I just wasn’t keeping an eye on it and it started boiling) and then it became lumpy; make sure you don’t boil the mixture and stir it constantly until it’s just letting off steam.
Hi Natasha! Thank you for this recipe…made it yesterday, my kids and hubby love it and me ofcourse! i was just worried with the coffee for my kiddos. can i replace coffee with milk? then x out the vinegar too? my daughter wants me to make it again today, she actually told me to keep this recipe forever and forget my other chocolate cupcake recipes. i understand why. again thank you for this recipe! i want to rate this HI-5 but with the coffee, not child friendly i’ll make it 4. actually 4 and 99% haha but it’s supper yummy!
I’m glad your family loves the recipe :). Just replace coffee with same amount of water. You can try to skip vinegar as well but I haven’t tested the recipe without vinegar. Hope this helps.
thank you, i will try it later 🙂
So i was wondering, if you make them a day in advance.. do you put them in the fridge, leave out at room temp, and do you cover them with anything like plastic wrap?
I put them in a cupcake holder. You can make the cupcakes a few days ahead; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can also make the frosting in advance and refrigerate it, then leave at room temp for a few hours for it to soften and frost your cupcakes later. You can also frost your cupcakes and then cover and refrigerate them. Lots of options here 🙂
The cupcakes sound like a Hershey’s recipe I use, very moist! But I haven’t tried your Prague icing yet, so I’ll have to check that out. Also, I love the decorating ideas!
My husband just made another batch last night, we enjoyed them with some tea. I bought a new decorating tip for the icing which I been able to use on them as well. Prague icing is a great combination with these cupcakes….we ate all of the cupcakes between the 3 of us :).
I liked the frosting, but unfortunately I forgot to wait for the cupcakes to cool, so it melted into oblivion! Oh well. Do you ever try a mocha frosting? I guess the cupcakes themselves have coffee in them but my mom loves to do a chocolate cake/mocha frosting combination.
I’m sorry about the frosting :(. I haven’t tried mocha frosting but would love to if you send me the recipe :).
Hello, If I want to substitute water instead of coffee, how much water would I need?
I haven’t tested it with water before, but I would use 1 cup just like coffee. You can try to use decaf coffee as well.
These look amazing, can’t wait to bake them. Also, the picture of the vanilla in your yellow teaspoon all I saw is an eye 🙂
You are very observant! I had to pull up the picture to see for myself 🙂
would love to try this eggless recipe.waiting to try this. should the brewed coffee be warm or hot or at room temperature when the other ingredients r added to it????
Warm or room temperature. 🙂