Ditch the box mix and make the Moist Chocolate Cupcakes from scratch in under 30 minutes. Our chocolate cupcake recipe has been carefully tested and has hundreds of 5 star ratings to prove it!
I was skeptical with how thin the batter was, but these are soooooo good!! ~ Crystal
Table of Contents
- This is the BEST Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
- Moist Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
- Chocolate Cupcakes ingredients
- How to make Chocolate Cupcakes
- Can I Use This Chocolate Cupcake Recipe to Make a Cake?
- How to store Chocolate Cupcakes
- Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe FAQs
- More Cake & Cupcake Recipes You'll Love
- Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
This is the BEST Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
If you want to upgrade your baking skills and graduate to chocolate cupcakes from scratch, you’ve come to the right place. Box mix cupcakes don’t actually even taste like chocolate at all! But my from-scratch moist chocolate cupcake recipe is made with real ingredients like cocoa powder, buttermilk, and sugar so that they taste supremely chocolatey and delicious! These will be the first thing gone at the next party or bake sale!
If you also prefer homemade cakes made from scratch over box cake mixes, you will definitely want to check out my Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting, Homemade Funfetti Cake, and Best Red Velvet Cake.
Heck, I have an entire category of frosting recipes that would pretty much all be amazing with these moist chocolate cupcakes! And honestly, the cake part itself is so amazing that I always eat at least one cupcake sans frosting while I wait for them to cool.
Moist Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
The two biggest players in keeping these chocolate cupcakes moist are using buttermilk and oil in the recipe, as opposed to butter and sour cream, which are both commonly used in chocolate cakes.
If you don't have any buttermilk on hand, you can make an easy substitute by adding ½ tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a ½ cup measuring cup, then filling the rest of the way with milk. Stir, then let sit for 5 minutes before adding to the recipe in place of the buttermilk.
And while you technically could replace the oil with butter in this recipe, the cupcakes won't be as moist for some science-y reason that I can't explain. Just go with it - if you want to replicate the moist texture and fluffiness of a box cake mix (with way better flavor because these cupcakes are made from scratch), use the oil instead of melted butter.
Chocolate Cupcakes ingredients
- Flour
- Sugar
- Cocoa Powder
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Egg
- Buttermilk
- Oil
- Hot Water
How to make Chocolate Cupcakes
- Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. Start by combining flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Combine wet ingredients in another bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until everything is combined.
- Add hot water. There is one more ingredient, which is very hot water. It's super important to achieving super moist chocolate cupcakes with an intense chocolate flavor. The hot water doesn't have to be boiling, but it needs to be really hot because the heat is going to react with the cocoa powder, causing it to "bloom", which brings out as much chocolate flavor as possible from the cocoa powder. I find that my tap water gets hot enough if I let it run for 10-15 seconds or so, but you could also microwave some water for a minute or boiling some water on the stove.
The hot water is also going to create a pretty thin batter, too. Don't be alarmed! It really is supposed to be like that.
The thin batter is going to allow the baking powder and baking soda in the batter to really do their magic and the cupcakes will rise and dome beautifully, with a wonderful texture thanks to all the scientific magic going on behind the scenes.
You can use hot coffee in place of the water.
- Fill cupcake liners only ½ full, then bake for 18-21 minutes, until the tops bounce back when you touch them with a finger or a toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs when used to test a cupcake.
- Cool completely before frosting with chocolate frosting or your favorite frosting.
Best Chocolate Cupcake frosting
- Cream butter and cocoa powder together until smooth in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer.
- Add half of the powdered sugar mixing on medium speed until combined. Add remaining powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, mixing well, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add heavy cream or milk, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, mixing between each addition until you reach the desired consistency that is easily spreadable or pipeable, but will still hold its shape.
- Transfer to a decorative piping bag and pipe swirls onto cooled cupcakes.
Can I Use This Chocolate Cupcake Recipe to Make a Cake?
Yes, you can absolutely use this recipe to make a super moist chocolate cake instead of cupcakes. Just keep the following in mind if that's the route you decide to go:
- This recipe only makes 14-16 cupcakes which is the same as one square baking dish or 9-inch round cake layer. If you are trying to make a cake in a large rectangular baking dish or create a two layer cake, just double the recipe or use my One-Bowl Chocolate Cake Recipe!
- The oven temperature stays the same, but the baking time will change since individual cupcakes cook faster than cakes cooked in larger pans. Cakes cooked in 9-inch baking pans should take about 30-35 minutes to fully bake, but just be sure to test the center of each cake with a toothpick or sharp knife to test for doneness before taking your cake layers out of the oven.
How to store Chocolate Cupcakes
Once the cupcakes are cooled, store them in an airtight container until ready to frost. The frosted cupcakes will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 4-5 days. You can also freeze the cupcakes before or after frosting for 2-3 months. Thaw on the counter for a few hours before enjoying.
Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe FAQs
Be sure to only fill the cupcake liners halfway full! Not ¾ or even ⅔ full, which are common amounts for other cupcake recipes. Just half.
It is going to seem strange and like there is not nearly enough batter in each cupcake liner, but just trust me on this one. There is so much lift to the thin batter that if the cupcake liners are too full, the cupcakes will overflow and you won't get that beautiful, domed cupcake shape that is the hallmark of perfect cupcakes.
Plus, the top edges will get crisp and stick to the pan and the cupcake centers are probably going to sink. So just halfway full, m'kay?
If you find that your cupcakes aren't doming on top, try filling your liners a little less next time. Or if you are baking at a high altitude, you might want to use this helpful guide to high-altitude baking and see if that helps, since I'm in California near sea level.
I never use the toothpick test on cupcakes. For one, I hate digging around the back of my spice cupboard to find them. But also, I feel like it isn't as accurate as simply touching the tops of the cupcakes.
The best way to tell if cupcakes are done is to lightly tap the top of a cupcake. If it bounces right back, they are done. If a little indentation from your finger remains, the cupcakes need to bake a little bit longer.
I have a few chocolate brands that I think make really great cocoa powder, like Rodelle and Ghiradelli, but I don't have any problems with good old Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder, which is available at any grocery store.
More Cake & Cupcake Recipes You'll Love
- Key Lime Cupcakes
- Dulce de Leche Cupcakes
- Gingerbread Cupcakes with Eggnog Buttercream
- S'mores Cupcakes with Graham Cracker Frosting
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Chocolate Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (141g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ½ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (50g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup very hot water
Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4-6 Tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
- Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl and whisk together.
- Combine the egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla in another bowl and whisk together.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix using a stand mixer until combined.
- Add the hot water to the batter and mix again, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary, until combined. Batter will be thin.
- Fill cupcake liners only ½ full, then bake for 18-21 minutes, until the tops bounce back when you touch them with a finger or a toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs when used to test a cupcake.
- Cool completely before frosting with chocolate frosting or your favorite frosting.
Frosting
- Cream butter and cocoa powder together until smooth in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer.
- Add half of the powdered sugar mixing on medium speed until combined. Add remaining powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, mixing well, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add heavy cream or milk, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, mixing between each addition until you reach the desired consistency that is easily spreadable or pipeable, but will still hold its shape.
- Transfer to a decorative piping bag and pipe swirls onto cooled cupcakes.
Video
Notes
- This recipe calls for buttermilk, but if you don't have any on hand, you can make an easy substitute by adding ½ tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a ½ cup measuring cup, then filling the rest of the way with milk. Stir, then let sit for 5 minutes before adding to the recipe in place of the buttermilk.
- Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- You can use the chocolate buttercream frosting recipe listed above or another frosting recipe.
Nutrition
When I first posted these chocolate cupcakes, I made them with my salted caramel frosting, which is a super scrumptious combination! Here is one of the original images below.
So lovely and decadent.
I made these tonight and they were delicious! They were perfectly moist and had a rich, but not overbearing, chocolate flavor, which I loved! I had to stop Jason from eating all of them! 🙂
Awesome! So glad you guys liked them and I really appreciate that you appreciate the balance of richness and chocolate without going too far, lol! It does my foodie soul good to hear such a compliment! 🙂
Hi there! Is there a way to adapt this recipe to a vanilla cake? Thank you!
Not really! I'm sorry! I still haven't gotten around to perfecting my white cake recipe, although the one I use for strawberry shortcake is pretty wonderful! https://houseofnasheats.com/strawberry-shortcake/
you could ad more flour and no cocoa
Hi, could we please know what is the equivalent of a cup measurement for English bakers.
I haven't had a chance to do conversions for my recipes yet, but this site has a helpful chart for you: https://www.sweet2eatbaking.com/uk-us-conversion/
Hi. I'm glad I found this recipe. It tastes great and is easy to make. Also, with how expensive butter is where I live, using an oil based recipe is my preferred option now. The only thing is, my cupcakes didn't rise nicely like in your picture. I filled it halfway as you've instructed but it didn't rise all the way up. It domed and then cracked, making it look like a volcano. Maybe my oven was too hot. I put it at 175°C. I'll definitely be baking more with this recipe but I need to figure out how to make sure it doesn't crack. Any tips?
Hi Moira! I'm glad you like the recipe but that's too bad about yours cracking on top! My guess is that the oven was too hot and they cooked too fast, creating a crust on top that prevented proper expansion and finally resulted in cracks. Do you use an oven thermometer? They are pretty inexpensive and can really help to make sure the oven is set to the proper temperature during baking.
Your recipe is super success.... I m soo grateful that you shared your recipe with us.
Made these with bob mills gf cup for cup flour and they turned out perfect
Awesome! I love Bob's Redmill gf cup-for-cup flour! It's such a great product!
Think this could be done as a layer cake?
Yes, but you will want to double it to have enough for both layers.
My go to recipe for chocolate cupcakes! Would it work the same if I left out the chocolate to make a vanilla cupcake?
I'm glad you like them! No, I don't think that they translate perfectly to a vanilla cupcake just by leaving chocolate out. Sorry! I'm working on a vanilla cupcake recipe soon though!
Thanks for the best recipe. I always make these and it gets finished in minutes. The only thing I don't like is the taste of baking soda and the moist top.
is it okay to use dutch processed cocoa powder for this recipe?
Yes, you can use dutch processed cocoa powder in these.
Most amazing chocolate cake . Super moist very tasty. Thank you for the recipie.
You are welcome!
We do not have coffee. I do have espresso powder. Can I substitute and how?
This recipe does not call for coffee, so there isn't really a need to substitute espresso powder.
Thank you for getting back so promptly. I must be seeing things. Will try this weekend. They look wonderful.
I can’t stand buttermilk. Can I substitute with regular milk instead?
You won't be able to taste buttermilk in the cupcakes after they are baked. It makes a very tender, rich crumb. But you could try adding 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a 1/2 cup measuring cup then filling it the rest of the way with whole milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes before adding it to the batter where you would otherwise use buttermilk.
Hi Amy, thank you for sharing your recipe. Quick question, can I use cream instead of buttermilk?
You're welcome! Cream doesn't have the acidity that will cause the same reaction as buttermilk, but if you don't have buttermilk you could combine a little lemon juice with whole milk or half-and-half (about 1 tablespoon lemon juice per cup of liquid, although I'm not sure I would go with cream) and let that sit for 5 minutes before using in place of buttermilk.
Would it make any difference if I use unsalted butter instead of vegetable oil?
Yes, actually, in this case it probably would. Oil actually makes most cupcakes more moist than butter. The recipe would work with butter, but you would be more likely to end up with cupcakes that weren't quite as moist.
Instead of buttermilk what can I use???
You can substitute 1/2 cup greek yogurt mixed with 1/2 cup of milk, or pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into a 1 cup measuring cup, then fill it to the top with milk and stir. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using. Both are great buttermilk substitutes.
that is what i did i used some lemon and milk and i love them
I used powered buttermilk. These cupcakes were very moist and chocolatey, very easy to make
Omg these were the best cupcakes I have ever baked. My family said they were award winning. My only problem is that there were not enough to last more than 1 day. Followed the recipe exactly, paired them with a chocolate cream cheese icing.
I'm glad you enjoyed them! I have never tried them with a chocolate cream cheese icing! Come to think of it, I have never HAD chocolate cream cheese icing! This must be remedied immediately! 🙂
Can you use unsweetened cocoa powder?
Yes! I edited the recipe to be more specific. 🙂
Great, thank you! I will be making them for my sons first birthday!
Made these this morning. the texture and moistness are Perfect. The flavor is good. I was just wondering if there is a way to make them more chocolaty. Like a devils food without changing texture . would the addition of melted chocolate work?
You could certainly try it! I use melted chocolate along with cocoa powder in my Devil's Food Cake recipe and love it. I still think it's super moist, but it doesn't have quite the same texture as this cupcake recipe.
I hate dry cupcakes and this recipe was anything but dry!!! Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful and easy recipe! I made this for a friend’s son’s birthday airh cream cheese icing and it was a hit!
Have made these before and they are delicious, however I was just wondering if these can be filled in the center with sprinkles like a Pinata cupcake without compromising the integrity of the cupcake? Looking to make it special for Valentine's Day!!
Yes, these can be filled without falling apart!
Thanks so much!!
Made these tonight and I’m highly impressed with the flavor, the texture, and just everything about them. The only thing I messed up on was missing the baking powder because I was dealing with kids and totally skipped right over that ingredient on accident but still came out lovely! I can’t wait to make it again right
Easily the best chocolate cake recipe I have ever made -- and trust me, I have made QUITE a few!! I always find it so helpful to read peoples comments in addition to the blog component of recipes to make sure the cake is as good as it sounds/looks. This recipe stands up to all of the good reviews! I love how moist and spongy the cake is (replicating boxed cake) while also having the stability and density of a home-made, made-from-scratch cake.
To make up the 1/2 cup of cocoa powder the recipe calls for, I used 1/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark 100% Cacao and 1/4 cup Ghiradelli 100% cocoa to make sure the chocolate had a dark, bold flavor. Maybe not the fanciest, most high-end ingredients but it worked very well for me!
Using this recipe, I made 3-layers of 8" round cake for a baby shower with only 12 people. The entire cake was gone by the end of the party. If that doesn't tell you how good it is....
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! There is no doubt that this is my go-to cake now, let alone chocolate cake recipe. I'm excited to try out more of your stuff!
You are so welcome! And thank you so much for the glowing, thoughtful review!
Thanks for the recipe! I love the cupcake but when I make these they dont dome at the top like yours do. Any suggestions on why that might be?
Try not filling them quite as full next time. I have found that when I fill them a little too much they don't dome as nicely. The only other thing I can think of would be to replace your baking soda and baking powder. But really I would think it's probably how they were filled. It seems nuts to only fill the cupcake liners halfway but it totally works with these cupcakes.
Mine didn't rise as much as the picture but they were moist and everybody loved them! Will be my go to recipe from now on.
Have you found a white cupcake recipe yet?? These are wonderful I also use this for my cakes!!
I haven't found one that is just perfect yet! I'm sorry! I was working on one but I think I got cupcaked out for a while, but I need to get back to it soon! Try the white cupcake from Sally's Baking Addiction though - she is one of my favorite bloggers and her recipes are always reliable.
It's a winner both as cake and cupcake. Thank you for sharing this super easy and superb recipe. My family, friends and co-workers luv it. Even replaced the sugar once with sweetner for my dad to enjoy as he is diabetic, minus the frosting and it is now one of his favorite treats.
I've used this recipe to wow my coworkers several times for cupcakes. Can this recipe also work for a layered cake covered in fondant?
I would think so, but I have never worked with fondant, so I don't know for sure.
Do you have to sift the dry ingredients or just combine it with a wodden spoon? Approximately how long should you mix all the ingredients together?
Honestly, I know a lot of bakers swear by sifting the drying ingredients, but I never do. Maybe just a quick whisk to evenly disperse them. As for a mixing time, it doesn't take long. Just a minute or so until it's all combined.
Hi there, I heard coffee can boost the flavor in chocolate cake/cupcake batters. Would it affect it too much by replacing the hot water with hot coffee? Thank you!
No, this would not affect the cake by replacing the hot water with hot coffee, and it's something a lot of people do. I don't drink coffee, so I never take this approach, but you are welcome to!
VERY moist and FLUFFY! Can't wait to decorate them for my son's 4th birthday. I must say i put a little less sugar as frosting will add the sweetness. Taste was good i put 4 stars as it wasn't awesome.
I’m not sure I understand how you change the recipe and then only give it four stars because “it wasn’t awesome”. Maybe it would have been if you made it the way it was written.
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I added instant coffee to the hot water, cinnamon, a mix of coconut oil and butter instead of oil, and Truvia instead of sugar and i absolutely loved this cake. It was soooo moist. Mine didn't rise as much though, so filling them half full gave me 3/4 filled cupcakes, maybe due to my subs. But DELICIOUS nonetheless!
I have tried many (many!) chocolate cake recipes but; as soon as I took my first bite of this cupcake, I immediately wrote on the top of the page, (because I prefer to print them in case I keep them ...) "This is a keeper!!" I tripled the recipe due to several events I was serving or volunteering cupcakes for. Some I froze and some I frosted right away. I have never ... ever ... received so many compliments on cupcakes in my life! Yes, this is a keeper recipe for sure!
Thank you for such a wonderful review! I'm so glad you love it! I always aim to provide recipes that are keepers!
These were so simple and are insanely soft and moist. I always dread baking, but this was a dream to make. Thank you for sharing!
What type of frosting did you use? Was it homemade?
Yes, it was homemade chocolate buttercream frosting. It's the same frosting I use with my yellow cake recipe.
Is it possible to make this dairyfree? What can I replace buttermilk with?
Hmm, I don't do dairy free baking much, but I think these might work with coconut milk. I haven't tried it, but that's where I would start.
Or you might try almond milk or rice dream, but I believe you'll still need either the vinegar or lemon juice as described in other comments to ensure you have the necessary acidity to get these to rise as expected.
Great point!
will this make 15 cupcakes
I always get 14 cupcakes from this recipe, but you could fill each liner just a tiny bit less and stretch it to 15 probably.
Well luv, ..... we now need your frosting recipe❣️
Purty Please!💞
Of course! Here it is! I added a link in the recipe card for this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting as well, since it's such a popular choice!
Can you please share a recipe for chocolate frosting for the cupcakes 🙂 thanks
Absolutely! It's this chocolate buttercream frosting. I've also linked to it in the post since it's such a popular choice! I got asked for it so often I made a post entirely dedicated to it!
Hey just wondering if this is still as moist baking as a cake rather then cupcakes I know the bake time will be longer haha, I made these for my nephews christening now looking at doing cake form for my baby shower 🥰
Thank you!
Absolutely! This recipe can definitely be used to make a cake!
Just made these using Ghiradelli cocoa and hot strong columbian coffee in place of the water. Also, for the oil I used coconut not vegetable. FABULOUS!! Didn't even need frosting, for realz! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Can I sub another oil for vegetable oil?
I have used canola oil as well, but I haven't tried others with this recipe.
These came out perfect. 1/2 full is just right. They are amazingly moist cupcakes and I did use hot coffee which is a throwback trick in a recipe called Black magic cake that I used to make. Love this recipe.
I made these for my friend's birthday this past weekend & they were a huge hit. Everyone loved them.
These were soooooo good. Thanks for the recipe. My fam loves them.
My oven only goes until 230 degrees recipe says 350?????
That's 350 degrees F. In celcius I believe that's around 176?
Oh my! This recipe is a keeper! I was really disappointed to find that I didn't have enough cupcake liners went I checked my cupboard - but the batter was mixed and I was determined! (Along with my 4 year old son!)
So we greased the pan and hoped for the best. These cupcakes are so soft, so velvety, so properly chocolatey.. AND they held their shape when I carefully removed them from the pan. I'm printing this one! Thank you!
Hi this recipe sounds great. I don’t eat eggs so what other ingredient and measurement would you suggest as a substitute?
I wish I had more familiarity with egg substitutes but I have never tried this with something other than eggs. Sorry! I've heard that using the liquid from a drained can of chickpeas works well as an egg substitute in other recipes. Maybe here too?
Made these today! Oh my, were they ever moist and delicious! I used avocado oil, and hot coffee instead of water. I cannot believe how good these were. Box cake mixes are not coming into this house again!
Thank you for the recipe I will try this soon