You get a cupcake, you get a cupcake, YOU GET A CUPCAKE. These super fudgy and moist chocolate cupcakes are made in one bowl (hello easy cleanup), and are topped with the dreamiest chocolate buttercream.
You get a cupcake, you get a cupcake, YOU GET A CUPCAKE. These super fudgy and moist chocolate cupcakes are made in one bowl (hello easy cleanup), and are topped with the dreamiest chocolate buttercream.
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You get a cupcake, you get a cupcake, YOU GET A CUPCAKE. These super fudgy and moist chocolate cupcakes are made in one bowl (hello easy cleanup), and are topped with the dreamiest chocolate buttercream.
The best moist chocolate cupcakes you’ll ever have
Hello, chocolate lovers AKA humans. I have a treat for you today: the best chocolate cupcakes in the whole world. These chocolate cupcakes are moist, fudgy, SUPER chocolatey (I’m not messing around), and the best part? They’re made in just one bowl with a wooden spoon– no mixer required.
Eat your hearts out, friends.
Ingredients for Chocolate Cupcakes
This chocolate cupcakes recipe is made with pantry staples you probably already have in your cupboard. It only calls for ten ingredients, so there’s really no excuse to not make this chocolate dessert:
Vegetable Oil – No need to soften butter or whip out a whisk attachment for these chocolate cupcakes! Vegetable oil will give you a silky, moist crumb and it’s super easy to use!
Granulated sugar – Plain old white sugar is the only sweetener you’ll need for these decadent chocolate cupcakes.
Cocoa powder – Cocoa Powder is what gives this cake its deep chocolatey flavor, so make sure you use a high quality cocoa powder. We always use Rodelle’s cocoa powder and cannot recommend it enough.
All Purpose Flour – No fancy cake flour required! You can use regular ol’ all purpose flour to create that velvety crumb. Baking powder + Baking Soda – A combination of baking powder and baking soda will create a beautiful rise in your chocolate cake.
Baking Powder – Most cupcake recipes call for baking powder or that even, tall rise!
Baking Soda – Baking soda will give your cupcakes a domed rise for those perfect cupcake tops!
Eggs – Use large eggs at room temperature for the best results!
Buttermilk – Buttermilk is an absolute must when it comes to cake baking. It will give your baking soda a little extra oompf and really deepens the flavor fo your cake. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand (does anyone?!), you can make your own buttermilk at home!
Vanilla Extract – Vanilla extract will elevate your chocolate cupcakes’ flavor, giving them that high quality bakery taste.
Strongly Brewed Coffee – Coffee will deepen the flavor of the chocolate. I promise you, your cake will NOT taste like coffee. Just deep, rich, velvety chocolate 🙂 Make sure your coffee is at room temperature to prevent cooking your batter!
Tips for the best chocolate cupcakes
These moist chocolate cupcakes may taste straight from a bakery, but the process to make them is only slightly harder than making a cake mix. Which is about the level of difficulty I can handle today lololololololol. In all serious though, you don’t even need a stand mixer for this recipe and it’s the perfect indulgent treat to whip up with your nonbaker friends or a kiddo. Just follow these three simple steps and you’re guaranteed a gourmet cake.
Don’t use hot coffee: You want your coffee to be warm, but not boiling hot. Brew your coffee and then pop it in the fridge for ten minutes to cool it down so that you don’t scramble the eggs in your batter!
Use high quality cocoa powder: The quality of your cocoa powder will make or break your cupcakes, so please splurge an extra dollar on the higher quality stuff. Your cupcakes will thank you.
Do not over bake your cakes: There is nothing sadder than a dry chocolate cake. Take your cupcakes out when a knife comes out mostly clean, rather than waiting for it to come out completely dry. Remember the cupcakes will continue to bake as they cool!
What to frost your chocolate cupcakes with?
If you couldn’t tell, if I have a very strong preference for all the double chocolate, indulgent, rich desserts, so chocolate buttercream is a no brainer for me, but there are so many different ways you can finish off your perfect chocolate cupcakes!
Peanut Butter Buttercream: Who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate? This peanut butter buttercream is the perfect salty-sweet complement to a rich, fudgy chocolatey cupcake.
Cream Cheese Frosting: I have an obsession with cream cheese frosting. If I could, I would slather every single desser with it. And (no surprises here), it tastes downright divine on these chocolate cupcakes.
Classic Vanilla Buttercream: You can’t go wrong with classic vanilla buttercream. It’s a no frills, crowd pleaser that’s perfect if you want something a little lighter to top off your cupcakes.
Strawberry Buttercream: So I’ve never actually tried this, but I just *know* this flavor combination would taste exactly like a chocolate covered strawberry in the very best way.
No frosting: Okay, so I don’t exactly condone this behavior, but I have been known to eat an unfrosted cupcake for breakfast and call it a muffin, and…you know what? It’s pretty good.
You get a cupcake, you get a cupcake, YOU GET A CUPCAKE. These super fudgy and moist chocolate cupcakes are made in one bowl (hello easy cleanup), and are topped with the dreamiest chocolate buttercream.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake tins with cupcake liners. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk oil, vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, whisking until no lumps remain. Pour in brewed coffee, mixing until just combined.
Use 1/3 cup measuring cup or a large ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 of the way. Bake for roughly 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
To make the frosting, place butter and cream cheese in a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (an electric hand mixer also works). Cream on high speed for 1 minute, then turn speed to low and add in cocoa powder. Mix until combined, then add in powdered sugar, brewed coffee, vanilla extract, and salt. Cream on high speed for 1 minute, until mixture has lightened slightly and is fluffy.
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fit with desired tip and frost the cooled cupcakes!
Made these as a gift to for my sons teacher’s on the last school day of the year. He had a great time helping (kept mumbling things like ‘ooooh, chocolaty goodness’) and my husband had a great time taste-testing ;-). I halved the recipe because we only really needed 2 cupcakes, but I’m a thousand percent sure the ‘left-overs’ will find a taker. Especially the frosting is divine: ‘chocolaty goodness’ with a minute coffee kick. Just perfect!
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Ellie I would guess she uses Dutch process since the baking powder and buttermilk already provide acid.
Do you use dutch processed cocoa powder? or is hersheys ok?
Made these as a gift to for my sons teacher’s on the last school day of the year. He had a great time helping (kept mumbling things like ‘ooooh, chocolaty goodness’) and my husband had a great time taste-testing ;-). I halved the recipe because we only really needed 2 cupcakes, but I’m a thousand percent sure the ‘left-overs’ will find a taker. Especially the frosting is divine: ‘chocolaty goodness’ with a minute coffee kick. Just perfect!