No need to continue searching for the best homemade chocolate cupcake recipe! These are hands down the yummiest, homemade, moist chocolate cupcakes topped with the creamiest chocolate buttercream frosting.
Everyone needs a basic chocolate and vanilla cupcake recipe. These are the recipes that you can switch up, add a filling in the middle, top with different frostings, add sprinkles, or even edible flowers!
This recipe is my favorite because it’s incredibly moist and chocolaty—exactly what you want in a cupcake.
I always keep cupcake wrappers and sprinkles on hand to make cupcakes anytime! I used these tulip cupcake wrappers and Fancy Sprinkles.
Your extra sprinkles and wrappers will surely come in handy for these chocolate and vanilla cupcakes and lemon cupcakes with buttercream.
Ingredients and Shopping List
- Sugar
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Buttermilk
- Vegetable Oil
- Eggs
How to Frost Chocolate Cupcakes
While the cupcakes are cooling, make our delicious buttercream frosting recipe! It’s literally the creamiest, most delicious chocolate frosting ever!
Using a piping bag and a large round tip, cut a hole at the end of the bag and put the tip inside so it sticks out of the bottom.
If you don’t have a piping tip, you can just cut a medium size hole at the bottom of the piping bag.
- Fold the piping bag over a glass, then scoop in the chocolate frosting.
- Twist the top of the bag closed and hold your hand tightly around the top of the bag. Then begin piping on the frosting!
How Can I Make My Cupcakes Moister?
One of the best (and most little-known) ways to make cupcakes moister is to add a little more oil!
You can also add a tablespoon of cornstarch to a recipe.
Another idea is to add a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise to the batter.
Mayo is made up of oil, vinegar, and egg, all ingredients that retain moisture. The oil makes the cake super tender, and the vinegar’s acid brings out the chocolate flavor of your recipe and the egg. Well, there’s no better way to fluff your cupcake up.
How Do You Tell if Cupcakes Are Done Without a Toothpick?
The age-old trick that lets you know whether or not cupcakes are done is to put a toothpick in it. If it comes out clean, it’s fully baked!
But what happens when you don’t have a toothpick handy? Here are some alternatives!
- Perform the same test with a fork or knife.
- Get a cake tester, which is a specific tool made for testing cakes! They’re basically metal picks that you can wash and reuse, so you’ll never need to worry about not having a toothpick handy again.
- For something totally different, you can touch your cupcake lightly with the top of your finger. If it feels fluffy, light, and doesn’t jiggle/cave in, it’s done!
How to Store and Freeze Cupcakes
Chocolate cupcakes can indeed be frozen. Here’s how!
- Wrap each of your cupcakes individually in cellophane.
- Place the individually-wrapped cupcakes in an airtight container. Make sure that this container is both airtight and sturdy. Pyrex generally works well.
- It’s best to freeze unfrosted cupcakes, but if they are frosted, that’s also alright. Just make sure that they all sit side-by-side rather than on top of each other. You don’t want to mush your beautiful frosting!
- Cupcakes can be stored like this for up to 4 months.
It’s important to note that they’ll lose a bit of flavor over time when you store them in the freezer. That’s why it’s best to only make what you can eat fresh. Still, if you’re making cupcakes for an event, this is an option.
Get the Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
There are lots of recipes for chocolate cupcakes out there, but we guarantee that none are as good as this one.
Now that you know the most amazing chocolate cupcake recipe on the web, it’s time to put a twist on it! Toffee chocolate cupcakes are delicious and easy to make. You’re sure to enjoy the little burst of toffee flavor in the middle of them, so try it out!
More Cupcake Recipes You’ll Love!
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Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 6 ounces water
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup vegatbale oil
Instructions
- Boil the water in a sauce pan. Move from heat, add in cocoa powder whisking with a hand whisk constantly until the cocoa is melted.
- Add the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, sugar) in a mixing bowl together.
- Add liquid ingredients (eggs, oil, buttermilk) into a separate bowl. I add them in a liquid measuring cup.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry while mixer is on medium. Mix until combined.
- Scrape in the melted chocolate and mix until combined.
- Scoop the batter into a lined cupcake tin. Full them 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until the cake is not jiggly in the center.
Hi, thank you for the recipe! Can I use coffee instead of water in this recipe? Thanks for your help!
Yes you can try that for sure!
We finally found our favorite homemade chocolate cupcake recipe! It is so moist, not too sweet but very delicious. My kids loved it so much.
This is the most delicious chocolate cupcake recipe. So moist and the flavor was so rich and amazing.
So yummy and such a classic! Thanks for this recipe. What my daughter wants to know, is where to get the cool cupcake liners. She thinks ours would taste better if they were in liners like your pictures! lol!