Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes
Moist, rich, cupcakes with intense chocolate flavor in every bite. These are the ultimate chocolate cupcakes!
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! I don’t know about you, but I always look forward to ALL THINGS chocolate! These cupcakes are a scaled-down version of my chocolate blackout cake. They’re perfect for classroom treats, a girls night in, or a romantic dinner.
If you know me, you know I’m pretty particular when it comes to cupcakes. They have to be moist, rich and perfectly sweet. These cupcakes check all of the boxes. They’ve quickly become my go-to recipe. I’ve used them as a base for raspberry buttercream topped cupcakes, salted caramel buttercream topped cupcakes, and mint chocolate chip buttercream topped cupcakes. They’re the best!
Today I thought I’d go all chocolate… and let me tell you, I have no regrets! They are heavenly. You’ll start by making the cupcakes, then while they cool you’ll mix up the frosting and gather the garnishes.
For both the cupcakes and the frosting it’s important to use quality cocoa powder. I’ve listed a few of my favorites that are available in most well-stocked grocery stores. I also prefer using espresso powder to enhance the overall flavor of the cupcake. It’s optional but highly recommended. Again, you can find it in a small glass jar either in the baking aisle or next to the ground coffee.
After piping the frosting on (see tip suggestions in the recipe notes below), sprinkle the tops with chocolate curls, mini chocolate chips, or chocolate jimmies. If you’re feeling extra decadent grab some ganache and drizzle away. Ditch the boxed mix and make these ultimate chocolate cupcakes instead!
Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1½ c. all-purpose flour
- 1½ c. granulated sugar
- 3/4 c. quality unsweetened cocoa powder*
- 1½ tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. coarse kosher sea salt - not fine
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 c. sour cream
- ½ c. buttermilk
- 3/4 c. warm water + ½ tsp. espresso powder - espresso is optional
- 1/4 c. vegetable oil
- 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 oz. finely chopped semisweet chocolate
For the frosting:
- 3/4 c. 1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz. ½ block cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 c. quality unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 3½ c. powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp. whole milk or heavy cream
For the garnish:
- 1/3 c. chocolate curls - mini chocolate chips or chocolate jimmies (sprinkles)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one standard size cupcake pan with 12 liners, and an additional pan with four liners, set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a stand mixer using a low speed until combined.
- Add eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, warm water, oil, vanilla, and chopped chocolate. Beat on a medium speed until smooth, about a minute.
- Divide batter evenly between the liners (I prefer using a #20 scoop which is approximately 1/4 cup of batter).
- Place in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes or until the tops spring back when touched.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 8 minutes. Remove and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- For the frosting: in a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), beat the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Carefully add in the cocoa powder, vanilla and salt, beat until combined.
- With mixing speed on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. When all of the powdered sugar has been added, beat in heavy cream, then add more if necessary to create a spreadable consistency. The frosting should be on the thicker side.
- Using a piping bag fitted with an extra large piping tip (see NOTES below for suggestions), pipe onto cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with desired garnish.
LOVE THESE ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES? CHECK OUT MORE AMAZING CHOCOLATE RECIPES:
- Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
- Salted Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bars – Tastes Better from Scratch
- Perfect Chocolate Cheesecake
- Chocolate Sheet Cake – Salt and Baker
- Double Chocolate French Silk Pie
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies – Show Me The Yummy
Products Featured in this Recipe:
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Thanks for including our Chocolate Crinkle Cookies! Your cupcakes look unreal!!!!!!!!! <3
Hi…on step 9 for the frosting instructions do you mean add more powdred sugar or heavy cream for spreadable texture?
More heavy cream to achieve the correct consistency. Sorry that wasn’t super clear!
wow these are some very moist and tasty cupcakes! I made some salted caramel frosting and topped them with peanuts and chopped snickers bars-yum! thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Hey, can you please tell me how to make the frosting if I want to eliminate cream cheese.
I just want a perfect choclate frosting recipe that stays firm.
You can replace the cream cheese with a stick of butter 🙂
Hi Natalie I hope you are having a good day, I was wondering if I could substitute the white sugar for brown sugar. If so what type of flavor would that give it and how much do you suppose I add?
Hi Evelyn! Brown sugar tends to add a lot of moisture and denseness to cakes. I would suggest using light brown sugar and maybe only adding 1/2 cup and using granulated sugar for the remaining 1 cup. Is there a particular reason why you want to use all brown sugar?
Hi Natalie thank you for responding, the only reason i was wondering was because many of the other chocolate cupcakes recipes I have been looking at have called for some, and I love that ¨caramel-e¨ taste you get sometimes when putting it in desserts. But if you suggest it it without i´ll do that, you should always trust the experts lol
It would definitely work, just don’t to a total swap 🙂
Hi, I a quick Can you use Hot chocolate, instead of the hot water to maybe give it even MORE chocolate flavor, considering you can never have enough chocolate!
Hi Natalie. Would butter work just as well in this recipe?
I haven’t tried butter in this recipe, I’d suggest maybe doing half butter, half oil.
Hi Natalie. Will butter work just as well in this recipe?
These were easy to make and delicious. They are a very rich dessert.
Are these bitter from the cocoa? I have been trying to find a go to recipe for chocolate cupcakes but they have all been too bitter for my liking!
Make sure you’re baking with a quality cocoa powder, that could be the issue 🙂
Hi can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
I personally haven’t tried, but you sure could 🙂
I often replace plain greek yogurt for the sour cream in recipes, always with great success. 🙂
Yes, that is a great substitute 🙂 Thank you!
hi,
if i wanted to make these mini’s using this recipe, how long should i bake them for?
thanks
It would be less, though I don’t have an exact time. I personally haven’t made them mini’s, but maybe 12-15 min. You can always add more time, if you need 🙂
These cupcakes are gorgeous! I am trying to make mine look as beautiful as your.s. What tip did you use? I saw where you listed your favorite tips but wasn’t sure which one you used. I usually use Wilton tips and only have a few ateco.
Thank you in advance for your response.
I think I used the Ateco 829, but really any tips are beautiful verses not using one at all. Good luck!
Hi instead of sour cream can I use buttermilk. I have a lot of buttermilk
It does already call for buttermilk & I have not tried adding more, leaving out sour cream. You could use Greek yogurt (1 cup) instead or I found this online…You can use buttermilk instead of sour cream in a baked recipe, but the buttermilk is more liquid. So you’ll need to add butter to get the same body. To replace 1 cup sour cream, beat in -3/4 cup buttermilk and 1/3 cup butter.
I’ve made these cupcakes three times now and I cannot get over how good they are! This time I was baking pretty late and totally forgot the sour cream, and even when its missing ingredients, it still blows my mind how moist and delicious these cupcakes are!
I am so happy to hear that! That’s good to know 🙂 Thank you so much!
Hello! So I have made this recipe once before and I loved it! But I’ve been asked to make a two tier wedding cake, a double 8’’ bottom layer and a double 6’’ top. Do I need to make adjustments to the recipe to make it work for cakes instead? Thank you in advance!!!
Oh, wow…how exciting for you! I have never made these into cakes, so the bake time will be longer for sure & I’m not sure how many times you will need to make the batter. The temp can stay the same. Man, I’m not much help…I don’t want to tell you the wrong thing. It would take some experimenting for me. You’ve got this!
Can I use mini chocolate chips in place of the finely chopped chocolate?
You sure could 🙂 Enjoy!
Hi!, I just wanted to ask how many cupcakes this makes?
It will make about 16 cupcakes 🙂
Fantastic! I have tried multiple chocolate cupcakes (and they have all been great) but these are the winner! Thank you!
Yay!! That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for saying that!