Posted Feb 12, 2021, Updated Mar 02, 2024 Once you try these from-scratch chocolate cupcakes, you’ll never reach for a boxed mix again! Topped with our favorite chocolate buttercream frosting, these chocolate cupcakes are the perfect way to celebrate any special occasion. Adapted from our recipe for the best chocolate cake, these are the best, moist chocolate cupcakes with a rich chocolate flavor and perfect texture. Made with simple ingredients, they come together in no time and are seriously the best chocolate cupcakes you’ll ever eat.
Chocolate Cupcake Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
As always, we’ll discuss the ingredients in these chocolate cupcakes and some possible substitutions – although I don’t really recommend tampering with this recipe.
All-purpose flour. Cake flour or bread flour are good substitutes. To make them gluten free, use a 1:1 all purpose gluten-free baking flour. Granulated sugar. Use regular white sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results. Espresso powder. I always have espresso powder on hand to make chocolate desserts (like this chocolate cake, chocolate zucchini cake, etc.). It’s definitely worth purchasing if you love baking. You can substitute instant coffee. Canola oil. Oil keeps these chocolate cupcakes very moist. You can substitute equal amounts of melted butter or another neutral oil if desired, however canola oil yields the best results. Sour cream. Full-fat, plain Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream. I recommend using full-fat ingredients. Whole milk. 2% milk or half and half are good substitutes. Vanilla extract. You can switch up the extract and use almond, peppermint, orange, etc. if you prefer flavored chocolate cupcakes. Mini chocolate chips. These are a must. Regular-sized chocolate chips sink to the bottom of the cupcakes while baking. Be sure to use mini chips for the best results.
How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes
As always, we’ll walk through how to make chocolate cupcakes step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video. This chocolate cupcake recipe is so simple to make! Begin by combining the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt and espresso powder in a medium bowl. Set aside to use later. This step is important to ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed and that there are no lumps. Next, combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together canola oil, eggs, sour cream, milk and vanilla until the mixture is smooth. Once the wet ingredients are combined, add the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth. Stir in the mini chocolate chip until evenly distributed.
Bake
Next, use a ¼ cup measuring cup to fill each cupcake liner with ¼ cup of batter. Then bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, or until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
Cool
Place the cupcake pan on a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature (takes about 30 minutes). Once cooled, lift cupcakes in their liners out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frost
When the chocolate cupcakes are cooled, frost them with chocolate buttercream frosting , vanilla buttercream frosting, peanut butter frosting or homemade vanilla frosting I use the following tools to decorate cupcakes:
Piping bags – I have both reusable and disposable piping bags and use them all the time. Piping tips and couplers – I recommend a great starter tip and coupler set. However the Wilton 1M tip and large coupler are my favorite – and can be used in so many ways. This is the tip/set I used to frost the chocolate cupcakes pictured in this post.
Store
Store these chocolate cupcakes at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Serve at room temperature.
Freeze
It’s really easy to bake a batch of chocolate cupcakes and freeze them. Simply follow the recipe and let them cool completely. Then transfer the unfrosted cupcakes to an airtight container and freeze until you’re ready to frost and serve. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
