Easy Chocolate Cupcakes
Easy chocolate cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese frosting might just be the best chocolate cupcake recipe you have ever tried. The chocolate cupcakes are moist and fluffy with a generous swirl of chocolate cream cheese frosting which is smooth, creamy, and not overly sweet.
Ingredients for Chocolate Cupcakes
Chocolate Cupcakes
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Dark cocoa powder – Use dark cocoa powder for the best chocolate flavor. Substitute with dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Baking soda + baking powder
- Salt
- Buttermilk – Room temperature. You can also use my buttermilk substitute.
- Vegetable oil – You can also use canola oil or your favorite neutral baking oil.
- Egg – Large egg, room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract.
- Hot brewed coffee – You can substitute with hot water, if preferred.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Cream cheese – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar.
- Semisweet chocolate chips – Melted and cooled.
- Dark cocoa powder – Use dark unsweetened cocoa powder for the most intense chocolate flavor.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract.
- Salt
Additional Ingredients
- Chocolate sprinkles – Use chocolate sprinkles or whatever sprinkle or garnish you prefer.
How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes
- Prep and preheat: Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line cupcake pans with 14 cupcake liners.
- Make the cupcake batter: Whisk together the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt). Add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract to the flour mixture and stir until combined. Pour in the hot coffee and whisk gently until the batter is smooth.
- Bake the cupcakes: Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting: Whip the butter and cream cheese until light and creamy. Add in the powdered sugar and mix to combine. Add in the melted chocolate, dark cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix the frosting on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until you achieve a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Frost the cupcakes: Fill a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 826 piping tip with the chocolate cream cheese frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of chocolate frosting onto the cupcakes. Decorate with chocolate sprinkles.
Recipe Tips
- Check out my baking tips posts on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cupcakes and 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream to learn simple tips and tricks to make the most out of this recipe.
- If you want to learn more about my favorite cupcake baking and decorating supplies, be sure to check out this post for more information.
- Learn how to frost cupcakes and my favorite piping tips for frosting cupcakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store the cupcakes?
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve the cupcakes at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Can you taste the coffee in the chocolate cupcakes?
- No, you won’t be able to taste the coffee. The coffee enhances the flavor of the chocolate, but I promise you won’t be able to taste it. If you prefer not to use coffee, simply substitute with hot water.
Can I turn this into a cake?
- This moist chocolate cupcake recipe works very well as a cake and is based off my chocolate cake recipe. I recommend heading to that recipe for the appropriate measurements and to my recipe for chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Other Chocolate Recipes You Will Love
- Candy bar cupcakes
- Chocolate buttercream frosting
- Creamy chocolate buttercream frosting
- Chocolate layer cake
- Chocolate peanut butter cupcakes
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Easy Chocolate Cupcakes
Yield: 14 cupcakes
Easy chocolate cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese frosting might just be the best chocolate cupcake recipe you have ever tried. The chocolate cupcakes are moist and fluffy with a generous swirl of chocolate cream cheese frosting which is smooth, creamy, and not overly sweet.
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (29 g) dark cocoa powder
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) baking soda
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) baking powder
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ½ cup (120 g) buttermilk room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 (1) large egg room temperature
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (119 g) hot brewed coffee substitute with hot water
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese room temperature
- 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (90 g) semisweet chocolate chips melted and cooled to room temperature
- ¼ cup (22 g) dark cocoa powder
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
Additional Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (20 g) chocolate sprinkles
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line cupcake pans with 14 cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in the buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Pour in the hot coffee and gently whisk the batter until it is combined and smooth.
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners about ⅔ full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until the cupcakes bounces back when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter and cream cheese for 5 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until fully combined with the butter. Add in the melted and cooled semisweet chocolate, dark cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt. Mix until the ingredients are well combined.
- Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip the buttercream for 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Mix the frosting on low speed for several minutes to remove any air bubbles.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Fill a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 826 piping tip with the chocolate cream cheese frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto the chocolate cupcakes. Decorate the cupcakes with chocolate sprinkles.
Notes
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature.
Made This Recipe?
Please leave a comment with a star rating to let me know how you enjoyed the recipe!
About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
could i add peanut butter in the batter?
Hi Amie! I haven’t tested adding peanut butter into the batter, so I can’t say for certain how it would come out. That sounds like a delicious experiment!
I made these for Halloween, and they were a hit! I followed the recipe exactly, and they turned out nice and moist. The frosting is so yummy too, especially with the cream cheese. I’ve already had requests to make them again.
Hi Annette! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Happy to hear it was a hit! Thanks for the positive review and feedback!
These were rated a 4 by the teens in my neighborhood. Why? No clue, but the children have spoken. They were fun to make. Very moist.
Hi there! Teens will teen. I’ll take a 4 from them! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and for the review!