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This is the only chocolate cupcake recipe you will need. They’re rich, chocolaty, and incredibly moist. Although I frosted these with chocolate buttercream, feel free to frost them with cream cheese frosting instead.
This recipe makes about 14 chocolate cupcakes although you can double the recipe and make 28 cupcakes, if you are feeding a large crowd. They’re perfect for birthday parties, baby showers, or any get-together.
INGREDIENT NOTES
- Cocoa Powder – I highly recommend using good quality cocoa powder. It’s the main ingredient and the better the ingredients, the better the cupcakes will taste. Make sure to use unsweetened cocoa.
- Sour Cream – Feel free to substitute with plain Greek yogurt.
- Unsalted Butter – It must be softened at room temperature for a smooth chocolate buttercream.
- Egg – Take the egg out of the fridge at least 1-2 hours before baking, this will help your cupcakes bake evenly.
TOP TIPS FOR THE ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
- Make sure all of your ingredients are fresh and not expired.
- Don’t overfill your cupcake liners. Fill them 2/3s of the way using an ice cream scoop or measuring cup.
- Don’t overbake not even for a minute, overbaking your cupcakes will result in dry cupcakes.
- Allow your cupcakes to cool completely before frosting otherwise the chocolate buttercream will melt.
- By allowing the cupcake batter to rest before baking, the cupcakes will rise and make that perfect “dome”.
HOW FAR IN ADVANCE CAN I MAKE THESE CUPCAKES?
As long as you place them in an air-tight container at room temperature, they will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
MORE CUPCAKE RECIPES…
If you love cupcakes as much as I do, you must give these other cupcakes a try!
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook or Pinterest!
Rich Chocolate Cupcakes
Equipment
- cupcake pan
- cupcake liners
- bowls
- meausring cups
- whisks
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup boiling water
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk , room temperature
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 batch chocolate buttercream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a medium-sized bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Heat ½ cup water in the microwave until boiling. Add the chocolate chips to the hot water to melt. Set aside to slightly cool the mixture.
- In a large bowl, add sugar, egg, and vegetable oil and beat with a hand mixer or a whisk until smooth.
- Add vanilla extract and sour cream and mix.
- Slowly add the cooled chocolate to the sugar mixture while mixing.
- Add half of the flour mixture with half of the buttermilk and stir by hand. Once combined add the remaining flour and buttermilk and continue to stir until just combined. The batter will be thin and a bit lumpy. Line the cupcake tin with liners.
- Divide the batter into the cupcake tin making sure to fill about 2/3 full so that the cupcakes do not rise past the cupcake liner. This is enough for approximately 14 cupcakes.
- Bake the cupcakes for 16-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely then frost them with chocolate buttercream.
Notes
- Make sure all of your ingredients are fresh and not expired.
- Don’t overfill your cupcake liners. Fill them 3/4’s of the way using an ice cream scoop or measuring cup.
- Don’t overbake not even for a minute, overbaking your cupcakes will result in dry cupcakes.
- Allow your cupcakes to cool completely before frosting otherwise the chocolate buttercream will melt.
- By allowing the cupcake batter to rest before baking, the cupcakes will rise and make that perfect “dome”.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
