Here’s your new favorite recipe for bakery-style, homemade chocolate cupcakes. While you don’t HAVE to pile them high with my chocolate frosting, well, I thought we could be friends, but I guess not.
Just kidding, we’ll always be friends. Hope you enjoy these chocolate cupcakes from scratch with intense cocoa flavor in both the cake part and the frosting.
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How To Make Chocolate Cupcakes
Here some tools, steps and tips for making rich, bakery-style chocolate cupcakes at home. You can find measurements in the recipe card below.
Tools & Equipment
- Two 12-cup muffin pans
- Paper cupcake liners or nonstick cooking spray
- Measuring cups (microwave-safe for melting butter and boiling water)
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls (1 medium, 2 large)
- Whisk
- Electric mixer (hand or stand)
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- Large spoon (for adding batter to muffin pan)
- Wire cooling rack or dinner plate
- Piping bag and tip (optional, for frosting)
For the chocolate cupcakes
Step 1 – Prep. Start preheating the oven at 350F. Either spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray or use cupcake liners. Set pan aside. Gather your tools and ingredients. I promise it will make life easier to have everything out in front of you.
Step 2 – Bloom the cocoa. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Boil 1 cup of fresh water. Carefully add the boiling water and whisk until smooth and combined, then set the mixture aside.
Step 3 – Mix the wets. Melt the butter, then combine with the sugar, oil, and vanilla. Using an electric mixer or whisk, beat in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, just until combined.
Step 4 – Add the cocoa mixture and milk. Pour in the cocoa mixture and the milk, stirring just until combined.
Step 5 – Add flour. Add the flour and stir the batter with a wooden spoon or spatula just until the flour is incorporated. Don’t overmix.
Step 6 – Fill the pans. Batter will be fairly thin. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, filling each about two-thirds full.
Step 7 – Bake. Slide the cupcake batter into the preheated oven. Bake at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick or tip of a butterknife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 8 – Cool. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a plate or wire rack. Remember to cool completely before adding any frosting. This is the longest wait of my life, but patience is worth it or the frosting melts and slides off.
For the chocolate buttercream frosting
Step 1 – Beat the butter. First, check your butter to make sure it’s very soft. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about a minute.
Step 2 – Mix. Add the cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla, then beat until well incorporated.
Step 3 – Add the powdered sugar. Mix in the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time until you reach your desired piping consistency.
Step 4 – Frost. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the completely cooled cupcakes. This style uses a standard ruffle or petal tip. You don’t need to add this much frosting if you just want a taste. It’s not for the faint of heart. Garnish with chocolate chips, chopped sweetened coconut, or chopped nuts, if you’d like.
Tips & Storage
- Fill each liner or well only two-thirds full to avoid overflowing.
- Don’t overmix the batter once you add the flour. We want tender cupcakes, not tough or dense.
- I mentioned this in the steps too but just in case: Don’t frost until these are cool to the touch. Completely cool. Or the frosting will slide off.
- You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months. I make a batch and remove one at a time for a TV snack.
- Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Since these are homemade, it’s best to refrigerate these moist chocolate cupcakes, then bring to room temperature before serving.
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Chocolate Cupcakes + Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted (1 stick)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
For the chocolate buttercream frosting
- 1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1 tablespoon milk for consistency
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 pinch salt for balance
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Gather your tools and ingredients. Set out all of your butter to soften to room temp. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 wells of muffin pans with cupcake liners or prep pan with nonstick spray; set aside.
- You'll be boiling 1 cup of water, so get out a microwave safe measuring cup (like Pyrex) or an electric tea kettle for this. Also: The batter uses 1/2 c melted butter, and you can use the same microwave-safe measuring cup for this effort as well.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Carefully pour in the boiling water and whisk until well blended. Set the bloomed cocoa mixture aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, melted butter, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time.
- Add the cocoa mixture and the milk, stirring just until combined.
- Add the flour and stir the batter with a wooden spoon or whisk, just until the flour is incorporated. Don't overmix; it can affect the tender crumb.
- Batter will be thin. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, filling each cupcake about 2/3 full.
- Bake at 350F for 18-20 mins, until a toothpick or tip of a butterknife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Leave the cupcakes in the pan for 5 mins, then remove to a plate or a wire rack to finish cooling completely. This is the patience we were trained for as children. We can do this.
Chocolate buttercream frosting
- While the cupcakes cool: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat just the butter until smooth and light colored, about 45 seconds.
- To the beaten butter, add cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla extract, then beat until creamy and incorporated.
- Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup or so at a time.
- Spread or pipe the frosting onto the completely cooled cupcakes. If you want to save the frosting, add to a container with an airtight lid; it should be good in the fridge about two weeks if kept cold. Bring to room temp and stir well before topping cupcakes.
- Note about the decoration on the cupcakes shown: The frosting pattern uses a petal or ruffle tip to achieve this look. Standard is a #104 Petal Tip (shown) or larger is #125 Petal Tip for wider, more dramatic ribbons.
Notes
Nutrition
The bottom line
These are one of my favorite chocolate cupcakes recipes — they are versatile and wholesome (not healthy, I didn’t say healthy), and you can use this recipe as a base for our Flower Cupcakes, Monster Cupcakes, and Campfire Cupcakes, too (coming soon). Want a full cake instead? Try our easy chocolate snack cake instead.
