Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Three chocolate cupcakes lined up side by side on against a white background.

Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

This chocolate cupcake recipe is absolute perfection! What you get is a light and moist cupcake that's loaded with chocolate flavor. These cupcakes are perfect for dessert and/or birthdays!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 18

Total Time 23

Servings cupcakes

Calories 162kcal

Author Whitney Wright

Equipment

cupcake pan

Ingredients

1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup brown sugar packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl whisk the cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute or until thoroughly combined.
With the mixer on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients with the buttermilk starting and ending with the dry ingredients. (Dry, buttermilk, dry, buttermilk, dry). Don't overmix.
Line a regular sized muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill the liners half full. If you fill them over halfway, they will spill over! Don't do it. Only fill half full.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frost with chocolate buttercream frosting.

Notes

I frosted my chocolate cupcakes with this chocolate buttercream frosting recipe.

Use room temperature wet ingredients.

Make Ahead, Storing and Freezing:

You can store unfrosted cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Once the cupcakes have been frosted store them in an airtight container in the fridge.

Refrigerated cupcakes will last for up to 1 week.

To freeze cupcakes, once completely cooled, flash freeze the cupcakes on a baking sheet in the freezer until solid (about 10 minutes) then wrap the cupcakes individually in plastic wrap (if unfrosted) and store in an airtight container or Ziplock bag. Frozen chocolate cupcakes will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.Remove from the freezer and let thaw overnight in the fridge, then unwrap, frost and serve!

Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction.

Nutrition