Chocolate Cupcakes
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Rich, moist, and deeply chocolatey, these classic chocolate cupcakes are easy to make and perfect for birthdays, bake sales, and everyday treats.
Many years ago, before Once Upon a Chef existed, I started a small baking business specializing in cakes and cupcakes. That experience sparked my love of recipe development and ultimately inspired me to create this website. This chocolate cupcake recipe is a delicious holdover from those early days—the cupcake version of my favorite chocolate cake—and I’ve been making them ever since.
The recipe is wonderfully simple: it’s made in one bowl, and the cupcakes bake up ultra-moist with a rich chocolate flavor and tender crumb. I love to frost them with rich chocolate buttercream, but vanilla buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting are delicious too.
“Delicious!!! So perfect for the chocolate lover in me!”
What You’ll Need For this Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
For the cupcakes, you’ll need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix on low for 30 seconds.
Pro Tip: Make sure to stick with natural cocoa powder—natural cocoa powder isn’t interchangeable with Dutch-process cocoa powder due to differences in acidity.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients. Add the eggs, oil, and sour cream, and mix on low speed until combined.
Step 2: Beat the batter. Increase the speed to medium and beat the batter for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Add the hot water. Reduce the speed to low and gradually pour in the hot water—go slowly so it doesn’t splash. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and mix until evenly combined.
Pro tip: The hot water blooms the cocoa powder, which deepens the chocolate flavor significantly. The soupy batter is completely normal, so don’t worry if it looks thinner than you’d expect.
Step 4: Bake and cool. Divide the batter evenly into the cupcake liners and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Step 5: Frost the cupcakes. Once the cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula or butter knife to swirl the frosting on top. The cupcakes can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Freeze (without the frosting) for longer storage.
More Cake and Cupcake Recipes You May Like
Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup boiling water
- Chocolate frosting
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set two oven racks in the middle positions. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners, using two standard 12-cup muffin pans.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds to combine. Add the eggs, oil, sour cream, and vanilla and mix on low speed until combined.
- Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Then, reduce the speed to low and gradually pour in the hot water (be careful to pour very slowly so it doesn’t splash). The batter will be soupy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl; mix again until evenly combined.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin (they should be about halfway full). Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes in the tin for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.
Notes
- I like frosting these cupcakes with chocolate buttercream, but vanilla buttercream frosting, or cream cheese frosting are delicious too.
- Nutritional information is for the cupcakes only.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The cupcakes can be made up to one day ahead of time and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They can also be frozen without the frosting for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and then in foil. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving. (Wait until the cupcakes are defrosted to ice them.)
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made these for my daughter’s teacher’s birthday and everyone loved them! My daughter and I happen to NEVER like frosting and this one is actually delicious. I plan to try a slightly healthier version. Will report back 🙂
I want to infuse the cupcakes with Old Bay. It sounds weird, I know, but the combo works. How much Old Bay would you recommend I add to the batter? I will be frosting the cupcakes with salted caramel buttercream and topping with a choc. dipped Old Bay potato chip. Thanks for all of your great recipes!!
That does sound unusual! I’d suggest anywhere between 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (and I’d omit the 3/4 teaspoon of added salt). I’d love to hear how they turn out!
I ended up adding a heaping teaspoon and took your advice to omit the salt. They turned out fantastic!
So glad they came out well — thanks for taking the time to report back!
If I’m reading correctly, these cupcakes can be left out at room temp with frosting on for two days? Correct? Thanks!
Correct!
Can butter be used for the cupcakes instead of oil and if not, why?
Sure, (melted) butter can be used here. Enjoy!
My comment is actually a question— I’d like to bake these using mini muffin tins rather than regular sized cupcake tins. Will that work and how should the baking time be adjusted. Many thanks for your wonderful recipes and your responsiveness to questions.
MP W
Yes, you can definitely make these as mini cupcakes. I’d start checking them at about 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Jenn,
Can you suggest baking times for jumbo cupcakes? I own your cookbooks and all your recipes are fantastic!
Hi Sandy, Thanks for your support of the cookbooks! I’d add about 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time in the recipe (but I’d check them after 5 extra minutes). You’ll know they’re done when you insert a toothpick/cake tester in the middle and it comes out clean. Hope you enjoy!
Can this frosting be piped?
Unfortunately, it’s not thick enough to be piped — sorry!
mine was verry thick how could i fix it?
Hi Alice, this frosting doesn’t have a very thick texture. Is there a chance you mis-measured something? Unfortunately there’s not an easy way to fix it. I’m sorry!
My son wants chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting for his birthday party. Can you recommend a good vanilla frosting recipe to go with these cupcakes?
Hi Amy, this frosting would work well. Happy birthday to your son!
Made this today for my grandsons birthday tomorrow and I haven’t tasted the cake part yet but the Icing!! OMG!! I can only guess all will be delicious 👍
Do you think I’ll be able to swap dark corn syrup for light corn syrup? Are they interchangeable or will I need to make any adjustments?
Hi Shoba, I wouldn’t recommend dark corn syrup here — sorry!