These truly are the best chocolate cupcakes you'll ever make. A balanced combination of granulated and light brown sugar, along with buttermilk and oil, creates a soft, fluffy crumb. At the same time, unsweetened natural cocoa powder delivers a rich, intense chocolate flavor. They're so perfectly moist and flavorful that frosting becomes completely optional.
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Why you'll love this recipe?
- A crowd-pleaser for everyone: These cupcakes are so rich, soft, and flavorful that even non-chocolate lovers will fall in love with them.
- Incredibly moist and light: Thanks to the perfect balance of oil, buttermilk, and light brown sugar, every bite is tender, fluffy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and no frosting is required!
- Simple ingredients, amazing results: Vegetable oil, light brown sugar, and buttermilk combine to create the ultimate soft, moist crumb with deep cocoa flavor.
- Perfect for parties and gatherings: It's great for birthdays, celebrations, or potlucks, and be ready to get rave reviews, and they do disappear fast!
- Beginner-friendly recipe: With easy steps and foolproof results, this recipe is ideal for first-time bakers and experienced ones alike.
Ingredients needed
- Dry Ingredients
- All-purpose flour organic
- Cocoa powder, unsweetened natural
- Baking powder, Baking soda
- Salt, Sugar granulated, Sugar light brown
- Wet Ingredients
- Eggs at room temperature
- Vegetable or canola oil
- Vanilla extract
- Buttermilk at room temperature
How to make the best chocolate cupcakes?
Whisk all the dry ingredients. Beat all the wet ingredients except the buttermilk.
- Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients and keep them aside.
- Step 2: Take all the wet ingredients except the buttermilk and beat them using a stand mixer or a spatula.
In two additions, fold half of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk into the wet mixture. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, mixing gently until everything is just combined. Do not overmix.
- Step 3: Add the whisked dry ingredients and buttermilk in two additions, combine, and fold in gently.
- Step 4: Batter is ready to be transferred to the cupcake tray filled with liners.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 18 to 21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Step 5: Fill the batter only three-fourth way up.
- Step 6: Bake for 18 to 21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Step 7: Take the cupcake tray out to cool.
- Step 8: Once cooled, transfer to a cooling rack
Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost them with any frosting of your choice.
If you loved this cupcake, you may also love eggless chocolate cupcake, red velvet cupcake with cream cheese, white vanilla cupcakes, and Vanilla cupcake with cream cheese frosting. If you prefer muffins, do check easy banana nut muffins, bakery-style blueberry muffins, or cranberry muffins bakery-style.
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If you tried this Best Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and a 📝 comment below. I love hearing from you!
Best Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For Cupcake
Dry Ingredients
- ¾ cup All purpose flour organic
- ½ cup cocoa powder unsweetened natural
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup sugar granulated
- ½ cup sugar light brown
- ⅓ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk at room temperature
For Chocolate Cream Frosting
- ½ cup butter organic unsalted
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup milk
- 3 cups sugar powdered
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- ¼ tsp salt
For Butter Cream frosting
- 1 cup butter unsalted
- 3 tbsp whipping cream heavy
- 2 cups sugar powdered (confectioners)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tube food coloring
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg F.
- Line the cupcake liners in a muffin tray.
- Combine all the dry ingredients in one bowl.
- Beat the wet ingredients except the buttermilk in another bowl using a mixer or using a spatula until it is well combined.
- Add half the dry ingredients and half the buttermilk into the bowl with the wet ingredients and fold in using a spatula gently.
- Next add the other half of the dry ingredient contents and buttermilk and combine well.
- Bake for about 18 to 21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes and later on a cooling rack until cooled.
- Frost it with butter cream or chocolate cream frosting and serve with sliced strawberries or ice cream!
For Chocolate Cream Frosting
- Melt the butter .
- To this add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth using a hand-held mixer.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar .
- Alternate with milk and beat until light and fluffy.
- Stir in Vanilla and salt.
For Butter Cream frosting
- Add butter into a stand mixer with paddle attachment and beat for a minute
- Add sugar that has been sifted in batches and beat well.
- Add in cream, vanilla, and salt and continue beating until smooth and fluffy.
- Add in more cream or milk to even out and make it smooth.
- Add food coloring or be creative and add any other flavorings like orange or lemon zest, Oreos, or fruit juice of your choice.
Nutrition
I made these chocolate cupcakes, and they’re incredible! So rich, moist, and easy to bake!
This chocolate cupcake is so moist and so delicious I am going to make it again for son's brithday.
These chocolate cupcakes are delicious! I mean...how can anyone not like chocolate! And so easy to prepare. Loved how quick they came together.
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
The cupcakes look perfect !! Beautiful clicks Nisha 👌
Thank you so much dear for the wonderful comment!
Wow, these are looking so adorable, so moist and delicious. Love loved it !!
Yes they came out very moist and tasty .Appreciate your comments. Thanks again!
😍😍😍😍😍😍
Thank you so much!
My pleasure!