Simply Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes
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Scratch-made chocolate cupcakes that are moist, deeply chocolatey, and so easy to make! These cupcakes have a slightly domed top and a fluffy texture, but are sturdy enough to stand up to your favorite buttercream.
*This post originally published on August 13, 2013. I thought it was about time the pics were updated. So, many of the photos you see here now are new and improved. And I added a video! Everything else is exactly the same as it ever was! Hopefully you'll enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do.*
After settling on my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe, I knew it would be a tough act to follow with chocolate. Those cupcakes are so outstanding, and were so easy to make, they made me realize that my usual chocolate cupcake recipe was maybe a little lacking!
In the past, I've always relied upon the Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa Can. I've been making it for decades! As a matter of fact, it was probably the first from-scratch cake I ever baked.
It tastes pretty fabulous, especially as a layer cake topped with their Perfectly Chocolate Frosting. But as cupcakes, I've found it to be a little too delicate to stand up to the generous pile of frosting that I prefer to top them with (evil).
Not to mention the batter is extremely runny. When filling well after well of a cupcake tin, this recipe's proven to be a bit of a drippy mess.
So I went into this challenge with some pretty specific ideas about what I wanted:
- A sturdy enough cupcake to stand up to a generous pile of frosting.
- A thicker batter that's easier to portion out without dribbling everywhere.
- A moist texture.
- A nicely domed top.
- A deeply chocolatey flavor.
That last requirement is achieved in rather a counter-intuitive way. I prefer a chocolate cake that doesn't actually contain any chocolate. I know! Sounds crazy, but if you think about what exactly it is that constitutes "chocolate," it makes perfect sense. Chocolate, in bar form, is made up of cocoa butter, milk, emulsifiers, vanilla, sugar, and cocoa solids. The cocoa solids are what flavor the chocolate. And all of those other ingredients are already in a cake recipe, in one form or another. All we are really after is the chocolate taste, and that is distilled (or rather, dried, roasted, and ground) down to its essence in the form of cocoa powder. I suggest using the highest quality cocoa powder you can get your hands on. For the most chocolatey flavor of all, use pure, unsweetened cocoa powder.
Also I am a lazy baker and I prefer not to have to chop and melt chocolate, and dirty all those dishes. (Real talk.)
I looked at a crap-ton of chocolate cupcake recipes, and while they all sounded super fabulous, none of them really met all of my criteria. So, I've gone out on a limb and developed my own recipe. That's right, this one's all me, baby. I was a little nervous tasting it for the first time, but I have to say, it's pretty terrific! And my taste-testers all agreed. (I tested it out on around 40 of my closest friends :))
You are going to love how quick and easy this recipe is! Only one dirty bowl when it's all said and done, and the shortest list of ingredients I've seen in my extensive chocolate cupcake recipe research. 😉
The method is a little bit unusual. Like most other cake recipes on this site, it utilizes the reverse-creaming method. I love it because it's no-muss, no-fuss! Easy peasy.
Throw all the dry ingredients (including the sugar) into the mixing bowl and give them a little stir to combine them. Then add the butter in, all at once.
Mix it on low until it resembles damp sand. Then just crack in your eggs, a splash of vanilla, and a few dollops of Greek yogurt (Sour cream or buttermilk work really well too!) The natural acidity helps to activate the baking powder and make the cake super fluffy.
The batter is so nice and thick! But you'll notice, it's fluffy like a mousse. Fluffy batter = fluffy cupcake. 😉
I love to use an ice cream scoop to portion out the batter. It helps to ensure an even measure in each cup, and it's also mess-free. Great investment!
I'm sure I'm not the only one who loves to dip a finger in the cake batter and give it a taste, right? Well, when you do, you'll know how good these cupcakes are going to taste! Soooooo chocolatey, almost like a brownie! All that cocoa powder gives these cupcakes such an incredibly rich, deep flavor!
The addition of cake flour keeps the texture fluffy and light, but the all purpose flour gives them enough structure to be durable. My Simply Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes are light and fluffy without being overly delicate or wimpy. Go ahead and pile that frosting on, these cupcakes won't buckle under the pressure!
Simply Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes will pair well with just about any kind of frosting you can imagine, but my hands-down favorite has to be Swiss Meringue Buttercream. The vanilla version is here, and the chocolate version is here. Both are just heavenly!
For the cupcakes you see in the newer pics here, I used my favorite Easy Chocolate Frosting recipe. This one whips up in a heartbeat! And I've used Whipped Cream Frosting on them many times too- it's so light and fluffy! A perfect balance to all that rich chocolate.
I like to top them with a pinch of this India Tree Chocolate Vermicelli. It looks like just regular chocolate jimmies, but the flavor is more like real chocolate shavings. It's the little details...!
I'm sure I'll be dreaming up all sorts of incredible ways to top these cupcakes over the coming months, but for now, I just wanted to share the base. It's part of a recurring series on Baking a Moment called "Simply Perfect," where I share my favorite recipes for basic "building block" baked good recipes. Many of these recipes are tried and true, that I've made over and over again, through the years, tested on my friends and family, and deemed to be the best. Check out the whole series here: Simply Perfect Recipes.
And be sure to check out this recipe for the layer cake version!
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (62.5 g) cake flour
- 1 cup (86 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, , softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (200 g) Greek yogurt, (sour cream or buttermilk* may be substituted)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the sugar, all-purpose flour, cake flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Mix in the butter on low speed, until the mixture resembles moist crumbs.
- Stir in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition. Add the Greek yogurt and vanilla, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure all the ingredients are well-combined. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 1 ½ minutes, to aerate the batter and build the cake’s structure.
- Fill lined cupcake wells just over half full (approx. ¼ cup of batter).
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Notes
- Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Easy Chocolate Frosting
- Whipped Cream Frosting
Click here for the vanilla version of this cupcake recipe: Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes.
Click here for the vanilla layer cake recipe: Perfect Vanilla Cake Recipe.
OMG!! I just made these and they are so good!!! Thank you for making my Thanksgiving Awesome!!
🙂
Yay! I'm so happy you enjoyed, Heather! Thank you so much for letting me know. Happy Holidays!
I just baked these and, seriously, they are so delicious! The batter alone was enough to make me crazy, but the cupcakes themselves are fantastic! Working on some icing now… my hubby is going to be so happy!! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe
Yay!!! I'm so happy you like the cupcakes, Kassie! I have made them soooo many times since I posted this over the summer, and I'm still crazy about them! Aren't they so easy to make? And chocolatey? I hope your hubby enjoyed too! Thanks for reading, and for the sweet comment!
I opted for a dark chocolate cupcake and a chocolate/cinnamon icing. My husband loved them and even snuck one before dinner! He couldn't resist. Thanks again.
My pleasure, Kassie, and I'm so happy you and your hubby liked 🙂
Hey! Your pics look too good, and my mouth is watering! I am planning to try these cupcakes out tomorrow for a tea party sprinkle. 🙂 But, I just wanted to make 12. I'm assuming I'll be ok if, I just divide the batter by half as the yield is about 24 cupcakes? I should add I am skipping cake flour and only using all purpose flour. Hope you reply soon 🙂
Hi Naina! I hope I'm getting to you in time! Sorry for the delay. I think you should be fine! I often halve the recipe and it always comes out beautifully. I think you'll be ok with all-purpose flour as well. The cake flour helps them to be a little lighter but I would think they'd still come out pretty good with all-purpose. Let me know, ok? I'm curious to hear how you like them. Good luck!
hi! i tried baking this tonight but instead as a cupcake, i baked it in a 2 9 inch round pan, and it turned out perfectly beautiful. i was even able to level it using your tips of wrapping it around with a towel. i've been baking and i always have this dome shape cake, but thanks to you, now it will never be a problem anymore.
i also baked a few into a mini cupcake so i can taste it. 🙂 and it was so delicious. i was really happy with the outcome, having few mixing bowls and to top it all no melting of chocolates. it left me with a little mess.
tomorrow i will be making your swiss meringue buttercream icing for the frosting. i'm so excited.
Oh yay! I'm so happy it worked out so well for you! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know 🙂 And thank you for reading my blog, Ai! <3
Lol, you had me at 'crap-ton'!
I've been searching high and low for the perfect chocolate cupcake recipe, most have been either too dry, too muddy, or simply not chocolatey enough. I'm going to try these this weekend, substituting the yoghurt for full fat sour cream.
If they work, these babies are destined to be filled with liquered cherries and topped with vanilla buttercream for a truly decadent 'black forest cupcake'.
Oh my gosh, Jess, I think we may have been separated at birth, lol! That is one of my absolute FAVORITE flavor combinations! I adore chocolate and cherries together. Sounds fabulous!
I hope you enjoy this recipe! I really love how rich the chocolate flavor is. Good luck and thanks so much for reading!
These turned out amazing! The sour cream as a substitute worked well, I couldn't believe how light they were, but moist and beautifully chocolatey at the same time. This recipe is very worthy of 'the book' and made a perfect Black Forest ish treat!
Thank you!
P.s mine turned out a bit crunchy on the tops as well, but all my cupcakes do, I think it has something to do with electric cooking....
Oh yay! I'm so glad to hear that you liked them! And good to know that about electric cooking + crunchy tops. I've had quite a few readers question me about crunchy tops and I had no idea what to tell them. Now I know! Thank you so much, Jess!
Hi, Does self-raising flour do the same thing as the cake flour?
Hi Elaine! And no, I'm sorry but self-raising flour is not the same thing as cake flour. Self-raising flour is basically all-purpose flour with leavening agents added (such as baking powder and baking soda). Cake flour is a very finely milled flour made from a hard, winter wheat that is very low in natural glutens. It provides a lighter texture and a finer crumb in cakes. I can usually find it pretty easily in the regular supermarket, right in the flour section (look for Swan's Down or Softasilk brands), but if you have any trouble I've linked to a mail order source within the recipe card. Good luck, I hope you enjoy the cupcakes, and thank you so much for reading! And for the excellent question! 🙂
Hello! These cupcakes are AMAZING! I made 2 batches tonight for my fathers birthday with a white chocolate buttercreme and he's asking for more already! Thanks for the great recipe, this is just what I was looking for; sweet, moist & chocolatey
Oh, that's so great, Bree! I'm so happy you like the recipe so much. It's my favorite for sure. Thanks so much for taking a minute from your day to let me know. You've put a smile on my face! Thanks for reading and I hope to see you here again 🙂
Hi, I wanted to say thanks for sharing your lovely recipe. I made (2 batches) of your chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting (with chocolate lego people on top) for my 6 year old to take to school for his birthday and they were a complete hit. A couple of people have asked for the recipe. Foolproof, easy recipe that tastes divine and is appealing to all ages.
Thanks so much
Yay! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how you liked the recipe. I SO appreciate your sweet comment, and I'm so happy everyone liked the cupcakes so much! And thank you for sharing! <3 <3 <3
Hi I'm Irish and I would like to ask if the greek yogurt is important or is it optional?:)
Hi Irish! That's a great question. I think any kind of dairy would probably work well, so if you don't want to use greek yogurt, you could probably substitute milk, buttermilk, sour cream, or regular plain (unsweetened) yogurt. I like the greek yogurt because it's so thick, and when I was developing the recipe, I was really trying for a thicker batter. If you decide to try it with a substitution, I'd love to hear about the results! Thanks so much for reading, and enjoy what's left of your weekend, k? 😉
Hi allie i was wondering what alternative i can use for the greek yogurt, we dont have one from our local stores. And is if really necessary?
Hey there Poldi! It is necessary that you use something, but it does not have to be Greek yogurt. I've found that sour cream is an excellent substitute. And I haven't tried it myself yet, but I think buttermilk would probably work well too. Any kind of dairy with a hint of tanginess (to help activate the baking powder) should work well. I hope that's helpful!
Thanks for replying so fast allie! You see im from a small town/province in the philipines so our supplies are really limited. We dont have sour cream and ready butter milk. What can i use as substitute? Im hoping to make them this week and if it turns out lovely ill have this as my go to recipe for events. And that swiss buttercream looks gorgeous cant wait to try that one too. Im not really good at makig icing it ends up so soft and doesnt stay in shape when i frost it. I hope i can nail this one though! Thanks again!
I completely understand Poldi! You can make your own buttermilk by adding a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to milk. Let it stand for 5 minutes and it should thicken up a bit and look almost curdled. As for the buttercream, temperature is important! If it seems too runny just pop it in the fridge for 10 to 20 minutes and then re-whip. Once it's stiff it should be really stable. Good luck and have fun!
The recipe says COLD butter but the directions say softened butter. Which one?? I'm making these tomorrow for my daughters b-day. Thanks!
Hi Sara! I've come to prefer cold butter in this recipe. I was initially using soft, and then found that cold works better. I updated the recipe but missed that within the post. Thanks for letting me know. Hope you enjoy the cupcakes, and happy birthday to your daughter!
Wow! Perfect melt-in-your-mouth cupcakes. And the batter Is perfect to bake little surprises Inside, such as a peanut butter cup. It didn't sink to the bottom; it remained perfectly placer in the middle!
Oh my gosh, Julie! I am so happy and relieved to hear that they worked out for you! Is it weird that I was seriously on pins and needles over it??? Maybe I need to get a life, lol! Anyway, I'm so happy you enjoyed and I hope they make your birthday party a big success! Yay! Thanks for reading my blog and for keeping me in the loop... 😀 😀 😀
Ok, so by now you've either decided that I'm a complete lunatic, or figured out that I had you mixed up with another commenter...! Gah! I thought you were somebody else... Would you believe that another reader left me a comment yesterday and told me she would be making my cupcake recipe this weekend, for a birthday party? With peanut butter cups??? Crazy coincidence. Sorry for the mixup, but I am still really happy that they came out so well for you!
Hi,
Does the butter have to be softened but cool or directly cold from the fridge? Thanks 🙂
Hi again, Kris! For the cupcakes, I find that it works best if the butter is cold, and cut into small cubes. Just mix it on low speed, until it looks like moist crumbs. Don't overdo it or you'll have cookie dough! But the pieces should be pretty small, like the size of breadcrumbs. I love this method, it's such a great shortcut for rushed bakers, who don't want to wait hours and hours for butter to soften! I hope you like it as much as I do! Thanks for reading my blog, and for reaching out with an excellent question! 😉
Hey there 🙂 yr recipe sounds great ! I would love to try making them, but what can I do if I want to make about 12 cupcakes only ?
Hi, it's me again. I'm just wondering what's the volume of the cup size and if the chocolate powder I'm using is sweetened, do I substitute any ingredients ? Do u recommend using dark chocolate powder or normal chocolate power 🙂 ? Btw, I'm reading this in Malaysia and that's probably why the time difference is alittle started there ...
Hi again, Rachel! Actually, I would not recommend using chocolate powder for this. The recipe was developed with "unsweetened cocoa powder," which is sometimes also called "natural cocoa powder." Not "dutch-processed cocoa," "alkalyzed cocoa," "hot chocolate mix," or "chocolate powder." If you are having difficulty sourcing it in Malaysia, try clicking this link to have it shipped to you: http://astore.amazon.com/yinmomyangmom-20/detail/B0027IM402. As for the cup to metric conversion, I hope you will find this chart to be useful: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/master-weight-chart.html. Good luck with the cupcakes, I hope you enjoy them! And thanks so much for reaching out with some really excellent questions 😉
Hi Rachel! Thanks for reading my blog. This recipe halves beautifully!
Hi allie! How do i store these gorgeous cupcakes? Can i leave them at room temperature covered in an airtight container with or without frosting or its better if i put them in the fridge?
Hey Poldi! If it's more than a day or two, it's probably best to refrigerate them. Enjoy!
Hi Allie - just wondering if you have recovered from your huge batch of choc cupcakes to test run the cake version yet? Great site and recipe's - will be whipping up your swiss choc buttercream in my kitchen in Australia this weekend! X
Hi there Anna! I'm so sorry for the delayed response- I've been out of town for several days and I'm just now catching up!
I have not had a chance to work out a layer cake version of this recipe, but I do hope to get on to that soon! In the meantime, have you ever tried the Hershey's recipe? I made it here: https://bakingamoment.com/tips-for-making-an-ordinary-cake-extra-special/, and several other times besides, and it never fails! The batter is a bit runny, but the cake comes out so moist and chocolatey. I usually substitute a higher quality cocoa powder (http://astore.amazon.com/yinmomyangmom-20/detail/B0027IM402), so delish!
Also, I thought maybe you'd find this chart to be useful: http://www.wilton.com/cakes/making-cakes/baking-party-cake-2-inch-pans.cfm. When I do get around to developing the layer cake recipe, this will likely be my starting point. Just at a glance, I'm seeing that (2) 8-inch layers require 7 cups of batter, and since my recipe yields 2 1/2 dozen 1/4-cup cupcakes, that works out to about 7 cups of batter. If you're up for giving it a try, I'd love to hear how it works out for you!
Thanks so much for reading, Anna, and I'll do my best to get you that layer cake recipe soon!
does it really make a difference with cake flour? Ive never used before and wondered if i could use all all purpose flour?
Hi Brianna! I do think that cake flour makes a difference. It's got a lower gluten content, so the cake ends up being more tender and less chewy. I love the lighter texture I get when I sub in cake flour. It costs around $3 or $4 and it's easy to find in a regular supermarket. Or, you can purchase it through my shop. Just click the link within the recipe card. You can give it a try with all-purpose, and I'm sure it wouldn't be terrible, but I do think the cake flour helps give a lighter, fluffier texture. Let me know how it all works out, ok? And thanks for reading! 🙂
Hi Allie,
I've bookmarked this page and I will definitely try your recipe after grabbing some Greek yogurt from the grocery store =)
I got a question though. When you add the wet ingredients, do you mix them together first or add them one after one and then stir by a spatula? Or do you fold them in?
Thanks again for sharing your recipe. Happy baking!
Elaine
Hi Elaine! I just kinda threw it all in to my stand mixer and let it go. I don't think it would make much difference at all if you mixed them together first or not. And I don't think you need to handle it too gently with the folding. Like I said, I just threw everything in and turned it on, mixed until everything was well blended. I love the way they come out and I hope you do too! Thanks so much for reading and bookmarking! Hope to see you here again 🙂
I finally got my Greek yoghurt and tried your recipe so i thought i'd like to give you a report. It was so good! I only had 35g of all purpose left in my kitchen so I made half of the recipe and used cake flour for the rest of the flour called for. The batter gave me 9 cupcakes as I filled them 2/3 full so I baked them for 18 minutes. I really loved them! The top was slightly crunchy and the cupcake had intense chocolate flavor. Three were gone right away (no frosting yet) as my niece came over to play with my daughter. I gave the rest to my sister and I decided to make them again right away even though I only got cake flour. However, I think I kinda over mix the butter and dry ingredirnts though as they started turning into dough-like. This time I got 10 cupcakes and baked them for 15 mins. With all cake flour the texture was very tender and flakey/crumby. The shape was less domed and cake was more moist and flat (maybe because I baked 3 mins less). I love the texture of the first batch more. After I buy all purpose flour I will try your recipe again and see what the texture is like.
So did I really over mix my batter in my second batch? Is the top suppose to be hard and crunchy (baked for 18mins) or soft and moist (baked for 15 mins)?
Thanks Allie for sharing this wonderful recipe! The aftertaste from my newly purchased Ghirardelli cocoa powder is still in my mouth…yum yum yum!
Elaine
Hi Elaine! I'm so happy you liked the chocolate cupcakes! I've made them numerous times since publishing that post, and I just love them!
I also had one incident where I over mixed the butter + dry. It started to look almost like cookie dough. But I continued on and the cupcakes came out ok. (Not crunchy though. I'm not sure why yours were crunchy...???) But I'm so glad that you mentioned that to me, because I think I should go back and edit the recipe. I was doing some research over the weekend and now I'm thinking the butter should be cold. I think that would prevent the over-mixing.
Again, I'm not sure why yours came out crunchy on top. Mine have not done that, they've always been soft and moist. But I'm so happy that you liked the flavor (isn't that Ghirardelli cocoa powder great?), and thank you so much for the report! And thanks for reading too! <3
Hi Allie,
I made 15 dozens of full sized and mini cupcakes for a gathering last weekend and your recipe was one of my choices.
The cupcakes turned out great when I made them mini sized. Baking time was about 10 to 12 minutes. I also added espresso powder to my second batch to turn them into "simply perfect mocha cupcakes"…they were just delicious! The toppings I used were chocolate and espresso SMBC. Everyone loved them!
The other cupcakes were red velvet and lemon…just to let you know =)
Please keep up your simply perfect series!
That's great, Elaine! I'm so glad you liked them, your flavors sound amazing! I also prefer a slightly less sweet cupcake, I think the frosting is often sweet enough and I like the cake to balance that. It's good to know that can be done to this recipe without any problems! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
I forgot to mention that I reduced the sugar to about 1 1/4 cup. I always do this when I make American cupcakes to suit my personal taste. The amount of sugar in weight I use is usually the total weight of flour (and other dry ingredients) less 10%.