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.
Love this recipe! Rich, chocolate flavor and easy to make. I love that you use butter in this, instead of oil. I substituted silken tofu for the yogurt and they turned out amazing.
Thanks for posting.
Oh that's so great to know! I have readers ask all the time what they can substitute for the Greek yogurt, so thanks so much for letting me know that silken tofu works so well. I'll be sure to pass that along! I'm so happy you liked the recipe, Renee, and thanks so much for taking the time to tell me so! 😀
Hi Allie! I am searching for a good recipe for chocolate cupcakes! Im glad I saw this site.. and I am excited to try it. But I only have Hershey's cocoa powder and dutche processed cocoa powder Im not sure if I can get the same chocolatey taste what do you think? Thank you
Hey Mary! Thanks for the great question! I've actually used Hershey's cocoa plenty of times in this recipe, and it works great. My preference is for Ghirardelli, just because I feel like the flavor is a bit richer, but I don't think you'll be disappointed in the result either way. I've never actually tried it with a dutch processed cocoa, but if you feel like giving it a try I'd love to hear about the results! Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
Hi Allie! I already tried your recipe and it turn out well with Hershey's, I dont have cake flour on hand, I tried to use allpurpose flour instead and I got the moist and chocolatey taste. But my concern was.. the taste is good but the top was crunchy and i cracks! I didn't get the same moist perfectly doomed like yours in the picture.. any suggetions please?
Hm. Tough to really say for sure but maybe the ingredient substitutions had something to do with it? Sorry you didn't get the result you were hoping for, Mary!
Hi Allie! I forgot to ask what is the icing tip# that u used on your frosting seen on the picture.. its nice. Thanks
It's by Wilton, it's 1M. Thanks so much for the sweet compliments!
sour cream and yogurt is too expensive here so can i substitute the yogurt with milk or buttermilk? if ever, should i change the measurements or just use a cup? please reply. i really want to make this later or tommorow :)))
Hi Mary Rose! Hopefully I'm getting to your question soon enough! I haven't tried subbing milk in this particular recipe- but it's worth a try! I don't think you would need to change any of the measurements though. The only concern I might have is if you'd get the same amount of "rise," without the acidity from the yogurt. Another good substitution would be buttermilk, if that happens to be more readily available to you. But I'm thinking there's a good chance that milk would work ok too. If you try it, I'd love to hear about the result! Thanks so much for reading, Mary Rose, and for the great question!
hello Allie! 😀 i know this is a little late but anyway, better late than never! 🙂 so here's the outcome of substituting BUTTERMILK with the yogurt...*drums beating*. PERFECT!! haha. i used a cup of buttermilk so the consistency is a bit thinner than yours but it is a lot thicker and better than my previous go-to-recipe.i used buttermilk because the acid i think will react to the baking soda. the texture is light and it is perfectly moist enough for me (i dont like too moist cakes. it makes the cake gooey) and the taste is soooo good. its not too sweet, way better than other recipes i tried. and next time i will make this, which is tommorrow, i will add coffee to the buttermilk for enhancement 😀 but overall. it is just SIMPLY PERFECTO! thanks a bunch! this is the best chocolate cake recipe so far! all the ingredients are just in our pantry! but it is sooo
good!
oh i almost forgot! my cupcakes had a perfect dome in the oven but when i took it out of the oven to check if its done, my cupcakes suddenly sank. actually they didnt really sank,they are just deflated. any suggestions? this problem happens to me a lot 🙁
Mine always sink a little bit too, but they still usually have somewhat of a dome. Were yours still a little domed, or did they go concave on you? Maybe try upping the oven temp and decreasing the bake time. Lmk if that helps!
That's such great news, Mary Rose! I'm so happy to hear you like the recipe as much as I do. Smart thinking using buttermilk- I'm sure you're right about the acid. Thanks so much for the terrific feedback. Hope you enjoy the coffee version too!
Hi Allie, I am so excited to bake this tomorrow as Amazon just delivered me my ice cream scoop! 🙂
Question, have you tried freezing them? And would it be advisable to freeze them frosted or unfrosted? I have heard of bakeries freezing frosted cupcakes and just thaw them before selling. I am planning on using swiss buttercream.
Hi Grace! I have absolutely frozen these cupcakes and they hold up beautifully! But I've never actually tried freezing them frosted. If I need to make them ahead, I usually freeze them "naked," and freeze the buttercream in an airtight container. Then, on the night before I plan to serve them, I set it all out at room temp, and fluff the frosting up in the mixer before piping it on. It works great! (I always do Swiss Meringue Buttercream too.) Thanks for the great question, and have fun with your new ice cream scoop! 😀
Oh Allie, I just baked them and you are so right! They are firm without being dense and moist without being gooey, basically perfect! I like that they are not too sweet so they will go well with frosting. Mine took 17 minutes to bake. This is my go to chocolate cupcake recipe now. Thank you for creating this recipe! And oh yeah, I love the batter consistency too, so easy with the scoop. I hate scooping watery batter. 🙂
Me too Grace! I'm so happy you love this recipe as much as I do!!! It is probably my favorite thing on this entire blog. Yay!!! We have very similar taste in cupcakes 😉 Thank you so much for taking the time to let me, and the other readers, about your experience with this recipe. Enjoy! <3
Allie, me again. Just wondering, can I whip this up by hand? My free time to bake is mostly when the little one naps. Will it affect the texture?
Hi again Grace! You could certainly try, but it might be tough to get the butter into the flour/sugar mixture. You know you want the flour and butter to be well incorporated. If you've got big biceps then definitely go for it! 😛
Hi Allie, I'm wanting to try making your swiss chocolate meringue frosting however I have to make the cake and frosting a day before my daughters birthday would I store this in the fridge and would it be ok for the next day?
Thanks
Hi Jess! Both the cupcakes and the frosting keep really well. I actually find that the cupcakes get even more moist overnight. For the frosting, if it's only one day ahead you can absolutely pipe it on and keep everything in the fridge. For anything more than a couple days, I'd say keep the frosting in an airtight container, and then fluff it up again with the mixer before piping in on. It tends to get a little hard in the fridge so you may want to let it warm up on the counter for a bit first. Hope that helps, and happy birthday to your daughter!
can i sub half the butter with oil
I've never tried it that way, so I couldn't really make any promises about the results. If you decide to give it a try though, I'd love to hear about the results! Good luck, Alena!
can i sub half the butter with oil?
I've never tried it that way, so I couldn't really make any promises about the results. If you decide to give it a try though, I'd love to hear about the results! Good luck, Dana!
These cupcakes just don't make sence
Lol! Thanks for reading, Isa! 😀
my batter had tons of little pieces throughout (that looked almost like chocolate chips but were in fact the little crumbs of butter with dry ingredients)... which created weird pockets in the cupcakes (which were in fact VERY easy to make -- awesome! -- and tasted very good) and hence the cupcakes didn't look great and when I bit in there were little air pockets too...
did I just not beat enough after I added the wet ingredients?? I was afraid to overbeat the flour... my butter was very very room temperature and soft... what do you think went wrong??
the butter -dry ingredients part looked like your photos exactly but then when I added the liquid ingredients, like I said, the butter never completely smoothed out.
delicious and UNBELIEVABLY easy but I want them to look better as I make them for events.
they will be a LIFE SAVER if they work for me as they are easy and delish.
thanks so much.
Hey Raquel! Thanks so much for trying one of my favorite recipes ever! I'm so happy you liked the flavor but sorry about the pockets. I do think you can beat the batter a little longer to get it smooth. That is what I usually do. It's ok to beat the batter for like a minute and a half to two minutes. It helps to develop the structure of the cake, in addition to smoothing things out. Hope that helps! And thanks for reading and for the great question 😉
hi again -- i'm obssessed with this recipe because it is SO easy. I did it again today and got the batter to whip up beautifully exactly like in your pictures. However... it grows beautifully in the oven and then when I pull it out it become all shriveled up and even sinks in the middle a little! 🙁
the taste is very very good... but I can't get it to look slightly and perfectly domed like yours... it wrinkles tremendously, doesn't look nice! what's wrong??!?!? I can't get all purpose flour here in Belgium... could it be that?? I use all pastry flour. do you think that could be the reason it is sinking like that?? help!
Hey Raquel! I'm not really sure about the flours but I guess it's possible...??? I wonder if it would help if you baked them a little longer? I'm thinking perhaps they are still a little too soft in the middle when you pull them, and maybe that's why they're sinking/wrinkling. Good luck and be sure to let me know if that solves the problem, ok?
I really want to make these
Oh ya, you should! They're so good 🙂
It's very nice
So happy you think so, Doadoah 🙂
I REALLY want to make these but I can't really get "all-purpose" here in belgium but only CAKE FLOUR!! Can I just sub and use only cake flour in this recipe? Should I use MORE cake flour??
Hi Raquel! I would definitely give it a try with the cake flour! Cake flour gives a really tender result. I don't think you will need any more than stated, I'd go cup for cup. Let me know how they turn out, ok? Thanks for reading and for the great question 😉
These cupcakes are exactly what I want in a cupcake. I am soooo making these this Valentine's day!!!!
Yay! You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. Girl, these cupcakes blow me away every time I make them. And I make them a lot, lol! As a matter of fact, I just whipped up a big batch for my hubby's bday over the weekend. I topped them with peanut butter frosting, salted caramel, and chopped Snickers and oh my good lord...! The toppings were insane but I'll tell you, I was really impressed by how well the cake held it's own. They are so super chocolatey! I hope you like them as much as I do! 😀
Hi allie! I'm a new baker and would love to try your recipe. I just have one question is there a substitute for greek yogurt? I really cant find it here in our local groceries or even baking supply stores. Thank you and may God continue to bless you and your family.
Thank you so much for the blessings, Karen! I'm so happy you are going to try this recipe- it's probably my favorite recipe on this website! I just made another batch yesterday, and even after making these so many times, it still surprises me every time I take a bite: how chocolatey, rich, and moist they are! I think they will work really well with just about any kind of dairy, I would suggest sour cream, buttermilk, or whole milk. Good luck and I hope you enjoy!
hi Allie! I just tried this recipe today and I really like it. Very good. I did not have cake flour on hand, but in reading some of the questions and comments between you and others I can see where that would make a difference. I also had a Dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder on hand so that's what I used. And finally, I did not have any Greek yogurt on hand so I used sour cream. Thanks a million for this easy recipe. The next time I use it (and I will for sure). I will try it with the original ingredients (I was in a hurry this time). I will start following you, because if this is any example, I want to keep up with what you share! Thx again.
Hi Catherine! Thanks so much for reading my blog and trying one of my recipes! And for the follow! I'm so happy you enjoyed the cupcakes. That is one of my very favorite recipes of all time. Sour cream is a great substitution! Enjoy, and Happy New Year! 😀
Hello!! I was thinking of making these cupcakes in about the next hour. It looks really really nice. I would like to ask, how long can it last? In the refrigerator and without.
They hold up really well, Dawn. A few days at room temperature, and I'd say at least a week in the fridge. Just wrap them up really well so they don't dry out. Good luck and enjoy!
thanks for the wonderful recipe. I can tell it will be a big hit.
I can'a get any fancy cocoa powder where I live.
Can I use Hershey's?
Yes, of course! I often use Hershey's if I can't find Ghirardelli at the store. It works beautifully! Good luck, Hala!
Thanks a million.
Regarding the buttercream. We should use the butter the moment we remove it from the fridge or it should be a bit softened but still cold?
I have looked everywhere today for the greek yougurt and found it but only with flavors, they dont have it plain. Can I use the strawberry flavor or it will affect the taste/ texture?
M planning to use sour cream but if the flavor yougurt will work I will use it next time.
Hi Hala! It should be softened but not totally soupy-warm. If it's too warm the buttercream will not be stiff enough, if it's too cold, you'll have trouble getting it to incorporate with the meringue. I'd advise you to take a minute to read through the comments on the chocolate buttercream post, and maybe even those on the vanilla buttercream post, if you're making swiss meringue buttercream for the first time. The temperature thing can be a little tricky and I've answered lots of great questions from other readers that you might find useful. Good luck and thanks again for reading!
Oops, sorry, Hala I neglected to answer your other question. I don't know if strawberry would work or not, with the added sugar. But I had another reader substitute sour cream for the yogurt, and she was really happy with the result. I say go for it!
Hi Allie,
I'm a first time visitor to your site while looking for a chocolate cupcake recipe and I'm in love with it. I would like to make these for my son to share with his friends in school to celebrate his 5 year old birthday. Do you have any advice on whether these will stay fresh if I make them (including frosting) a day ahead? I need to drop them off in the morning at 8.30am.
Thanks
Hi Jinsi! Thank you so much for visiting my site! I make these cupcakes for my kids and their friends all the time, and they are always a big hit. I think you will be fine making them a day ahead; I've done that many times and the cake stays nice and moist. I usually store them in one of those foil pans that comes with a clear plastic lid. Sometimes I'll put the whole thing in a plastic grocery bag, just to be sure it's really well wrapped. I wish you lots of luck and I hope you enjoy! xoxo
Hi Allie,
Just want to let you know that the cupcakes were a hit with the kids. I've used the same recipe to make a cake for a party this weekend. Best chocolate cake ever, Thanks for sharing.
Jinsi
That is so great to hear, Jinsi! Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me that. I'm so happy you liked the recipe! 😀