Simply Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes
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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Simply Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (62.5 g) cake flour
- 1 cup (86 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 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 1/2 minutes, to aerate the batter and build the cake’s structure.
- Fill lined cupcake wells just over half full (approx. 1/4 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.
These certainly do look perfect!
Thank you so much! They are a top favorite here at my house!
Hooray! I’m so glad you like it Jen!
Hi Allie!
I really love this cupcake batter. It’s soooo perfect and smooth, and I really love that you used butter insted of oil. So much better result. However, my tastebuds find these cupcakes a little too dark and tiny bit bitter, but my boyfriend loves them. So I was woundering, do you have any tips about how I can decrease amount of cocoa powder without destroing the batter?
Thank,
Paola
I’ve no idea why but my cupcakes ended up being like a pile of sand, maybe the batter was too dry? At least it tastes really good, I laughed so hard when I saw how my cupcakes turned out 😀
A pile of sand? That is very strange indeed. Sounds like something may have been left out accidentally. But at least they tasted good! Thanks Darrell!
Hi Allie, I’m a highschooler who really wants to try baking your cupcakes. It’s amazing how I’m looking at this recipe 3 years after you’ve published it. I would just like to clarify about your video and recipe. In your recipe, it states that you should stir in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the cream and vanilla extract, before mixing the batter to aerate it. However, in your video, you added the eggs all at one go before mixing and you did the same for the cream and vanilla extract. Hence, I would like to ask what is the ‘proper’ way to bake your cupcakes 😉 Also, is stirring the ingredients the same as mixing them in?
Hey Jennifer! I usually add the eggs one at a time but as you can see from the video, it works just fine if they all go in at once. And yes you can add the sour cream and vanilla together. Once they’re in, mix on medium or medium-high speed to aerate the batter. Stirring and mixing are the same thing. I hope that’s helpful! Good luck and enjoy!
I just made them and they turned out pretty good. I don’t have any cake flour at home at the moment so I used slightly less of the all purpose than the 1.5 total cups of flour the recipe requires and sifted all the dry ingredients together. Turned out fairly decent. Based on your crumb photo, mine were pretty close. I always spoon in, not scoop my flour as well, so it’s less dense and I’m not accidentally overportioning by packing it. My main issue is that I don’t have a stand mixer with a guard so it was a bit messy getting the butter worked in, but worth it for the end result. I also subbed almond milk with some white vinegar instead of the greek yogurt/buttermilk and it worked! I’m usually dairy free, just using up things in the house haha. I also liked how thick the batter was, you were right. It made it way easier to work with. And boy did those babies rise! Whoa. Good job. I’ll be saving this one. Thanks!
So glad you were happy with the result Maria! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I’m sure it will be helpful to others!
Can I say I love you??!! I have been searching for the perfect “domed” chocolate cupcake and these are it!! Haven’t tasted them yet but I will once they cool… maybe a little bit.
That’s awesome! I hope they taste as good as they look!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful ideas for making the perfect cupcake. I like cupcakes and now, I enjoy this at home I follow your steps for baking perfect cupcakes.
Great! So happy you are enjoying!
Thank you for this amazing recipe! It is now officially inducted into my recipe repertoire.
I have to admit, I had my doubts about the viability of this, given the reverse-creaming method (never having tried it) and the viscous consistency (which I’ve never seen in a cupcake batter) right up to the point when I removed the cupcakes from the oven. Then I bit into one, and I became a believer and a fan! They’re amazing, soft, fluffy and yet still moist. Thank you very much for sharing this!
Oh it’s my pleasure! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
This really is a wonderful chocolate cupcake recipe! I think I’ve made it at least 5 times in the last 2 months. It is packed with flavor and if I’m feeling fancy I’ll add mini chocolate chips in the batter. I cannot wait to try your vanilla cupcake recipe.
I’m so happy you like it Myriam! And I’ve been making the vanilla ones a lot lately (make sure you do the “Even Simpler, More Perfect” version); they’re really delicious too! Thanks so much for the great feedback!
I love the new photos, and I’m so intrigued about the reverse creaming method. I really need to give it a go!
I love it Ruth! Makes everything so much easier. Hope you get a chance to give this recipe a try!
Real Talk! Haha. Love it – I also COMPLETELY agree on the melting and general faff of using chocolate. This recipe looks great and i love the idea of a thicker batter that is easier to portion. GENIUS!
So glad you agree! PS faff is the best word ever. Thanks for the comment!
Okay I am going out on a limb and making these for a huge event this weekend in a gluten-free version. I’ve done Sally’s with the melted chocolate and the Hershey’s. The Hershey’s hold up better as GF, but I agree with everything you said – runny and I find them a little tasteless with the oil instead of butter and the reduced amount of chocolate. So *gulp* I hope this works on the first try. 🙂 I also have to make 24 lemon.
I hope you love these as much as I do! Good luck and have fun!
Hi, Allie! Definitely gonna give this a try! I always rely on the feedbacks, and seeing no negative comments, I know I MUST try this! Probably will be my go-to choc cupcake recipe.
I’ve 2 questions though, can I use dutch processed cocoa powder? And do u mix in eggs & yogurt altogether?
TIA!
Hey Maimai! I’m so glad you’re going to give this a try! It’s definitely a go-to recipe for me.
In the past, I’ve tried subbing in a couple tablespoons of Dutch processed, just to get that darker color. But I have not had much luck using all Dutched. I think it lacks the acidity that’s needed to fully activate the leavening. As for the eggs and yogurt, I like to do the eggs first just to get it really smooth. I’m going to edit the recipe to add that.
Thanks so much and I hope you enjoy!
Hi! Do you think you can sub whole milk vanilla yogurt instead of Greek Yogurt? I have all the ingredients at home except the yogurt :-/
Hey Sabrina! Unfortunately I would not recommend it because of the added sugar. If you don’t have Greek yogurt on hand, you can sub sour cream or buttermilk. Make your own buttermilk by stirring 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 1/2 cups of regular milk. Allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes, or until thickened and slightly curdled. Your batter won’t be quite as thick, but other than that it’s a great substitute for Greek yogurt.
Hi Allie,
I’m Juliana 🙂 Your cupcakes looks absolutely delicious. And what’s great about your cupcakes is that the batter is thick which makes it easily scoopable. However, do you have the measurements in grams or oz? I live in Malaysia and using cups may be inaccurate. It would be great if you can share the measurements. Thanks 🙂
Hi Juliana! I know I have a lot of readers outside the US, and that’s why last year I created a free printable weight conversion chart. There’s a graphic for it in my sidebar, but here’s a direct link just in case you missed it: https://bakingamoment.com/weight-conversions-for-baking/. Hope that’s helpful! And PS I’m so glad you like the cupcakes!
Clicked on it already. It was really helpful. Thank you so much Allie 🙂
Hi Allie? May I know what is the size of paper cup for this recipe? I would like to try it tonite ?
Hey Yoko! They’re just standard size cupcakes! Nothing too fancy or out of the ordinary. Have fun and enjoy!
Thanks Allie. I tried this recipe yesterday night, it was so so good! your recipe is really simple and easy! Anyway, there was only 1 comment that i just want to clarify ( it might be my fault that the conversion from cup to gm is not accurate) Based on your recipe given, the coco powder is 1 cup. My own record of conversion 1 cup of coco powder=120gm. But when i realized you hv given us the conversion chart, i noticed that the conversion 1/4 cup of coco powder=21gm. so, 1 cup of coco powder is equivalent to 84gm only. My first attempt i used 120gm coco powder. There was 36gm difference of the usage. Hence, is there anything wrong with my conversion? i shld use 120gm or 84gm? Kindly advise.
Thanks for letting me know Yoko! If the 120 grams worked well and you were happy with the taste and texture, I would continue to do it that way. So glad you enjoyed!
Hi Allie, i tried to make it again and exactly follow ur measurement for 84gm. Super super nice and everyone love it! Thanks for sharing all the good recipe here 🙂 You’re superb!
That’s great Yoko I’m so glad you’re happy with it!
Wow what can I say!! For once I baked cupcakes that weren’t dry not crusty on the top! Thank you so much for taking the time for the rest of us and sharing such a wonderful recipe. I’m so glad I discovered your site today!! Keep the hard work up, we appreciate it! ?
That’s so great to hear! Thank you so much!
Hi did you use large or medium eggs for this recipe?
Hi Tracey! I use large eggs for all the recipes on this site. Hope that helps! Good luck and enjoy 🙂
So. If I can speak for this recipe and would just say: I deserve to the be queen of the cupcakes.
Rich, fluffy, versatile you can just can’t go wrong with it.
Thank you so much for this recipe.. beats them all!!!
I’m so happy you like it Hala! Thanks so much for the awesome feedback!
Yummy this was gorgeous. Great little recipe. Thanks. Simon.
So happy you liked! Thanks for the great feedback!
Hi Allie, I just became a fan of yours! Been baking for couple of weeks now and I’m still in the learning curve. But man, your chocolate cupcake recipe is indeed PERFECT! It was the first time I baked a cupcake without using a boxed-mix and didn’t expect it to be so successful! Thank you very much! This is the first time I comment on a blog by the way. I am just so happy that I saw your recipe and successfully did it without any problems. I even used margarine (unsalted butter is so expensive here in my place) instead of butter but still it went okay. I divided the measurements into two thinking I will fail it (so I won’t waste any ingredients much) but I was wrong! I ended up eating all the cupcakes I baked without frosting. Haha! And one more thing, I love your food photography. They are so cute 🙂
Your fan from Asia,
Shin
Hey Shin! I’m so happy to hear you had such great success with this! Thank you so much for the sweet compliment and the great feedback. Good to know this recipe can work with margarine too. Thanks so much for reading and following!
Oh my goodness these were absolutely wonderful. My daughter and I have Celiac so I used Cup 4 Cup in place of the flour. For the cake flour, I researched it and added in 1 tablespoon of corn starch. I absolutely will make again!
I’m so happy you liked the Alisa! Good to know about the gluten-free version too. Thanks so much for the positive feedback!
So, I bought Fage Greek yogurt 2%, will this suffice??
Yes! I’ve used everything from nonfat to full fat, it all works so long as it’s Greek 😉 Good luck Melinda, and I hope you enjoy!