Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes
These chocolate cupcakes are the BEST! They are super moist, made from scratch, and are packed with rich chocolate flavor. Take them over the top with the optional creamy chocolate ganache center! Use the incredibly silky chocolate frosting included in the recipe, or change up the frosting for different seasons or occasions; there are many options linked below!
I have shared approximately one billion (actually, 35ish) cupcake recipes over the years, but this is the ONLY chocolate-chocolate version you'll find. I've had some chocolate cupcake bases, but those were topped with things like peanut butter frosting, espresso buttercream, and salted caramel frosting… then there were the faux Hostess cupcakes and the black-bottom cupcakes.
They are all amazing cupcakes, but this recipe is IT when you need something fabulously rich and overflowing with chocolate flavor. I use this recipe anytime I want chocolate cupcakes; I've never been tempted to try other recipes since finding this one.
Why I Absolutely LOVE These Chocolate Cupcakes
First things first - the cake part of these cupcakes is phenomenal. It's often hard to find a cupcake recipe that not only domes perfectly when baked but is also moist and tender inside (not dry and crumbly) with a rich chocolate taste. These are all of that and more; they melt in your mouth.
To enhance the flavor and the moist texture, a dollop of chocolate ganache is placed on top of the cupcake batter before they are baked. It's an optional step, and you can make the cupcakes without it, but I highly recommend it.
And oh my, the frosting. It's almost beyond words. Satiny, smooth, buttery, just sweet enough, and oh-so-chocolatey. I could eat it with a spoon. Piled high on those cupcakes, it's the perfect frosting-to-cupcake ratio for me.
Ingredients Breakdown
Below are notes on the most important ingredients in these cupcakes (be sure to check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities):
- Bittersweet Chocolate – This is used in the ganache and the cupcake batter; bittersweet chocolate comes in a variety of percentages. I usually opt for around 60% which is closer to semisweet territory (and you can use semisweet if you prefer it), but you could go up to around 72% bittersweet if you’d like! I prefer to use Ghiradelli baking bars.
- Heavy Cream – For the ganache; I don’t recommend substitutions to ensure it sets up correctly.
- Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder – Don’t substitute unsweetened cocoa powder. You can find Dutch-process at some grocery stores, and also Amazon.
- Hot Coffee – The coffee really enhances the chocolate flavor and takes it to another level). Feel free to use decaf coffee if preferred; if you cannot have coffee for other reasons, you can substitute hot water.
- Bread Flour – This is used because it has a bit more protein than all-purpose flour and helps to keep the cupcakes stable enough for the ganache filling. I always use bread flour (even if I omit the ganache filling, which I do at times), but some readers have reported success using all-purpose flour, as well.
How to Make the Cupcakes
Here is a quick rundown on how to make the best chocolate cupcake recipe!
First, get your muffin pan ready by lining it with paper liners.
Step #1: Make the Chocolate Ganache – Melt together the chopped chocolate, heavy cream, and powdered sugar, then whisk together and chill in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address, and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
Step #2: Make the Cupcakes – Pour hot coffee over the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder, whisk until smooth, then refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together all of the dry ingredients (including sugar) in a medium bowl. Then, whisk the oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into the chocolate mixture. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
Divide the batter between the 12 cupcake liners, then place one rounded teaspoon of ganache on top of each cupcake batter. Bake until cupcakes are set and firm to the touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step #3: Make the Frosting – In a food processor, process the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the corn syrup and vanilla extract and process until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the melted chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy. Frost the cupcakes as desired.
Recipe Notes & Success Tips
- Equipment Used – Muffin Tin / Paper Liners / Food Processor
- Ganache Filling – It's important not to chill the ganache filling for too long, or it will be too firm and dense, and will sink to the bottom of the cupcakes. It will still be there, and still be delicious, but will be firmer and lower in the cupcake than intended.
- Chocolate Frosting – This is a phenomenal chocolate frosting – it’s luscious and silky, not at all too sweet. It does have corn syrup in it, which turns a lot of people off. I beg you to try it, but if you don't like it or don't want to make it, then I suggest my chocolate buttercream frosting. It's different, but would be my #2 option for you. You could also use vanilla frosting, cream cheese frosting, peanut butter frosting, 7-minute frosting, or Swiss meringue buttercream!
- Gluten-Free Cupcakes – While I have not personally created a gluten-free version, multiple readers have reported success using gluten-free flour or baking mixes.
- Chocolate Cake – If you are looking for a chocolate cake recipe, I don’t recommend modifying this one, but highly recommend my best-ever chocolate cake!
- Double Batch – You can double this recipe to make 24 cupcakes.
- Storage – The frosted cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Make-Ahead Frosting – The frosting can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 hours before using, or refrigerated for up to 3 days. If refrigerated, let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using.
- Freezing the Cupcakes – The baked (and cooled) cupcakes can be frozen in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator, then frost as desired.
More Favorite Cupcake Recipes:
- Classic Vanilla Cupcakes
- Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Meringue Buttercream
- Coconut Cupcakes with Toasted Coconut Frosting
If you make these chocolate cupcakes and love them, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating - it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Ganache Filling
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ¼ cup (59.5 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
For the Cupcakes
- 3 ounces (85.05 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup (28.67 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¾ cup (177.75 ml) hot coffee
- ¾ cup (93.75 g) bread flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 1¼ cups (283.75 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- ¾ cup (64.5 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- ¾ cup (255.75 g) light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) chocolate, milk, semisweet or dark, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Make the Ganache Filling: Place the chopped chocolate, heavy cream and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave on high power until the mixture is warm to the touch, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth, then refrigerate until just barely chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.
- Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin pan with liners. Place the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Pour the hot coffee over the mixture and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate mixture for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Whisk the oil, eggs, vinegar and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin pan cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon of ganache filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until the cupcakes are set and just firm to the touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pan and place on the wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Make the Frosting: In a food processor, process the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the corn syrup and vanilla extract and process until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the melted chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15 one-second pulses. Frost the cupcakes as desired. The frosted cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
- The ganache filling can be omitted it if you’d like a more traditional chocolate cupcake.
- The frosting can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 hours before using, or refrigerated for up to 3 days. If refrigerated, let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Photography by Dee Frances
This recipe was originally published on August 20, 2013.
I just love theses cupcakes. I was wondering if you ever tried this recipe as a cake? If so how did it turn out? Thanks!
Hi Hortencia, I have not, but others have commented that they have with good results.
Hi, looks amazing.Is there a recipe for frosting without corn syrup?
Thank you!
Hi Miki, You can use any other chocolate frosting recipe if you’d prefer not to use corn syrup.
I’ve made these twice and they are the best chocolate cupcakes. Thank you for sharing!
I tried your recipe, and I love them!!! My only questions are, How long should I store the cupcakes with frosting? And, without frosting, how long should I store them in a container?
Thank you
Hi Bobbi, You can store the cupcakes with frosting for up to 3 days. Without frosting, I would say probably 4 days, but then once you frost them, I would eat within a day.
Only 3/4 cup of flour? Is that possible? Do you mean 3 3/4?
Hi Cherie, Yes, 3/4 cup – not a typo.
Is there anything I can substitute the bittersweet chocolate with? More cocoa powder?
Hi Jacquelynn, You can use semisweet chocolate, but you can’t substitute chocolate in another form, such as cocoa powder.
Hi there was wondering what the last ‘8 ounces chocolate (milk, semi sweet or dark,) melted’ is all about?
Is this just chocolate melted in milk? If so how much milk is needed?
Could you let me know what this means please, thank you!
Live in the UK and not to sure as to what this actually is.
Kind regards
Hi Mrs P, No, do not melt it in milk… you can choose whatever type of chocolate you’d like – milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate or dark chocolate. You should melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave on 50% power.
Hi Michelle,
Love these cupcakes, but have always wanted to make a two-layer cake using this recipe.
Have you made a layer cake using this recipe? If so, would one batch make two 8 or 9-inch round cakes, and how would you adjust the baking time?
Thanks in advance!
Becca
Hi Becca, I have never made a cake using this recipe, but some other readers have. You would need to double the recipe for two 8-inch or 9-inch layers. You’ll need to increase the baking time a bit, but since I haven’t done it, I don’t know exactly how long. Hope that helps!
Hi Michelle,
These cupcakes look amazing..:) All the food photographs on your blog are sheer treat to the eyes..awesome work..
Cupcake looks yummy…will try it for sure..
Have read somewhere when using dutch process cocoa,baking powder is to be used and not baking soda..Is it ok to use baking soda?
Hi Laks, In general, I recommend following any recipe as written for best results. In this case, I would not switch to baking soda.
Does the frosting have to be done in a food processor?
I did it in a stand mixer and after adding the melted chocolate the mixture got extremely hard and did not have that beautiful gloss like yours.
Besides for that, the cupcakes were delicious.
Hi Aaqila, I have not tried to make this in a stand mixer, so I’m not sure if it would cause that to happen. I’m glad you enjoyed the cupcakes!
Hi,
Just made these. Believe me when i say it, they were out of this world. I would make a batch again and again. Just simply mind blowing.
Just a quick question. Can i convert them into muffins? A big overflowing muffin without the frosting ofcourse. What would change in the recipe? I know there is a chocolate chunk muffin in this recipe, but i fell in love with this as soon as I made a batch.
Thanks,
Ritu
Hi Ritu, To serve these as muffins, I would just omit the ganache filling and the frosting. Done! :) No need to change anything (although you could include chocolate chips if you’d like!).
OMG. I just made these this afternoon. It is AMAZING!!!
Hi, what if i do not have light corn syrup? Can i substitute it with something else?
Hi Isabelle, You could try substituting Lyle’s Golden Syrup in place of the corn syrup.
Just made the cupcakes without the panache, using some Chocolate Glazed Donut coffee and a combo of regular and Special Dark cocoa. Just tried a semi-warm one, unfrosted, and it is delish!
Hi, I was wondering if I would it work to make this recipe in an 8-inch cake pan as a single layer chocolate cake? Or is the recipe designed specifically to be baked as individual cupcakes?
Hi Joanna, I have not tried to make this as a single layer cake, but the measurements would work. Let me know if you like it!
Thank you for the recipe!! I am interested in using it in my upcoming wedding – my fiance, mom, aunt, and I are making the cupcakes ourselves. Two questions: would you recommend doubling or quadrupling your recipe for such a large demand (150-200 cupcakes)? And, would your icing recipe stand up to the heat of a late August wedding? If not, what kind of modifications would you make to make it sturdier? Thanks so much!
Hi Marianne, For 150-200 cupcakes you will need more than 2-4x this recipe. I would just divide however many cupcakes you want by 12 and increase the recipe by that multiple. As for the frosting… do you mean an outdoor August wedding? If so, no, I do not think the frosting would hold up. I would probably search for another frosting recipe that is sturdier.
Ultimate is correct! These were great. My husband especially liked the frosting and wondered out loud whether there was a white/vanilla recipe like it. I checked the recipe index and could not find something similar. Would it work to swap white chocolate for the dark and add more powered sugar to replace the cocoa powder?
Hi Jenny, I have not tried adjusting this recipe to make it a white chocolate frosting… if you play around with it, definitely let me know how it turned out!
Hello is the frosting ok to use on a cake that will sit for 24 hours before being delivered? I cant see any ingredient that would go off at room temperature?
Hi Lynne, They can sit at room temperature for 24 hours, I just wouldn’t leave them in a hot/humid environment, i.e. outside or in an non-air conditioned house during the summer.
Hello I loved this recipe as cupcakes! Would it work doubled or tripled as a recipe for in a cake tin?? If not do you have another recipe that would give me a nice moist dark sponge?
Thank you!
Hi Lynne, A bunch of readers have mentioned that they have doubled this recipe and made an 8-inch or 9-inch layer cake. If you look in my Cake archives, I use the same base chocolate cake recipe for the Snickers Cake and the Six-Layer cake – I would recommend that recipe, too!
These are, in fact, the ultimate chocolate cupcake as advertised! I have been searching for a chocolate cake recipe for years (have the frosting covered) and I search no longer. I used regular flour and I can’t imagine the results being any better with Bread flour, which I don’t ever have on hand. This frosting recipe is easier than the one I had previously found and just as heavenly. I will say this, I didn’t have the ingredients for the ganache, plus I just didn’t see the need, so I left it out. Even without it, “these are too rich,” (something I have NEVER said} almost escaped my mouth. Almost, but not quite:) I and those I served felt like we would faint, they were so delicious. I may try it with the ganache next time just to make sure, but I feel these cupcakes are the ultimate without it!
Hi Michelle! Great recipe! I loved making these. They were super chocolatey and moist.
One thing: my first batch I baked them in muffin cups and then I ran out so I just filled my muffin tin, and they didn’t rise. They just kind of spread. Any idea why?
Also, one cupcake totally sank in the middle. It was just the one though.
Still I enjoyed them! And I made my own frosting – used a box of chocolate heavy cream mixed with Nutella. Delicious!
I made these (without the ganache) last weekend and they were super good. I am not a coffee drinker but do keep espresso powder on hand for baking so mixed some of that up to use in place of the coffee. Used semi sweet chips in the frosting and my stand mixer since I don’t have a food processor. frosting was not overly sweet in my opinion, it was perfect. thanks!
These are amazing! Made a batch for a friends birthday last night and got raving reviews from everyone. Thank you for sharing.
Hello! I love this cupcake recipe and congratulations on your wedding (a couple of years late, no biggie.) If somebody does see this comment, I have a few suggestions:
– I only had a mini food processor, so i just used that to cream the butter well until it was extremely smooth and shiny, and then I beat everything else in with a hand mixer which gave me great results!
– Definitely try to aerate the batter before baking, I found it too be too dense/rich/fudgy (even for me, a deathly chocolate lover) when coupled with the dense, rich, fudgy frosting
– beat the butter in the frosting for a loooooong time, otherwise the frosting will also be too dense. (but the frosting is absolutely wonderful for piping. its amazing!)
– i didn’t realize that i had ran out of white vinegar, so i had just substituted the baking soda for some extra baking power and they rose perfectly well
– skimp on the chocolate and butter for the frosting. i added the correct, exact amounts, and it was a sweet, sweet disaster. way too sweet. like it was overpowering. esp since i used semi-sweet chocolate chips!
– i added extra cocoa powder for a deeper flavor, and it worked very well! the coffee + cocoa powder is one of my favorite combinations when baking.
thats all, but its best to play a little with this fantastic recipe! its great! definitely recommend.
Isn’t the chocolate cupcake base just a rewrite of the recipe from Cook’s Illustrated for their Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake?
Oh, now I see it — but it’s a bit sneaky to put the attribution way at the bottom of the recipe, as if you “developed” the techniques, like melting the chocolate in the coffee or using bread flour. From reading the entire post, I had the idea that you developed this recipe, instead of just found it in Cook’s Illustrated and tried it yourself. The blogging world is very strange indeed, when it comes to copyright and attribution :)
These cupcakes were a HUGE hit and started quite the story this weekend. I made a double batch and brought half to a friend’s moving party where they were quickly devoured. The other half I left at home for a birthday party on Sunday. While I was at the moving party my roommate brought a 10 month yellow lab puppy to the house she was babysitting. Long story short they were so tempting the puppy found his way to devouring 10 cupcakes that my roommate thought were out of reach…. (She has never had a large dog before. She is now aware only the microwave, oven, or other shelf she can only reach by step stool is safe from puppies). Long story short, I came home to a very happy puppy who seemed unbothered by the copious amounts of consumed chocolate. After a long night at the veterinary ER the poor puppy was still quite happy with himself when we got home and the vet was impressed with the volume of cupcake in his stomach. He stated that if the puppy was not brought in as quickly as he was this story would have ended very differently. He is 100% fine and running around as if nothing ever happened. He even sat wagging his tail asking for a bite of one of the two surviving cupcakes when I it as a snack at the end of the night (clearly he did not connect the dots). We have subsequently renamed these delicious cupcakes “Death by Chocolate”. Though there were no cupcakes for the birthday party there was an unforgettable story for these cupcakes.
To my fellow bakers, brown eyed or blue:
My experience with Brown Eyed Baker’s “Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes” was a fantastic one. She includes interesting ingredients that not only add taste, but aesthetic and textural appeal (coffee, vinegar, and corn syrup, oh my). However, it’s not one for the lazy. Technically it’s three recipes in one – ganache, cake, and frosting – and can be time and temperature sensitive. In conclusion, it’s a mouthwatering but challenging recipe.
My recommendation: Go for it!
This recipe will push you. But, trust me, the results are to die for. Here’s why:
As a baker from the hipster-infused Pacific Northwest, I love a unique recipe. My criteria are that it’s engaging (fun to make) and entertaining (fun to eat). There should be interest factors that make me both excited and slightly nervous that the kitchen may combust. In other words, like many, I enjoy recipes that push my limits. And like more than many, I have made chocolate cupcakes dozens of times– some hits, some misses – but never have I come across such a shocking crowd-pleaser as Brown Eyed Baker’s take on the classic.
With “Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes,” it was the aesthetic appeal of the recipe that first drew me in (high-def photographs; hilarious dialogue). But it was the interest factors that had me stay: the gooey ganache center and double-take ingredients like coffee and white vinegar.
As a lover of all things mocha, the coffee had me especially excited.
But vinegar?
I was tentative. I turned to Google, which, as we know, can appease and terrify (avoid WebMD). As I nervously typed in “vinegar+cake” I was expecting an explosion of taste bud horror stories. Instead, I learned about its magnificent moistening powers.
So, with trust in the Brown Eyed Baker, I measured out two teaspoons with a pinched nose and was… rewarded. The cakes fell apart in my mouth with zero strange aftertastes. I know it was the vinegar the made the different because when I tried the recipe for a second time and did not take the extra trip to the market, the cakes were slightly less moist (although still delicious… hey, it’s chocolate).
One of my criteria for a bad recipe is that it’s more effort than deserving, whether this means multiple trips to the supermarket or emergency room. Although “Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes” was definitely worth it, I’ll admit it did push my comfort zone. Here’s why:
First, not everyone has white vinegar at-the-ready in his or her pantry. At least not most college students like myself. This one essential ingredient complicates the recipe because, as you may have already guessed, it now needs be planned. White vinegar is not the only anomaly; bread flour and Dutch-pressed cocoa powder also join the mix. This can make any of the three parts – ganache, cake, or frosting – an afternoon in themselves.
Why does this matter? We’ve all fudged the details of a recipe before. I’m here to tell you, in the case of “Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes,” the details make the cake.
Before this recipe, I was a self-proclaimed novice who reveled in chances to deviate from the recipe. Ingredients were guidelines. Measurements were suggestions. No cream of tarter? Add cream, leave the tarter. Looking back, it was a good thing that the first time I made “Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes” was during a scorching August afternoon when my blood was running so thick and warm that I had no choice but to slow down, shop for ingredients, and follow the recipe as followed. Otherwise, I may have chocked up the potentially-disastrous results to the recipe’s failing rather than my own.
But I did not deviate. I promise. And the recipe was perfect.
The ganache was silky. The cake was bouncy. The frosting was curl-tipped enough for a Dairy Queen commercial. I was Queen of the House for a whole three hours (only makes dozen; doesn’t supply willpower).
Eager, I made them again the next week. But this time — whether from arrogance or generic laziness – I disregarded the vinegar, upped the coffee, used a hodgepodge of three different flours, and frosted while the cake was hot. There was no cream-curl. There was only sadness. (Again, a hyperbole. I still ate three before dinner)
Nevertheless, I would not consider this recipe’s complexity a downfall. Like any good recipe or relationship, it was worth the trouble. For me, it was also a learning opportunity. Brown Eyed Baker seems to agree. In her “About” section, she hopes we “leave the site with the insatiable urge to run into your kitchen and whip up what you’ve seen here, and the confidence to know that you can do it.”
I’m here to tell you, you CAN do it. If a lazy-but-pretend-I’m-creative college student can, you can. Sure, the recipe is time and temperature sensitive. So take the time or you will feel the heat. Measure the flour. Cool the cakes. You will rule the house as Chocolate Champion. Because these cupcakes are both interesting in their ingredients and sinful in their savoriness.
I can’t wait to try Brown Eyed Baker’s other recipes!
I just finished making these and they turned out incredibly. They’re soft and fluffy and not at all too sweet. Thank you so, so much for sharing! xx
OMG .. I made these delicious cuppies without the frosting and they tasted ORGASMIC .. Thank you for sharing this recipe :) Love & Light