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.
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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.
Whoa! This sounds like a brilliant recipe Michelle.
I’m from the UK and everything’s in Kg or Grams, would it be the same conversion for every measure or does it differ based on the ingredient?
Help!
Really want to make this.
Beans
Unfortunately, it varies based on ingredient. You could use this chart as a starting point for conversion, then take it from ounces to grams: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/master-weight-chart.html
Thankyou! Think I might attempt this at the weekend. Your recipes are all amazing btw!!!
Thank you so much for this cupcakes recipe. It is super easy to make yet very delicious. It was a big HIT. Not to say the icing, very delish and very easy to make as well and it holds up well, easy to pipe!!. Once again thank you so much for this recipe. It will be my choc cupcakes recipe from now on.
I made these cupcakes this morning sans the ganache, they are heavenly, the frosting is perfection. Because of bread flour is too pricey in my area, I made these cupcakes with the flour containing the highest percentage of gluten I could find at the supermarket (11%, it was not labeled as bread flour), they turned out great, I got 12 cupcakes plus a mini cake I baked in a coffee mug. I didn’t want to turn on the coffee maker so I added 1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder to the chocolate bowl and then added hot water, mixed and refrigerated as in the recipe. Now I’ll just wait for my daughter to come from school and make her jaw drop with these delicacies!!
These are fabulous cupcakes. I was skeptical: it was the thinnest cake batter I’ve ever encountered (I usually spoon or scoop batter, but for these I had to transfer the batter to a liquid measuring cup and pour them into the tins). But they came out nicely domed and have a rich, grown-up chocolatey taste. If you bake in mini tins, like I almost always do, be sure to use a liner or skip the ganache step.
I only have access to white wine vinegar, not regular white vinegar. Is it possible to use white wine vinegar or lemon as a substitute? Aiming to make these for my son’s birthday party. Thank you. Lori
Hi Lori, I’m honestly not sure what type of effect using white wine vinegar would have, if any. If you try it, please let me know how it goes!
I tried these cupcakes without the ganache and substituted the bread flour with all purpose flour and they turned out AMAZING. Super chocolatey, tender, moist (yet not too wet and dense), and just a really soft light cake!!!! I tried them another time with bread flour and they came out with more bite (which is great) and somehow fudgier?? LOVE THE RECIPE ANYWAY THANK YOU SO MUCH BROWNEYEDBAKER!!!!!!! This is now my go-to chocolate cake recipe, and so so simple!!
Hi,
I would like to ask if there’s any substitute for the coffee as I would like my boys to eat this cupcake without the caffeine. In addition, can I use self raising flour instead of bread flour?
Thank you!
Hi Suzanne, I really do recommend using the coffee as it boosts the chocolate flavor and gives it extra depth. If you’re concerned about caffeine, then I would use decaf coffee. Definitely do not use self-raising flour.
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for your advice! Am trying the original recipe now..they’re baking in the oven!!! And yes, I’ll try looking for decaf coffee!!
Thank you so much!! :)
If I am tripling the cupcake recipe, safe to triple all the ingredients exactly or should some of them be decreased? Thanks
Hi Sarah, Unfortunately, I have not done this, so I can’t give you 100% certainty. Please let me know how the scaling goes, though!
HI!! I can’t find bread flour anywhere. Can i use a different flour instead?
Thank you!
Hi Sharon, You can substitute all-purpose flour, but the filling might sink. Although, some readers have reported good results with all-purpose flour.
can I frost a cake with this frosting?
I don’t see why not!
OMG these are AMAZING, seriously soooo good. I was pretty liberal with the frosting and there was a bit left – any suggestions to use other than with a spoon or pretzels? :) For some of the cupcakes I gave a sprink of salt on top for a salty/sweet bite.
This is great .. I love your recipes and I’ve been waiting for a good Chocalate cupcake recipe from you. Can’t wait to make them .. also Congratulations !!
OH MY…these look so decadent and rich!! I am making these tonight..Love love your site..I have tried several of your recipes and they have been added into one of our favorites..Thank You for providing us with such a lovely site :-)
I made these for my 8 year-old grandson’s birthday. Amazing, fantastic, best ever. Wow! I was skeptical about the coffee and about the corn syrup, but made the recipe pretty much as directed anyway, using bittersweet Ghiradelli chips in the ganache and cake batter, melted Hershey kisses in the frosting. Great, great, great. Of course I had to top a few with sprinkles for the kids, but how bad can that be. Thank you.
Made these babies last night and I was swept off my feet! They were just divine- decadent, moist and the frosting was the best I’ve tried. And yes, don’t skip the ganache filling! Ever ate something where it’s soo damn good your eyes roll and only the whites show? I was like that when I took the first bite. Thank for sharing your recipe. Definitely a keeper and will be making these a lot. (I don’t have a food processor so I used my stand mixer. Frosting wasn’t a glossy-looking as yours but totally smooth & silky and very pipe-able.)
Q: If I’ll bake a cake out of this recipe, say on a 9 inch double round pan, what’ll be the appropriate measurements and cooking time for the cake? Thank you, Michelle.
Hi Aimee, I’m so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes! To make a two-layer 9-inch cake, you’ll need to double the recipe. The cooking time will be increased, but I don’t have an exact number, as I haven’t tried this as a cake.
Hi! Have made these twice. First time I halved the recipe just to experiment with just 6. Second time I made the full batch. In both cases, the cupcakes were awesome and I didn’t even put frosting or the ganache filling. Amazing! However, the cupcake liners were oily. Mostly on the bottom. Is that normal?
Hi Letty, I don’t recall mine being oily. However, cupcake liners are all made a little differently and from different material, so some may trap fat more than others.
Michelle,
Thanks! It really does not affect the cupcake itself. After they are completely cooled, the oiliness goes away. They are totally fine. Love love this recipe. Thank you.
hello is the white vingear the same as white wine vingear i live in the uk and im abit confused?
No, they are different. White vinegar is sometimes also referred to as “distilled” vinegar.
These are amazing. I stumbled onto your blog via a google search looking for incredibly chocolate-y cupcakes as requested for my son’s birthday party. These cupcakes were so popular and SO INCREDIBLY GOOD!!!! He has already told me he wants them again next year, but I’m not sure we can wait that long before having them again.
This was an amazing recipe! I used normal flour and it turned out fine. I didn’t even frost them and they were still so moist and delicious! I had one problem though – the ganache filling kind of sank down and settled at the bottom, so it was kind of gooey and stuck to the paper in the centre. Is there any way to fix that?
Hi Chelsea, When I scooped the ganache, it was quite soft and I just scooped it and gently laid it onto the center. If the ganache had hardened too much, it could cause it to sink. If that’s the case, you may not want to refrigerate it for quite as long. How a refrigerator chills things can be based on a number of factors, such as the temperature it is set at and how full it is.
I just made this frosting today and I’m so glad I did! I’ve been hunting for this frosting for over a year now: sweet and chocolatey, shiny and pipeable. I had something like it on a supermarket bakery cake and tried to find it online, or by asking friends, but no one seemed to understand me. Thank you!
Hi Michelle,
I made these yesterday and oh my goodness they were divine. It is beginning to get very hot here in Australia and I would like to know if you have a technique to stop frosting from going very soft (is that a stupid question)? I took these into work at 8.30 and by 11.00 the frosting was very soft. It still retained it’s shape, more or less but definitely very melty and soft. Would love some advice from you or anyone.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Raj, If it’s very hot where you live, the only solution is to probably refrigerate the cupcakes. Enjoy!
Is there anyway I can use milk instead of cream for the gnache?
Hi Lynn, No, you need the cream or else the ganache will not properly thicken.
I made these exactly as stated with one small exception I used a hand mixer for the frosting. They turned out exceptionally moist, super chocolaty, and yummy delicious. I will be making these again, and again, and again…A++++ in my cupcake book.
H Jenny,
could you please tell me how you used a hand mixer for the frosting? How did you incorporate the chocolate?
Well, I came here because I googled best chocolate cupcake recipe and it brought me to this post! I was actually setting out to make a chocolate cupcake with salted caramel frosting. I already had your frosting recipe though! I made the chocolate cupcake with it last time, but something made me come back and search again. So, I went for it. Every single ingredient. Anytime a recipe has called for coffee, I’ve omitted it. But not this time! This did not disappoint!!!! I must say, great recipe. I took these and some vanilla with toasted coconut cupcakes to my husbands store for his birthday. I’m sure they flew by the time we were sitting down to dinner!! Just wanted to say great recipe. I made the cupcakes yesterday and the frosting today and it worked great.
These cupcakes are positively superlative – even without the ganache filling! Thanks for sharing the recipe! :)
Hi ….
I have a question while making my frosting everything was fine till I added the melted chocolate it became like a paste
Do you know what could be the problem ?
Thanks…..
Hi Waad, Did you add enough corn syrup? Also, did you happen to overheat the chocolate? Overheated chocolate can become stiff and paste-like.
These are absolutely the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever made! And the frosting is the perfect compliment! Both are super chocolatey and decadent! Thanks for sharing!
I made these without the ganache and used a stand mixer instead of a food processor for the frosting. They came out GREAT! Rave reviews! I used the leftover frosting on yellow cake cupcakes. The frosting tastes like melted chocolate ice cream.
I’m looking to make a fabulous chocolate cake that is very moist. Can this cupcake recipe be used to make a layered chocolate cake, too?
Hi Toni, I have not tried to convert this cupcake recipe to a layer cake, so unfortunately I’m not sure how well it would work.
Thank you so much for responding, Michelle. Unless someone can recommend this recipe as a layer cake, I will make a different one for the special granddaughter’s birthday celebration. I would love to hear from anyone if this cupcake recipe works for a cake. It looks so delicious!
Hi, I made these cupcakes yesterday and they turned out amazing! I thought my frosting was a little soft and didn’t look as nice as yours. Is there anyway to stiffen it up so that the icing will stay swirled on top of the cupcake? Thanks!
Hi Dianne, I’m glad you enjoyed the cupcakes! I will say, I thought the frosting was softer than I’m typically used to and didn’t think it would sit up on the cupcakes, but it did just fine. Did you try it? The humidity and heat levels in the kitchen can also affect how soft the frosting is. You could always try adding more powdered sugar, but I wouldn’t add a ton, as you’ll lose that soft-as-silk texture.