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+ servings

Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

super moist dark chocolate cupcakes
These super moist dark chocolate cupcakes are easy to make and packed with tons of dark chocolate flavor. Made with everyday pantry ingredients like dark cocoa powder and topped with chocolate buttercream, this is the BEST chocolate cupcake recipe you have been looking for. Rich and decadent, this easy cupcake recipe will be your favorite go-to for homemade cupcakes.
Heather - A Wicked Whisk
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Serving Size 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 0.09 ounce packet of espresso powder
  • 34 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk .. room temperature
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs .. room temperature
  • 3/4 cup hot water
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 3/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder .. sifted
  • 4 cups powdered sugar .. sifted
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • To make your Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes, start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, espresso powder, baking powder and salt. Add in the room temperature eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat on a medium speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, pour in the hot water and combine until mixed. Fill each cupcake 2/3 full and bake for 20-22 minutes then remove from tins and cool completely on a baking rack.
  • To make the chocolate buttercream frosting, add butter to a large bowl and using a mixer, beat until fluffy. Add in cocoa powder, salt and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Mix in sifted powdered sugar slowly and in increments and then add in the milk until the desired consistency is reached. Transfer frosting to a piping bag or large zip top bag and frost your completely cooled chocolate cupcakes.

Notes

PRO TIPS FOR MOIST CUPCAKES

  • You always want to make sure you grab the dark unprocessed cocoa powder from your baking aisle because that cocoa powder is what really makes these dark chocolate cupcakes irresistible. 
  • Adding just a little bit of coffee flavor in our chocolate cupcakes by adding the espresso powder makes them super decadent and adds a rich flavor to the batter.  But if you don’t care to add the espresso powder into the recipe, feel free to leave it out. These are mighty tasty chocolate cupcakes without the added ingredient.
  • Bring your eggs and buttermilk to room temperature before using them. Room temp eggs emulsify better and are fluffier than eggs right out of the refrigerator.
  • A trick for bringing refrigerated eggs to room temperature quicker is to let them sit in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
  • You want to make sure you are measuring your flour correctly. If you scoop out a measuring cup of flour directly from the bag, you will pack in way too much flour. To avoid this, spoon the flour into the measuring cup until its overfilled and then use the back of a butter knife to level the measuring cup at the top. Now you have the perfect flour measurement!
  • Don’t over-mix your chocolate cupcake batter. Once run your mixer long enough to incorporate the ingredients to avoid tough or dense cupcakes.
  • Use a small measuring cup to add your batter to your cupcake tins. This way your cupcakes are all the same size and save on (most) of the mess.
  • Buy milk while you are at the store. Chocolate cake needs to be eaten with a big glass of milk. Buy milk.
  • If you don't have buttermilk on hand, simply use 1/2 cup of whole milk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice instead of buttermilk. I learned this trick from Sally's Baking Addiction.
  • If you don't have everything on hand to make homemade chocolate buttercream, don't stress about it!! These are perfect with your favorite store bought frosting :)
  • I can’t stress this one enough … kids, sift those dry ingredients when it comes to making the buttercream frosting. No one wants to serve up the perfect chocolate cupcakes slathered in a chocolate buttercream frosting with lumps of white powdered sugar speckled through out. Sift!!
  • Cool completely before frosting your cupcakes otherwise the frosting will melt away and it will be a mess and you will be sad.
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