Moist cocoa-laced cupcakes topped with silky chocolate buttercream—every bite is a chocolate declaration.
Why This Cupcake Rocks
This isn’t weeknight grocery-bought cake with frosting slapped on above. These cupcakes are about balanced texture, deep chocolate flavour, and smart technique. We want tender crumb without dryness, frosting that holds peaks without greasiness, and chocolate identity that’s unmistakable. This recipe accomplishes all of that by treating every stage—mixing, baking, frosting—with precision.
Recipe Card
- Recipe name: Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Summary: Rich, moist chocolate cupcakes topped with creamy, velvety chocolate buttercream—made from scratch with balanced ingredients and expert technique.
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 18–20 minutes
- Additional time: 30 minutes cooling + optional frosting chill
- Total time: ~1 hour 10 minutes
- Servings: 12 cupcakes
- Diet: Vegetarian (contains dairy and eggs)
- Method: Creaming → Bake → Frost
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 cup (128g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups (150g) powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1–2 Tbsp heavy cream or milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Equipment You’ll Need
- Medium and large mixing bowls
- Electric mixer or stand mixer (paddle or whisk)
- 12-cup muffin tin
- Paper liners
- Cooling rack
- Offset spatula or piping bag with tip
- Digital scale or measuring spoons
Instructions
Step 1: Prep Everything
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line muffin tin with liners.
- Whisk together dry ingredients for cupcakes in a medium bowl (flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt).
- Combine wet ingredients in another bowl: oil/butter, eggs, sour cream, milk, vanilla.
Step 2: Mixing
- Gradually add wet mixture into dry ingredients. Use spatula to fold gently—don’t overmix. Stop just when no streaks remain. Overmixing makes cupcakes dense.
- Scoop batter into liners, filling about ⅔ full to allow space for rise.
Step 3: Bake
- Slide pan into preheated oven. Bake 18–20 minutes until tops spring back or a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
- Remove from oven and immediately transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack—leaving liners in tin helps carry heat away.
Step 4: Cool
- Let cupcakes cool completely (30 min). Frosting hot cupcakes equals melting mess. Technical patience = structure.
Step 5: Chocolate Buttercream
- Beat butter on medium-high for 2–3 minutes until pale and fluffy. This air incorporation is the base for light frosting.
- On low speed, add powdered sugar and cocoa powder in batches—1 cup sugar + cocoa, mix into butter, then another ½ cup sugar, ensuring even mix.
- Add vanilla, salt, and 1 Tbsp cream. Beat 1–2 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Adjust consistency—if too thick, add another Tbsp cream; too loose, add small amounts of sifted sugar or cocoa.
- Taste and adjust salt. Good frosting is rich and balanced—sweetness doesn’t dominate.
Step 6: Frosting the Cupcakes
Option A: Use an offset spatula to spread buttercream in swirls.
Option B: Fill a piping bag with large star tip and pipe peaks. For clean presentation, swirl clockwise from the outside in, finishing with a curl.
Notes
- Cocoa powder selection: Use high-quality unsweetened cocoa—Dutch-processed will deepen color but may slightly increase bitterness. Adjust sugar if needed.
- Oil vs. butter: Oil yields moister cupcakes; butter adds richer flavor. Both work—just note texture will shift slightly.
- Sour cream: Provides acidity and moisture. Yogurt works, but full-fat is key for richness.
- Eggs: Room-temp ensures proper emulsification. Cold eggs thin batter and reduce rise.
- Temperature matters: Oven hot and consistent—don’t open door mid-bake or risk collapse.
- Frosting fluff: Proper creaming of butter and powder creates volume and lightness.
- Salt in frosting: Helps tone down sweetness—don’t skip.
Troubleshooting
- Dense cupcakes: Likely overmixed or oven too low. Make sure to fold gently and bake at precise 350°F.
- Cupcakes domed but cracked: Batter too thick or oven too hot. Reduce temperature by 25°F next bake.
- Frosting grainy: Sift your powdered sugar and cocoa. No sift = gritty frosting.
- Frosting too soft: Chill for 10 minutes, then re-whip.
- Frosting too stiff: Beat in extra cream until spreadable.
Storage
- Store frosted cupcakes in airtight container up to 3 days at room temperature. Keep away from direct heat.
- Unfrosted cupcakes last 4 days at room temp sealed, or 3 months frozen. Thaw, then frost.
Final Serve
These cupcakes are the result of precision, texture awareness, and chocolate integrity. Every bite hits cocoa depth, crumb moisture, and buttercream finesse. You fought for quality: sifted, whipped, folded, piped. Not just treats—they’re statements.
Serve them at birthday tables, potlucks, or midnight cravings. Watch people pause mid-bite. Let them chew. Let them feel: this is chocolate done right.
Want more photoshop-level desserts with real simplicity and serious impact? Email me at [email protected]. Let’s make your audience drool with recipes that perform.
