The Best EASY Chocolate Cupcakes are moist, have a tender crumb, are deeply chocolatey and made without an electric beater. No waiting for butter to soften, no creaming, the batter is simple and quick to make. Excellent emergency cupcakes!
After Vanilla Cupcakes? Here they are!
Chocolate Cupakes
Using the term “BEST” is not something I do lightly.
I do feel a bit uncomfortable saying that these are the BEST Easy Chocolate Cupcakes. But in the cupcake world, I truly do believe these to be the best that can be for a simple no-standmixer, no creaming butter recipe.
I was back and forth about which cupcake recipe to share. I was tempted to go for a “100% perfect” version which requires a stand mixer / electric beater to cream butter. And I wanted to be able to talk to you about how perfect they are.
But you know what? The Perfect version is not the one I make the most. This Easy version is. It’s my “go to”, the one I can make right now, without waiting for butter to soften, without pulling out my hand beater. And the difference between this Easy version and the Perfect version is so insignificant, I don’t care.
And so it was settled. I went for the Easy version. 🙂
These Chocolate Cupcakes are…
Soft and tender, not crumbly. Like Red Velvet Cake – it should be “velvety”;
Moist;
Actually taste of chocolate (unfortunate many lack this!);
Delicate, but still be sturdy enough to support a generous pile of frosting; and
Have a sweet dome, shaped such that it looks nice enough if you just dust with icing sugar / powdered sugar, but flat enough to pipe on tall swirls of frosting.
Being the quick and easy version these are, you’ll notice that the surface of the dome does have some small cracks on it. But for the easy of this recipe, it is a very small price to pay.
Besides, no cupcake ever leaves my kitchen without frosting!!!
Best frosting for Chocolate Cupcakes
Hard to go past chocolate-on-chocolate, but I will put forward some non chocolate options too!
Chocolate Buttercream – I realise how ironic it is that I’d feature these cupcakes with tall swirls of buttercream frosting which calls for both softened butter and and stand mixer! 😂 But hey, frosting is worth the effort. 😇 Pipe on swirls, or spread on with a knife;
Speedy Chocolate Fudge Frosting (pictured below, in recipe card) – made with cocoa powder mixed with melted butter, then thickened with icing sugar/frosting until it’s a spreadable consistency, this frosting is quite rich so I’d recommend just spreading onto the cupcakes rather than piping tall swirls;
Decadent Chocolate Ganache Frosting – made with melted chocolate and cream, this is a deluxe chocolate frosting that I use for my sinfully decadent Chocolate Fudge Cake. Once melted, it’s cooled until it thicken into a spreadable consistency. I don’t recommend piping this on in tall swirls, it would be overly rich I feel!
Vanilla Buttercream – White frosting on chocolate cupcakes looks striking and makes for a lovely flavour combination! Use the recipe in my Vanilla Cake recipe – it will frost 12 cupcakes generously (tall swirls) though if you just want to smear it on then you can halve the batch; and
My Secret Less-Sweet Fluffy Vanilla Frosting – this frosting is magical! It’s like a cross between whipped cream and buttercream. Far less sweet and fluffier than buttercream, and it’s also 100% silky smooth (buttercream will always have a faint grit to it, the icing sugar/powdered sugar never fully dissolves). Dense than whipped cream, and unlike whipped cream, it holds its form for days.
I’ve shared the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting in a separate post because I think it’s worthy of being a separate recipe. 🙂 Also because I’ve done a video for that too – I didn’t want to cram it into the cupcake recipe video.
The weekend is here!! Do I hear chocolate cupcakes calling your name?? I think I do….. 😉 – Nagi xx
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Best Easy Chocolate Cupcakes recipe video!
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Best Easy Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Dry:
- 3/4 cup plain/all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup caster sugar (super fine sugar, or sub with normal white sugar)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda / bi carbonate soda (Note 1)
- Pinch of salt
Wet:
- 120g / 8 tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1" / 2cm pieces (1 US stick / 1/2 cup)
- 60g / 2 oz dark chocolate , preferably 70%+ cocoa, broken into pieces (Note 2)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder , preferably Dutch processed (Note 3)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or other neutral flavour oil)
- 2 large eggs (55 – 60g / 2 oz each)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
- 120g / 8 tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1" / 2cm pieces (1 US stick / 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder , preferably Dutch processed
- 2 1/2 cups soft icing sugar / powdered sugar (NOT pure icing sugar)
- 3 – 4 tbsp milk (any)
- Sprinkles and other decorations, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Put oven rack in the middle of the oven.
- Place 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake tin.
- Sift Dry ingredients into a bowl. Whisk briefly.
- Place butter and chocolate in a separate, large heatproof bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds, mix, then microwave for another 30 seconds. Mix until chocolate is melted and smooth (keep microwaving in 20 sec bursts if chocolate not melted).
- Add cocoa powder and mix.
- Add milk and oil, then eggs, vanilla and vinegar. Whisk until smooth.
- Add flour mixture and whisk until lump free.
- Divide mixture between cupcake liners. I use a ice cream scoop for this. They should be just over 3/4 full.
- Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, or until skewer inserted into the cupcake in the middle of the tray comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and immediately transfer to cooling rack (spoon or knife helps).
- Once cool, spread with frosting and decorate with sprinkles if desired. Alternatively, use Chocolate Buttercream Frosting!
Speedy Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
- Melt butter then mix in cocoa powder until smooth.
- Add icing sugar and milk. Mix until smooth. Use milk to adjust consistency if required – it should be a soft spreadable consistency (like peanut butter).
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
No chocolate cupcake for Dozer. Bad for you! How about a giant bone instead? (Mind you, it’s a dry aged one from a fancy butcher. Got it for free! 💪🏻)
These are the BEST chocolate cupcakes ever. With the fudge frosting. They even taste better on the 2nd day, the 3rd day, the 4th; they just keep getting better and better and stay soft. Love them! They’re the only chocolate cupcakes I make from now on. Thank you for the recipe!
great recipe, thank you 🙂 I added chocolate chips in the end and they were amazing!
HI Nagi
These look awesome thank you, going to give them a try but don’t have the chocolate to melt. I’m wondering if there a way to change the mix slightly to allow for no melted dark chocolate?
THanks
Hi Bestys! I’m sorry I don’t know, but what you can do is use my Chocolate Cake recipe for cupcakes, no melted chocolate in that! N x
I made a cake using your chocolate cake recipe, and it is amazing, but when I tried to make just the frosting from here, my fats split and were just floating on the top. I microwaved it a few times and was able to whisk it smooth, but it’s more like a thick cooled ganache. It was okay until I added milk- where did I go wrong?
Beautiful, soft, and really chocolatey! So nice not to be creaming the butter and sugar. On the off chance there are any left tonight, can they be frozen once they’ve had the frosting applied? Thank you, thank you for (another) amazing recipe.
Ok. So I bake a LOT and have tried countless cupcake recipes. I’ve had some great ones and some fails. I hardly ever comment on recipes. This one, however, deserves a comment. It’s amazing! It’s easy, delicious, and that fudge frosting? Heaven. THANK YOU for posting this recipe and making the best chocolate cupcakes ever!
Yes YES YES!!! 🙌🏻 I am so thrilled to hear that Ellen, THANK YOU!! N xx
These cupcakes are amazing, I loved the flavour and the texture, thank you so much for sharing the recipe
That’s so great to hear Meriam! Thanks for letting me know! N xx
Nagi,
Is that ok if I add some chocolate chips in the batter before I bake? Do I need to change anything?
Hi Ru-Gown – yes yes YES! No need to change anything, just stir it through at the end 🙂 N x
I had to make these. Been eyeing them for a few days. Nagi, they are so good, I wish I would have doubled the cake part.
Thank you for your ideas they are the best. Can’t wait till my older daughter comes back and finds these yummy little morsels calling her. Took a picture but didn’t know how to get it here.
What wonderful feedback Sandy, I’m so pleased to hear that, thank you! N xx
I am not a cake baker at all and was looking for something yummy to make for my 3 year old’s birthday today. These are the BEST cupcakes I’ve tasted for a while and super easy. Today I’m going to ice them top them with some fun sprinkles and my daughter will be delighted with them! Only problem is there won’t be any spare for me 🙁
Yes yes YESSSS!!! I’m so pleased you like these Liz, I love them too 🙂 they are my “go to” cupcakes! N xx
These are awesome! If you add a p nut butter and choc chip filling, it is even more amazing!😁😊
YES TO THAT! 😂
Ok. Made this tonight and those darn cupcakes are ridiculously delicious! So easy! Thanks for the recipe and the video. My family thank you (but my waistline does not 😉).
I’m so happy to hear that YS! Cupcakes, not waistline.. 😉 Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know – N xx
Hi Nagi, I make this twice a week to feed 3 fussy, constantly hungry school-going teens and pre-teen. Instead of frosting, I top them with some frozen raspberries…possibilities are endless – marshmallows, maltesers etc ! Thanks so much for another fabulous, quick and easy recipe.
That’s so great to hear Christine! So glad everyone enjoys these – and I love that you use other toppings! – N xx
This is the BEST cupcakes i’ve ever baked! Ahhhh it was melting in my mouth! SO good…..gonna make more next time..12pcs not enough for giving away for free tasting😂😂😂
goodness! chocolate cupcakes I long for you. cheers to easy baked goodies.
I hear you!!!
Hello. You mention chocolate in the frosting instructions but only cocoa in the frosting ingredients. Am I missing something? Many thanks.
HI Mel! Nope, you’re not missing anything, I only make the frosting with cocoa 🙂 You can add some melted chocolate though – just melt and cool ,whip it in at the end. Around 60g/2 oz – and reduce the cocoa by half. N xx
Nagi – You found my weakness!
Oh those chocolate cupcakes with the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting looks sooooo good!
Dozer might have a nice bone instead of Chocolate cupcakes, but I believe he’s still thinking Cupcake.
Ha!! Probably!!!!
Hi Nagi, I made the cupcakes today with my 5 year old and we had a great time decorating and noshing them down. They are soooo delicious and oh, so, so simple! You are absolutely right… they are the BEST easy chocolate cupcakes EVER!!! As always, you’ve come up with a recipe that’s minimum effort but yields maximum reward!!! Thanks so much! x
SCREECH!! I’m so so pleased to hear that you liked them Doreen! It always means a lot especially for baking recipes that took me years to “get right”. 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know! N xx
Nagi, we SO speak the same language when it comes to food.
When I make fancy cupcakes (which is not that often if I’m honest) I like to make easy frostings like this too. They’re easy, but I also like making them with melted butter because they taste lovely and ‘fudgy’.
I’d buy these if I saw them in a shop – they’re beautiful and perfect for making friends at parties!
And you can practically make this with ONE hand and a baby on your hip! 😉 N xx
Really loved the music in the video. Kind of magical.
Thank you! I thought it was kind of sweet! 🙂 N xx