Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
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This has been my go-to Chocolate Cupcake recipe for years now. It makes the softest, perfectly chocolaty, moist and fluffy cupcake paired with the best chocolate cupcake frosting.
Chocolate Cupcake with Chocolate Frosting
How is it that I’ve never shared a chocolate cupcake recipe with chocolate buttercream frosting before?? Okay, I’ve shared lots of chocolate cupcakes with different kinds of frosting, but who doesn’t love this classic combination — chocolate with more chocolate!
This is has been my go-to chocolate cupcakes for years now. I created this cupcake recipe back when I was reading the how-to’s and sciences of baking books, so I came up with the perfect blend and ratios to get my favorite chocolate cupcake. I’m crazy, I literally dream about these things.
Try these out soon though, you just can’t go wrong with a classic chocolate cupcake with a rich chocolate buttercream frosting.
These are made with all the good stuff — butter, sugar, cocoa, cream. And it includes a tutorial on how to make cupcake frosting that is out of this world.
Oh and that cupcake frosting, it tastes like fudge. If you are lucky enough to have any left over, just store the chocolate frosting for cupcakes in the fridge and eat it by the spoonful. Fudge, I tell you.
Chocolate Cupcakes Ingredients
For the easy chocolate cupcake recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Boiling water
- Unsalted butter
- Vegetable oil
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Eggs
- Heavy cream
- All-purpose flour
Chocolate Frosting Ingredients
For the chocolate cupcake frosting, you’ll need:
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Vanilla extract
- Heavy cream
How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In large heat proof mixing bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and baking soda.
- Pour in boiling water and whisk then let cool 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl using an electric mixer blend together melted butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt.
- Mix in egg then eggs yolk.
- Blend in lukewarm cocoa mixture then blend in heavy cream.
- Add flour and blend until well combined.
- Divide batter among 12 paper lined muffin cups filling each about 2/3 full.
- Bake in preheated oven about 17 – 20 minutes.
- Cool before frosting.
How to Make Cupcake Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until fluffy.
- Add the rest of the chocolate frosting ingredients and mix until light and fluffy.
Can I Double the Recipe?
You can easily double this recipe, it is actually half of the original recipe. I’m usually only making 12 cupcakes these days, it’s not very often that I need 24. But if you’ve got a room full of chocolate lovers, go with 24 :).
Can I Freeze Cupcakes?
While I think cupcakes are best fresh, you can definitely freeze them. If you know you’ll be freezing the cupcakes, I recommend freezing only the chocolate cupcake base and waiting until you’re ready to eat them to make the chocolate frosting for the cupcakes. You may be able to freeze buttercream, but it’s far better fresh!
Is There a Heavy Cream Substitute I Can Use?
Without having tried it myself, I can’t say for sure. But I’ve had readers report success making this recipe with whole milk. I wouldn’t use a milk with less fat than that since you need the fat to add moisture to the cupcakes.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Cupcakes
- When making the chocolate cupcake batter, the water must be boiling. Warm tap water isn’t hot enough.
- I prefer using a blend of salted and unsalted butter in the chocolate cupcake frosting. I find it adds a richer flavor!
- If you want extra chocolatey frosting, add an additional 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to it.
More Easy Cupcake Recipes You’ll Love:
- Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream Frosting
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Funfetti Cupcakes
- Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Follow Cooking Classy
Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (38g) unsweetened cocoa powder (scoop and level to measure)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) boiling water
- 1/4 cup (58g) unsalted butter, melted
- 3 Tbsp (45ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Heaping 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
- 3/4 cup+ 2 Tbsp (125g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
Chocolate Buttercream
- 3/4 cup (170g) butter softened (preferably 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1/4 cup salted)
- 2 1/2 cups (326g) powdered sugar
- 6 Tbsp (38g) unsweetened cocoa powder*
- 2 - 3 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the chocolate cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In large heat proof mixing bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and baking soda. Carefully pour in boiling water and whisk until bubbling subsides and mixture is well blended, allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a separate large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on low speed, blend together melted butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt until well combined, about 30 seconds.
- Mix in egg then eggs yolk. Blend in lukewarm cocoa mixture then blend in heavy cream. Add flour and blend until well combined, while scraping down sides and bottom of bowl.
- Divide batter among 12 paper lined muffin cups filling each about 2/3 full.
- Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 17 - 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in muffin pan several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool. Cool completely then frost with chocolate buttercream frosting.
For the chocolate buttercream frosting:
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream butter until fluffy.
- Mix in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, 2 Tbsp cream and the vanilla. Mix until light and fluffy while adding more cream to thin if needed.
Notes
- *If you want the frosting even more chocolatey you can add another 2 Tbsp cocoa powder.