If other chocolate cupcake recipes have left you less than satisfied, these perfectly moist chocolate fudge cupcakes are here to change that. Combining rich, fluffy cake with silky, extra-chocolatey buttercream, this is one recipe that will never let you down. And the best part? They come together with just over 30 minutes of prep!
There's nothing worse than a chocolate dessert that promises to be incredibly indulgent and just - falls short. Whether we're talking about chocolate chunk cookies, double chocolate muffins, or chocolate cupcakes, if eating it doesn't feel like diving into a pool of chocolate, is it even worth it?!
Inspired by my go-to chocolate fudge cake (hands-down one of my favorite recipes to date), I decided it was high time to add the best chocolate cupcake recipe to my baking arsenal. Here it is!
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Recipe Highlights
- Rich Chocolate Flavor: This is not a recipe that pretends to be chocolatey - it truly is! It's based on a (thoroughly tested) chocolate cake recipe that's specifically developed to be both moist and fudgy. To match the intensity, we're pairing it with a buttercream frosting made with a one-two punch of melted chocolate and cocoa powder.
- Simple Prep: I love my stand mixer but loathe taking it out of the cabinet, so all you'll need for this easy chocolate cupcake recipe is a bowl with a whisk, plus a handheld electric mixer for the frosting. It'll take just over 30 minutes of hands-on time.
- Adaptability: Turn these into gluten free chocolate cupcakes by making them with your favorite gluten free all-purpose flour. They'll still be the BEST chocolate cupcakes you've ever had.
- No Pre-Planning: The way this recipe is designed, you don't need to worry about having room temperature ingredients before you get to work. The butter is the only thing that needs to be softened, and if you take it out when you start baking, you should be good to go!
- The Perfect Make-Ahead Dessert! These are super moist chocolate cupcakes, so they'll taste just as amazing on day 3 as they do on day 1. Feel free to prep them a day or two before a big event!
Ingredient Tips and Substitutions
For the Chocolate Cupcakes:
- Flour: Make this with regular or gluten free all-purpose flour.
- Cocoa Powder: Dutch process cocoa is best (it's richer and smoother!) but natural cocoa powder will work as well. Always use the highest quality cocoa you can find - it will do wonders for the flavor of any chocolate recipe!
- Hot Coffee: Freshly brewed is great, but instant coffee or heated cold brew will also do the trick. In a pinch, you can use hot water, but coffee will amplify the chocolate flavor of your cake.
- Oil: This is the key to a moist chocolate cupcake recipe. I typically bake with avocado oil, but any neutral-flavored option (vegetable, canola, etc.) works.
- Buttermilk: The acid in buttermilk helps keep these cupcakes soft and tender, which is why it also makes for great muffins and scones.You can make an easy buttermilk substitute if you don't have any on hand.
- Distilled white vinegar: Like buttermilk, this will enhance the texture of your cupcakes and react with the baking soda used to help them rise. You can also use apple cider vinegar.
For the Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- Semisweet Chocolate: Use any high-quality baking chocolate - this can be a finely chopped chocolate bar or chocolate wafers, discs, or fèves, all of which are made to melt smoothly when heated.
- Butter: If you're a salt lover, you can use salted butter in this frosting like I do. Otherwise, unsalted butter and a heavy pinch of added salt will work too.
- Confectioner's (Powdered) Sugar: If the corn starch flavor in conventional powdered sugar bothers you, try one made with arrowroot starch!
- Cocoa Powder: Same notes as above (high quality, preferably Dutch).
For ingredient quantities, see the recipe card below!
Recipe Tip!
Pull your butter out to soften at the same time as you start prepping the cupcake batter. By the time the cupcakes have baked and cooled, the butter should be just soft enough to make the frosting. And if you forget, see if your microwave has a soften butter feature!
Step by Step Instructions
Making the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a small mixing bowl.
- Pour the hot coffee into a separate, medium mixing bowl, followed by the oil, buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract, and vinegar (in order). Whisk together until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold in with a spatula just until evenly combined, without any clumps of flour or cocoa remaining. The batter should be fairly thin and fluid.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. They should each be about ⅔ full. A large cookie scoop is helpful for portioning out the batter!
- Bake cupcakes at 350ºF for 20-23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, and the tops no longer appear wet. Place pan over a wire rack and cool completely before making frosting.
Making the Frosting:
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 60 seconds. Stir and continue to microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until smoothly melted. Set aside to cool briefly while whipping the butter.
- Using a handheld or standing electric mixer, beat softened butter on medium-high speed until texture is creamy and color has paled to a lighter shade of yellow.
- Sift the confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder into the bowl with the butter. If you don't have a sifter, you can use a fine-mesh strainer. Start the mixer on low speed and slowly pour in the melted chocolate. Add the vanilla extract and continue to beat until the frosting is smooth, scraping the bowl and beater down with a spatula as needed.
- Pipe frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and garnish as desired. The cupcakes you see here were piped with an Ateco #827 star tip.
Serving and Storing
These chocolate fudge cupcakes are best served at room temperature, but any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They'll stay fresh for up to one week.
Like most frostings, this one will firm up once chilled, so it's best if you can let the cupcakes sit out for about an hour if you're serving them after being refrigerated.
Tips for the BEST Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
- Use high-quality ingredients - especially for the cocoa powder, baking chocolate, and butter. These will make the biggest difference in the flavor and overall outcome of this recipe.
- Weigh your ingredients. Being heavy-handed with your flour or cocoa powder will lead to cupcakes that aren't as moist as they should be. I've had this inexpensive kitchen scale for at least 10 years and it's still going strong!
- Don't over-mix or over-bake. These are two things you almost always want to avoid. Both can lead to baked goods that are tough, dry, and/or rubbery.
- Garnish! Cupcakes always look a little more complete with even the simplest of garnishes. Chocolate jimmies, mini chocolate chips, chocolate curls, or sparkling sugar are all easy options. For a flavor twist, try candied orange/lemon peel or candied pecans/walnuts!
Quick FAQs
Yes! My fudge cake recipe has the proportions perfectly scaled for a 9" chocolate layer cake.
No - hot water works too! Coffee ups the ante on the flavor of these cupcakes, but it's not an absolute must.
Yes! You can use the ganache frosting from my chocolate espresso cupcake recipe. If you don't want coffee in the ganache, just increase the heavy cream to 1 ⅜ cups.
Sure thing! These stay fresh for several days, so there's no issue making them ahead. You can also bake the cupcakes in advance and frost them the day you plan to serve them to guarantee they look their best!
pair this with a drink!
Irish Cream Espresso Martini
This creamy, coffee-forward dessert cocktail would pair perfectly with the bold flavor of these chocolate cupcakes!
More Chocolate Cupcake Recipes
Recipe Card
Super Moist Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
Ingredients
Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour regular or gluten free
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅜ teaspoon salt
- 4 ½ fluid ounces hot coffee or water
- 3 tablespoons neutral-flavored cooking oil avocado, canola, vegetable, etc.
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 4 ounces semisweet baking chocolate or chocolate wafers/discs) baking chocolate should be finely chopped
- 1 cup salted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- ⅓ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a small mixing bowl.1 cup all-purpose flour |1 cup granulated sugar |⅓ cup Dutch process cocoa powder |¾ teaspoon baking soda |⅜ teaspoon salt
- Pour the hot coffee into a separate, medium mixing bowl, followed by the oil, buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract, and vinegar (in order). Whisk together until smooth.4 ½ fluid ounces hot coffee or water |3 tablespoons neutral-flavored cooking oil |¼ cup buttermilk |1 large egg |1 teaspoon vanilla extract |1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold in with a spatula just until evenly combined, without any clumps of flour or cocoa remaining. The batter should be fairly thin and fluid.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. They should each be about ⅔ full. A large cookie scoop is helpful for portioning out the batter!
- Bake cupcakes at 350ºF for 20-23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, and the tops no longer appear wet. Place pan over a wire rack and cool completely before making frosting.
Frosting:
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 60 seconds. Stir and continue to microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until smoothly melted. Set aside to cool briefly while whipping the butter.4 ounces semisweet baking chocolate or chocolate wafers/discs)
- Using a handheld or standing electric mixer, beat softened butter on medium-high speed until texture is creamy and color has paled to a lighter shade of yellow.1 cup salted butter
- Sift the confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder into the bowl with the butter. Start the mixer on low speed and slowly pour in the melted chocolate. Add the vanilla extract and continue to beat until the frosting is smooth, scraping the bowl and beater down with a spatula as needed to ensure everything is incorporated.2 cups confectioner's sugar |⅓ cup Dutch process cocoa powder |1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pipe frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and garnish as desired.
Notes
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Dutch cocoa can be substituted with natural cocoa if needed, though the overall flavor will be slightly less rich and chocolatey.
- If using unsalted butter, add a heavy pinch of salt to the frosting.
Decorating:
- The cupcakes you see here were piped with an Ateco #827 star tip.
- Good garnish options include chocolate or rainbow sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, chocolate curls, and sparkling sugar.
Serving and Storing:
- Cupcakes are best served at room temperature, but any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and will keep for up to one week.
- Unfrosted cupcakes can also be stored in an airtight container at room temperature if you'd like to make them in advance and frost them the day you plan to serve them.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate per serving, calculated using standard ingredients. Actual values may vary based on brands used, measurement methods, and more.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to hear from you - leave a rating and review!Have you made this recipe?
If so, I'd love to hear your feedback; you can leave a rating and review in the comments section below! It's also so helpful if you help spread the word by sharing this post on your favorite social media channel. If you happen to snap a photo of what you've baked, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me (@brighteyedbaker) so I can give you a shoutout!
Greg Garrison
My wife made these for me and I gotta say they were insane. Super moist and rich. The perfect balance of savory and sweet. It would be best to triple the recipe and then eat them all to yourself, with a nice cold glass of raw milk on the side; this is a great snack.