A super moist double chocolate cupcake made from scratch using real melted chocolate in the cake and frosting. These are bound to become your go-to chocolate cupcake recipe!
Everyone needs to have a solid super moist chocolate cupcake recipe on hand. It is such a classic recipe and finding one that guarantees results each and every time is a treasure. These cupcakes can be filled and frosted with literally anything. It has become my one and only used recipe, truly everything you could ever desire in a chocolate cupcake.
I make these cupcakes whenever I need to satisfy my chocolate cravings.
Why I adore this recipe:
- Ease: this is a super simple, no mixer required recipe. The batter comes together quickly.
- Pantry staple ingredients: while there are some power ingredients required, all of them are common and most likely already in your kitchen.
- Flavour: the chocolate flavour in the cupcake alone is undeniable. Intensely deep and fudge-like without being too heavy.
- Texture: the cakes yield a delightful super moist crumb that is fudgy yet cakey and very tender.
The cupcakes have enough structure to stand up to tons of frostings and flavours while still being super soft with that wonderful melt-in-your-mouth feel.
While this recipe is very easy, it does call for some specific ingredients to ensure that the cupcakes bake as they are supposed to.
Key Ingredients
- Butter: I know most chocolate cupcake recipes claim that oil is the fat of choice but for these, it’s butter all the way. The moisture, texture & flavour is irreplaceable and can only be achieved using butter.
- Melted real dark chocolate: we are going all out with chocolate here. Only real melted chocolate can give you that deep, chocolatey flavour and craveable crumb texture.
- Cornflour/cornstarch: only a small addition is used to thicken the cakes and make them extra soft.
- Brown sugar: it goes without saying, brown sugar is a must in creating a chocolate fudge cupcake. Reacting with the baking soda, the sugar will give a slightly dense crumb with a delicious caramel undertone.
- Sour cream: the moist maker of the recipe, sour cream is a must. It ensure the cakes stay moist, light and soft.
Chocolate cupcakes can be paired with just about any frosting such as vanilla, peanut butter or caramel. Today I went the classic route with a delicious double chocolate buttercream frosting.
This is my favourite chocolate frosting recipe and I use it whenever I need to frost with chocolate. The recipe calls for both cocoa powder and melted chocolate which give a beautiful complexity of chocolate flavour and texture. I also love using evaporated milk to loosen the frosting as it makes creamy yet light. Having said that, you can just as easily use regular milk or cream instead.
Chocolate buttercream tips:
- Whipped butter: use softened room temperature butter and whip it well before adding anything to it. This paves the way for the frosting to become light and airy. I always used salted butter to bump up the flavour and cut the sweetness.
- Cocoa powder: I use unsweetened 100% cocoa powder, use the best quality you can find. It really makes a difference.
- Melted dark chocolate: anywhere from 50% to 100% dark chocolate can be use and it’s a must as it gives that true chocolate flavour and texture.
Tips for success:
- The cupcakes come together using just a regular whisk and spatula. The batter is thick. Do not worry because that is how it’s supposed to be, almost like a frosting or custard. Make sure not to over mix the batter.
- Try your best not to substitute ingredients as any change can give a different result to the baked cupcakes.
- Bake the cupcakes at a lower temperature for a slower, more even bake, and fill each cupcake liner only 2/3 full. If you over fill the cupcake cups than the cupcakes can sink or rise to much and spill over.
- My ultimate tip for baking any cupcake is to cool the cakes on a wire rack for only 5-10 minutes. Then immediately store them in an airtight container to continue cooling completely. This technique locks in the moisture.
I really want to thank everyone for all your amazing comments and fabulous feedback on my recipes that you’ve tried! I’m so happy you guys are enjoying them and please do continue tagging me with your pics, I love seeing your baked creations. If you make these super moist chocolate cupcakes, tag @dutchbakerblog and hashtag me #dutchbakerblog on any one of my social media, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. You guys are awesome! 😄
Ingredients
1/2 cup (100gms) unsalted butter
2 oz/56gms dark or semi sweet baking chocolate, anywhere between 50% to 100%
3/4 cup (90gms) minus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour*
1 tablespoon corn flour/cornstarch
1/2 cup (48gms) cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (100gms) white sugar
1/4 cup (50gms) light or dark soft brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (125mls) sour cream**
- For the frosting
1 cup (200gms) softened salted butter
1/3 cup (35gms) cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups (190gms) icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons (30mls) evaporated milk***
75 gms (2/5oz) melted dark chocolate, anywhere from 50% to 100%
Directions
- Preheat oven to 160C/325F. Line a muffin tray with cupcake cups.
- In a heat proof bowl over simmering water (or in a microwave) melt the butter and chocolate together and whisk smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside. In a another bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla white sugar and brown sugar until combined. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and whisk smooth.
- Using a spatula or spoon add in the half of the flour mix then the sour cream then the remaining flour mix whisking everything slowly only until *just* combined. I recommend doing this by hand to avoid over mixing. Batter will be very thick. Divide batter between cupcake cups filling each only 2/3 full.
- Bake cupcakes for 15 – 17 minutes or until cooked through and a knife or toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Make sure not to over bake these cupcakes. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack for about 10 minutes then put them in an airtight container to continue cooling all the way. This traps in the moisture making the cupcakes extra moist and fudgy. Don’t skip this last step.
- For the frosting
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a bain-marie or in a microwave, set aside to cool. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the butter for about 2 minutes until creamy. Add in the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth and combined.
- Add in the icing sugar and cream and whisk until combined. Whisk on high speed for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add in vanilla extract and evaporated milk.
- Pour in the melted chocolate and beat smooth.
- To assemble
- Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, use a piping tip or knife/spoon to frost the top of each cupcake with the buttercream. Top with chocolate shavings or sprinkles if desired. Store cupcakes in an airtight container.
Notes
- *Measure 3/4 cup/90gms flour then remove 1 tablespoon and continue with the recipe. This ensures the cupcakes have a lovely, light and soft crumb.
- **Sour cream can be replaced with full fat Greek yoghurt if needed.
- ***Evaporated can be replaced with milk or cream.
- These cupcakes rise alot so make sure not to over fill your cupcake cups. Don’t go over 2/3 full.
- Recipe by the dutch baker.
Check out my favourite vanilla cupcakes:
They look delicious!
Never heard of using cornflour in cupcakes, but I will definitely be giving it a go!
Oh yes cornflour/cornstarch is amazing in cakes and cookies! It keeps everything so soft, you should definitely try it 🙂 Thanks for your lovely comment xx
This is incredible. I actually made your Dark Chocolate Cupcakes a couple days ago for my daughters birthday. They were so divine, and really were absolutely perfect. Sorry I didn’t even take a pic, but I will say that they were devoured and loved by all.
Looking forward to making this recipe now as well. Thanks my friend for such great recipes always. Have a wonderful weekend. 🙂 x
Aww that’s amazing Lynne! I’m so happy you loved those cupcakes, they’re the best and such a show stopper 😄 I hope your daughter had a wonderful birthday 😙 these cupcakes are actually based off of those dark chocolate cupcakes. Thank you so much for the sweet comments and for trying my recipes 💜
Yum! Awesome post, would’ve loved to have gotten these for my birthday 😀
Aw thanks so much! 😊 I do hope you try them even if it’s not for a birthday! 😂
These look delicious and it’s quite funny, as I also made some cupcakes this week and used a bit of cornflour, simply because I ran out of regular flour. They came out so soft, I love it! I guess I will be using it more often! I will have to give these a go, I’m always ok the lookout for new chocolate cupcake recipes! 🙂 x x x
Thank you 😄 yup adding cornflour to cakes is amazing! Let me know if you try these 😊 thanks so much for the lovely comment xx
Those look wonderful. I have heard of people using corn flour and baking for some things, but never cupcakes so I may have to try your method.
Oh you definitely need to try it in cupcakes, it’s very good for the texture. Thanks for your lovely comment 😊