The Best Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

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A strong chocolate taste, moistness, lightness, and perfect dome make this the best chocolate cupcake recipe I’ve ever made. They’re easy enough to make that a total beginner baker can bake them. Most people think that this recipe is better than any cake mix and is just as good – if not better – than the one at their favorite bakery.

They have been tested by over fifty bakers with a huge range of baking expertise. I am so incredibly proud of this recipe; like my perfect vanilla cupcake recipe, I spent a year developing it.

a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting on a white background.
This is the best cupcake recipe you’ll find for moist and decadent chocolate cupcakes!

UPDATE: This recipe was highlighted by Kitchn as the best chocolate cupcake in a showdown with three amazing peers. Read the article to learn all about why this cupcake won – and check out their vanilla cupcake showdown, too!

Ingredients

Chocolate is, unsurprisingly, a key ingredient. After a year of experimentation, I found that the best chocolate flavor comes from a combination of cocoa powder and melted chocolate. Using just one form of chocolate didn’t yield cupcakes with chocolate perfection. Here’s my advice on choosing your chocolate ingredients.

Cocoa Powder

bowl of Cocoa-powder
Use your favorite cocoa powder to make this best chocolate cupcake recipe.

Using different cocoa powders will alter the taste of the cupcakes, but you really can’t go wrong – it’s all chocolate!

This recipe has been tested with many different kinds of cocoa powder, both Dutch-processed and natural. All varieties work well! If you’ve only ever tried one brand of cocoa powder, I suggest experimenting with some new ones to see which flavor profile you prefer. Some of my favorites are Scharffen Berger Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder [paid link], Penzeys Natural Cocoa Powder, and Cacao Barry [paid link] (when I want something really dark).

Chocolate

Chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave
If melting in the microwave, heat the chocolate in short bursts to avoid burning or clumping.

The chocolate in these cupcakes doesn’t have to be one typically chosen for baking – any chocolate, bar, chips, or discs that don’t contain mix-ins (like nuts, Rice Krispies, nougat, etc.) will work.

You can choose whatever type of chocolate you prefer to eat: milk, dark, or even flavored chocolate bars. I typically opt for dark.

When I make these for a special occasion and want something fancy, I reach for chocolate with less sugar and a more complex flavor. A melted Patric Chocolate bar yielded my favorite version of these cupcakes to date. I also enjoy using TCHO, Scharffen Berger [paid link], and Lily’s sugar-free chocolate [paid link].

Other Notable Ingredients

Oil and Butter

The recipe uses both oil and butter. The butter should always be unsalted.

I recommend a neutral oil like canola, vegetable, or safflower.

While I love using flavored oils in baking, they will change the flavor of these cupcakes. If you want your dessert to take on a totally different taste, experiment with using non-neutral oils (pistachio oil, for example).

Sour Cream

If you don’t have sour cream in the house, I’ve done extensive testing and found that yogurt works perfectly as a substitute for sour cream.

Coffee

Coffee is optional in this recipe. Some people love the inclusion of coffee to add a touch of bitterness, but it’s not something you need. I typically leave it off.

Vanilla Extract

Offers some additional sweetness to counteract the decadent chocolate. If you prefer, you can use vanilla bean paste instead.

How to Make the Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Best chocolate cupcake
Easy and accessible, any home baker can take this best cupcake recipe and turn out beautiful and delicious desserts from their own kitchen!

Tip: If you’ve never baked a cupcake from scratch before, I suggest you take a minute to read my post on how to make cupcakes. It covers many of the basics of cupcake making and offers up help troubleshooting problems you may encounter.

To begin making the cupcakes, you’ll need to whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt.

Sifting is really important when working with cocoa powder as cocoa powder often clumps and won’t properly integrate with the other ingredients without sifting.

Sieve with dry ingredients including cocoa powder being sifted
I often find it easier to sift my dry ingredients using a spoon and a sieve.

Mix butter and sugar. Because there is only a little butter in the recipe (it calls for both butter and oil), when you mix the butter and sugar together, it will end up looking like wet sand.

Note: Cupcakes that are made with only only oil lack the flavor that butter provides; without the oil, the cupcakes can end up being too dense.

Butter and sugar mixed in stand mixer
Using a stand mixer is the easiest and most reliable way to make the best chocolate cupcakes.

Mix in the melted chocolate. The easiest way to melt chocolate is to use the microwave. Break or chop the chocolate into small pieces and put it into a microwave-safe bowl. Then, microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring after each burst, until all of the chocolate is melted.

Adding melted chocolate to chocolate cupcake batter
Using both melted chocolate and cocoa powder is what makes this the best chocolate cupcakes recipe!

Mix in eggs and egg yolks one at a time. Adding the extra yolks gives the recipe a little more moisture and fat content.

Adding eggs to chocolate cupcake batter
Extra egg yolks ensure that the texture of your cupcakes is moist and tender.

Mix in sour cream and oil. The sour cream gives the cupcakes a subtle tang that enhances their flavor while also adding more dairy/fat to the recipe.

Adding sour cream to chocolate cupcake batter
These chocolate cupcakes are enhanced by the subtle addition of sour cream.

Mix in the dry ingredients in three additions. Be sure to mix only until just combined. Over-mixing can cause the cupcakes to become gummy.

Mixing in dry ingredients to chocolate cupcake batter
Be sure to mix in the dry ingredients only to the point of incorporation. Don’t over-mix!

Mix in water or brewed coffee. Perfect cupcake batter should be runny. Adding more liquid to the recipe gets it to the correct consistency.

Many people insist that coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate cupcakes. They say that you can’t taste the coffee; I often can, and the chocolate itself has enough caffeine for me. I wrote the recipe with a choice – you make the call, coffee or not.

adding water to chocolate cupcake batter
Adding a bit of extra liquid–whether water or brewed coffee–is one of the tricks that make this the best cupcake recipe.

Fill cupcake liners and bake. I find that using an ice cream scoop / disher is the best way to fill cupcake liners.

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
An ice cream scoop is a great way to ensure an even amount of batter goes into every liner.

You’ll know that the chocolate cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out dry and the tops bounce back when lightly touched.

Expert Tips and FAQs

What Type of Frosting Goes Well with Chocolate Cupcakes?

Chocolate cream cheese frosting being piped onto a chocolate cupcake
Chocolate frosted cupcakes are perfect for chocolate lovers, but experiment with all kinds of frosting combinations.

You can frost these cupcakes with any frosting that you choose.

For something unique, combine your favorite frosting with these cupcakes to make cake truffles or cake pops!

Variations

While this cupcake cannot get any better, you can try these variations if you want to switch things up:

FAQs

Can you make these in other sizes?

Yes! You’ll need to increase the baking time if you do a cake or decide to make jumbo cupcakes and decrease the baking time if you choose to make mini cupcakes.

How long will these last?

This depends on the frosting you choose. For most cupcakes frosted with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, I will keep them on the counter (assuming it’s not too hot) for up to three days and refrigerated for up to a week. If you refrigerate them, be sure to bring them to room temperature before serving.

Can you freeze cupcakes?

Yes, you can freeze unfrosted cupcakes for months in an airtight container.

Why did my cupcakes come out gummy?

You may have overmixed the batter. Be careful to mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.

What is the secret to super moist cupcakes?

For these chocolate cupcakes, I use a combination of butter and oil for two kinds of fat content. Oil naturally reduces the formation of gluten, which leads to moister and more tender cake.

What’s the best way to fill liners?

Using an ice cream scoop / disher is the easiest way to fill cupcake liners.

Two chocolate cupcakes on a white background
This is the best cupcake recipe you’ll find, and paired with a homemade frosting it’s an unbeatable dessert!

More Cupcake Recipes You’ll Love

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Two chocolate cupcakes on a white background
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4.72 from 407 votes

The Best Chocolate Cupcakes

This is the best cupcake recipe for chocolate cupcakes you will ever make!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 33 minutes
Servings 16 cupcakes
Calories 218kcal
Author Stefani

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder natural or Dutched will both work with this recipe
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 ounces chocolate Choose your favorite. You can use any chocolate that you like except white chocolate or candy melts. The chocolate doesn’t have to be one typically earmarked for baking – any chocolate bar that doesn’t contain mix-ins like nuts, Rice Krispies, nougat, etc. will work.
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 large egg yolks room temperature
  • 9 tablespoons vegetable oil This is the same as 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon – measure in a liquid measuring cup
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup full-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 cup water room temperature, measured in a liquid measuring cup

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F.
  • Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder into a separate medium-sized bowl. Use a fork or a whisk to ensure that the ingredients are mixed well after sifting. Set aside.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter and sugar until fully combined. The end result should look like wet sand.
  • Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler.
  • Once the melted chocolate is cool enough to touch, add it to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until just combined.
  • Mix in eggs and egg yolks one at a time until just combined.
  • Mix in oil, vanilla, and sour cream until just combined.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in three additions, mixing until just combined after each addition.
  • Mix in water until just combined.
  • Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and put in the oven.
  • Check for doneness at 18 minutes – a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake should come out clean. If they are not done, check again every three minutes until they are done.
  • Immediately remove cupcakes from the cupcake tin and place on a cooling rack or on the counter to cool to room temperature. Although they are really good when they are hot, be sure to wait until they are room temperature to give your evaluation.

Video

Notes

  • If you would like to add coffee to the recipe, either add 1 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee granules along with the sifted dry ingredients, or replace the water with room temperature brewed coffee.
  • Using different cocoa powders will alter the taste of the cupcakes, but you really can’t go wrong – it’s all chocolate!
  • The chocolate in these cupcakes doesn’t have to be one typically earmarked for baking – any chocolate, bar, chips, or discs that don’t contain mix-ins (like nuts, Rice Krispies, nougat, etc.) will work. This way, you can choose whatever type of chocolate you prefer to eat: milk, dark, or even flavored chocolate bars.
  • If you don’t have sour cream in the house, I’ve done extensive testing and found that yogurt works perfectly as a substitute for sour cream.
  • For making these cupcakes, use any mild vegetable oil.
    • I’ve used canola oil, generic vegetable oil, and safflower oil. While I love using flavored oils in baking, keep in mind that they will change the flavor of these cupcakes. You can experiment with using non-neutral oils and try baking these cupcakes with pistachio oil, for example, to get a totally different taste.
  • You can make this recipe as a cake. You will just need to increase the baking time.
For the full chocolate experience, I suggest frosting with chocolate buttercreamchocolate cream cheese frostingchocolate mousse frosting, or chocolate ganache.

Nutrition

Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 121mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
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Recipe Rating




461 comments:

  1. Flower with cake online delivery in Indiasays:

    5 stars
    I have tried this recepie turned amazing and yummy tasty cup cakes, thanks for sharing it:)

  2. Bethsays:

    5 stars
    These are good, but I love your vanilla cupcakes and am wondering if the reverse creaming methods would work with Chocolate cupcakes – or is there some reason this recipe uses the traditional mixing of sugar and butter first.?

  3. Giftbasketworldwidesays:

    Remarkable Blog Posts!! Great work Buddy.

  4. Jadesays:

    This recipe is a winner and was the best cupcakes at my party. Thank you. Will be making them again.

  5. marilynsays:

    can i find this recipe in metric measurements

  6. Lore Pagansays:

    4 stars
    I have made this recipe several times. The chocolate flavor is amazing! I just feel the cupcake is not moist enough. It is on the dry side. Like I feed you have to wash it down with a cup of milk. I have measured everything carefully. What can I add more of to make this more moist?

  7. Brittany Davissays:

    5 stars
    Great cupcake, but I chose the wrong chocolate. I went for 100% dark since I was worried the frosting would be sweet. The cupcakes were moist and had a good texture, bug too bitter from the dark chocolate for my taste.

  8. Leighsays:

    5 stars
    Wowza, these are by far the best cupcakes I have ever had. I sifted the dry ingredients 3 times to remove all the lumps. I also brewed espresso and mixed it with brandy in place of the water, and added the zest from 1 orange. I turned off the mixer once all the wet ingredients were in there, and then folded the dry ingredients in with a silicone spatula. Turned out like a dream!

  9. Daniela dosSantossays:

    5 stars
    I made them today and loved the taste. They sank a bit after cooling, is that normal?

    Will try it again with different types of chocolate and add coffee

  10. London Dudesays:

    5 stars
    I could tell from reading the recipe that it was at Pro level.
    Combining cocoa powder with melted chocolate and maybe adding coffee? Pro level
    Adding sour cream for moisture? Pro level. For Boss Level I substituted Sour Cream with Greek yogurt.
    Combing veg oil with butter for best texture? Pro Level
    Great recipe, I baked it three times and even non chocolate lovers, loved them.
    From now own this is my go to recipe, but with Greek yogurt.

  11. Lisasays:

    5 stars
    I made a gluten free version. I used a standard gluten free flour that you can substitute 1 for 1. I increased the eggs to 4 regular eggs since there isn’t Gluten protein in the flour. They week amazing!

  12. Kimberly Boylesays:

    5 stars
    WOW! There are a lot of recipes that claim they are “ the best” but I can assure you that THIS recipe is truly the BEST. These cupcakes came out moist and extremely flavorful. I did use coffee instead of water. I highly recommend that. I’m so glad I found this recipe. Thank you!!!

  13. Carolynsays:

    5 stars
    Utterly fantastic and incredible chocolate cupcake, I will never use any other recipe again…

  14. nataleigh tiahnyboksays:

    5 stars
    I just made this recipe for the first time, along with the strawberry buttercream icing, and it was absolutely divine! THE BEST CUPCAKES EVER!!!! better than the ones $5 a piece at high end bakeries even! Thank you for this I love that theyre chocolately, and fluffy but not overly sweet so you can definitely have mre than one without feeling like theyre too rich.

  15. Denisesays:

    5 stars
    These are to die for, even without frosting (which I haven’t made yet.). Note: I did not alter the recipe for high altitude and they came out great at 5328’ elevation but I did bake them 24 min.

  16. PENNY Fsays:

    5 stars
    Recipe ratings and reviews are on-point! The cupcakes are delicious, moist, bright, dense moist crumbs, chocolatey, a little crunch on the top. YUM YUM YUM!

  17. Andysays:

    5 stars
    Didn’t have enough yoghurt so added enough mayo to make a 1/2 cup. Turned out yummy.

  18. Robbie Raffishsays:

    I’d like to adapt best as possible for my kids’ gluten and dairy allergies. Can I use Bob’s Redmill 1-to-1? And I would normally up the oil level or use Country Crock Avocado butter to replace the butter but wondering if I should cut in some applesauce to cut the possible “slime” factor of too much oil. Hopeful you’ll share guidance.

    • Stefsays:

      You can swap the flour out for Bob’s Red Mill and that substitution should be just fine. I would use the olive oil version of Country Crock’s plant butter sticks to replace the butter instead of toying with applesauce for this recipe. I haven’t done extensive testing on these as gluten-free and dairy-free so I can’t guarantee that they’ll taste right after your modifications.

  19. Judy Colanninosays:

    Where’s the frosting recipe?

  20. Erinsays:

    I am wondering why the Vanilla one uses baking powder and baking soda but the chocolate one only uses baking soda?

  21. Caitlynsays:

    5 stars
    AMAZING cupcakes! Just made these for my son’s 2yo birthday after a different recipe flopped. These are perfect!! I used metric, opted for brewed coffee instead of water, unsweetened Ghirardelli bar chocolate, Valrhona cocoa, and melted coconut oil. They’re fluffy and perfectly textured, with NO hint of dryness. Thank you so much for sharing!!

  22. Celeb Networthsays:

    5 stars
    Thank you! Can’t wait to try this recipe!

  23. Daniellesays:

    5 stars
    Amazing! Thank you so much for posting this!

  24. Rewarisays:

    5 stars
    Great recipe! Easy and quick and came out moist and chocolatey. And the buttercream was nice and fluffy.

  25. abhisheksays:

    5 stars
    i have made these cakes today at home. Thanks for the recipe.

  26. Kimsays:

    5 stars
    These were amazing! I think I filled the cups up a little high, because I had to bake these for 24ish mins. I made my own buttercream icing and I would absolutely recommend this recipe!

  27. Alyonasays:

    I made these and oh my god, my family was blown away. I’m not even exaggerating because I’m usually really harsh with my own baking. I want to make this as a two or three layer cake but am wondering what would be these best ratios or how many times I should multiply it by? Thanks for this recipe!

  28. Anant Khuranasays:

    5 stars
    It looks very delicious

  29. Nikki_Australiasays:

    Can you confirm if this temperature is for a Fan Forced oven? I will need to convert it to Celsius which I believe is 175C. Also, have you ever used the steam function in and oven for these? I have a Bosch Steam oven so wondering if I should leave the steam off for these?

  30. Paulsays:

    5 stars
    Looking Awesome, con’t resist to eat such mouth watering cupcakes

  31. Scott Davidsays:

    4 stars
    Delicious Cupcake, Tried today with Hershey’s chocolate and Bournville cocoa powder. Thank You
    Cheers

  32. Camisays:

    5 stars
    Made these recently for my little girl’s 5th birthday and they are hands down the best cupcake recipe I’ve ever tried and I’ve tried a few!! All the party guests wanted the recipe!

  33. Caseysays:

    5 stars
    We made these last night and they are very moist! Yay! We used chocolate chips (and avacado oil because that’s all i had). I’m so impressed! Kids and husband loved them too! I was looking for a moist recipe, what I love most about this recipe is THE DETAIL!!! This is my first recipe from this site, and what drew me to try this was her attention to detail! I am that way when I bake, I wish more recipes were like that. I’ve already printed out the oreo recipe to try next I’m very excited, thanks!

  34. 250says:

    5 stars
    I’m definitely baking this very soon!! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I’ll show you mine soon :))

  35. Mandy Bradfordsays:

    2 stars
    I followed these to a T. I let my son, who is an up and coming baker try the first one. His words were-these taste like a brownie. Sadly, he was right. Very dense. They did not rise much at all. I am going to try again. Maybe I over mixed behind “until combined”?

    • Stefsays:

      I’m sorry you had a problem with the recipe. Over-mixing the batter will definitely change the consistency of the cupcake (I actually have a post about over-mixing cake batter.). Also, any substitutions that you might have made will influence the end product as well. Please let me know how they turn out when you bake them again.

  36. nurul mualifahsays:

    terima kasih resepnya

  37. Hoster Paksays:

    5 stars
    I love choco every where but on cup cake they looks much beautiful and delicious in taste also, you have explained every thing about them in this post.

  38. HeidiBsays:

    These sound fantastic. I’m planning on making some tomorrow. Could I use melted butter or coconut oil instead of vegetable oil (not a fan of seed oils)

  39. Heather Rodinsays:

    5 stars
    I am always skeptical, not always of the recipe, but of my ability to execute it. This recipe is so good! The domes are perfect and the pores are small. Taste is out of this world. I’d like to believe there is more than one “best” chocolate recipe, but this one is UP THERE! This is a great recipe and I am so appreciative for all your testing and hard work. Thank you!

  40. Carmensays:

    So nice! Well, if you want to make a video invitation before the cake, you can visit my web.

  41. Miguelsays:

    Really nice, i made this cup cakes for my birthday.

  42. online cakes guntursays:

    5 stars
    Very nice delicious chocolate cup cake recipe. I baked a cup cake yesterday night. Out come is very tasty and delicious. All my friends are ate completely. Thanks for the post

  43. L Sherrowsays:

    5 stars
    This recipe is delicious! I tried another cupcake recipe somewhere else and it wasn’t terrible but is wasn’t awesome either. I will definitely keep this one . I will be making them for my daughter’s birthday.

  44. Merisays:

    5 stars
    These cupcakes turned out perfect. They taste great. They came out of the liners like magic. Never have I seen a cupcake come out without a single crumb before. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

  45. Samanthasays:

    5 stars
    Yes!!! I have scoured the web for the perfect chocolate cupcake recipe. One that makes a light, moist, chocolatey cake. One that doesn’t crumble or leave half the cake attached to the case, one that doesn’t leave a “crispy” top and this is it! I’ve tried numerous “best chocolate cupcake” recipes and they have all been awful for many different reasons. I was apprehensive when I tried this recipe but I didn’t need to be! It’s awesome, the cakes were gorgeous! I blew everyone away in work on my first Cupcake Friday event & have saved this recipe for future use! Thank you so much for your hard work! This is my new favourite website!! I’m super excited to try more of your recipes! #cupcakequeen

  46. Zakysays:

    i’ve try this recipe and it’s so delicious my family like it. thank’s for your recipe

  47. Zakysays:

    5 stars
    i’ve try this recipe and its taste delicious thanks

  48. aahna ahujasays:

    5 stars
    Awesome article
    The cake looks very taste will try to make cupcakes with your recipe and technique. Thank you

  49. aahna ahujasays:

    5 stars
    Very nice recipe… I love the recipe and would try to make cupcake with your technique. Thanks for your article

  50. aahna ahujasays:

    Awesome….. I liked the recipe. I will surely try this. The cupcake look delicious, hopefully I will match the expectation

  51. Antoinetsays:

    5 stars
    Just made them. They were AWESOME!!! Have tried other recipes that claimed to the best and was disappointed. I am definitely sticking to this one from now on.Thank you Stef and team.

  52. damainesiasays:

    Good tutorial and good education of experience cooking for us

  53. Jesssays:

    Hello! I’m new to your blog but have to say these look AMAZING! I love how detailed you are. Quick question: before I make these addictive sweets, instead of vegetable oil, coulld I use avocado, coconut or olive oil instead? I’m not a fan of vegetable or canola and not familiar with other types of neutral oils.
    Thank you so much and congrats on the amazing recipe!

    • Stefsays:

      Yes, you can use any oil you like. Just keep in mind that oils with flavors (like some coconut oils) may affect the taste of the cupcakes.

  54. Lyndasays:

    5 stars
    This the THE BEST chocolate cupcake ever! It’s so good that I will eat it warm ( I do not like cake/cookies/muffins, etc warm out of the oven. I know, I’m not normal) The texture, flavor, and density is spot on.

  55. Brendasays:

    1 star
    I bake all the time and was excited to try this recipe. Unfortunately they came out a bit dry and had a bitter taste. Not sure if the flavor was off because I use unsweetened chocolate for melting in batter or because I forgo the coffee that I always like to add. Sorry to say I had to toss them.

  56. Fabsays:

    5 stars
    Best chocolate cupcakes ever. I reduced the sugar from one cup to 1/4 brown sugar and 1/3 white sugar. The frosting will give it all the sugar it needs. Whenever I encounter a recipe for 12-16 muffins/ cupcakes I always reduce the sugar to close to half cup and I never miss it!

  57. Fatimasays:

    Hi can I use this recipe for chocolate cake? Or is it only suitable for cupcakes

  58. pertaminisays:

    5 stars
    nice eat

  59. Andreasays:

    5 stars
    I LOVE this recipe & so do my children & husband. It’s very chocolate-y & not too dense. I use 70% dark chocolate & Dutch cocoa (Australian brands). I do cut back a little bit of the oil. I haven’t noticed a bitter taste. I have even converted this into a cake recipe for birthday cakes. Along with your best chocolate cream cheese icing – it’s absolutely amazing!

  60. Krishknasays:

    4 stars
    It’s really great article on chocolate cup cakes.

  61. Jeetender Singhsays:

    The Cakes are Fabulous and high quality

  62. Insitysays:

    These look fantastic, waiting to make these and try. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.

  63. Carlysays:

    I know this is super late to this post but has anyone tried making a full cake out of this recipe?

  64. piyush Arorasays:

    5 stars
    I tried it at my home, i was getting issue with shape of the cake design you can say, but really thanks it was reallly taste.

  65. nugrohosays:

    2 stars
    Congratulations! Now, to convince my friends that they need even more chocolate in their lives….

  66. Genevieve BGsays:

    5 stars
    I made these at least 20 times in the last 2 years. It’s my go-to chocolate cupcakes recipe and I get ask for it a lot. I tried many recipes before this one and it’s by far the best one!

  67. Amysays:

    Hi Stef :)
    I LOVE this cupcake recipe. Easily the best I’ve used.
    I have a question regarding them – what role do the extra egg yolks play? What are the cupcakes like without them?
    I have been wondering this for MONTHS. If you could respond I would be ever so grateful.
    Amy

    • Stefsays:

      The extra yolks make the cake more moist and a little richer in flavor. It’s been a while, but if I recall correctly, adding the extra yolks was also one of the things I had to do to get the perfect rise. You can try the recipe without them. It will still be good.

  68. Lyndasays:

    5 stars
    These truly are the best chocolate cupcakes ever! It’s my go to recipe for my home baking business.

  69. Piyushsays:

    5 stars
    Nice, Thanks

  70. Piyushsays:

    4 stars
    I tried after read your blog its really good

  71. Sunil Kumarsays:

    5 stars
    yummy cupcakes!! Thanks for the recipe.

  72. Adeeva Skincaresays:

    thanks for this recipe :D

  73. Hayleysays:

    5 stars
    I made these for Valentine’s Day and my mom said they were honestly the best cupcakes she’d ever had. She had THREE! Definitely a new favourite around here. I made the recipe exactly as is, but I did add the coffee!

  74. Carina Balibaysays:

    5 stars
    The best recipe for choco cupcakes. Thank you for sharing this.

  75. Sekharsays:

    4 stars
    Yummy cake.

  76. Cake To Indiasays:

    5 stars
    Congratulations!!. This is really one of the best less chocolatey.It is really very difficult to make a light and fluffy cake with intense chocolate flavor. This recipe bangs on. We tried it and it worked wonder.

    Thanks

  77. Tinasays:

    5 stars
    Made these as mini cupcakes last night. They were some of the BEST chocolate cupcakes I’ve made (and I bake regularly). The balance of rich chocolate flavor with the lightness of the cupcake was excellent. These are my new favorite. Kudos!

  78. shiva shankarsays:

    5 stars
    wow its very clear explanation of the baking cup cake, Now i can make a cup cake for a loved ones with this stuff, Thank you!

  79. Bunehabasays:

    4 stars
    Thanks for sharing, can not wait to try it

  80. Sherriesays:

    4 stars
    May I suggest combining the oil measures (1/2 cup + 1T). I was only looking for one oil measure and used 1 T. and not the other 1/2 cup. It’s easy to miss as I usually only expect the ingredient to be listed once unless used as separate components.

  81. Nadinesays:

    Is it possible to use canola oil instead vegetable oil?

  82. Dominique Scaliasays:

    4 stars
    I followed the instructions to the T and my cupcakes were good, but the were a bit oily on the bottoms of the cupcake liner and they were more firm at the top and bottom of the cupcake. I tested after 18 mins and they weren’t done so I did another three like the instructions said, but I wonder if that was too long. Any ideas on what I did wrong?

  83. SonjaSonja123says:

    5 stars
    So happy I found this recipe! It’s a hit with the family! I use Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips, Hershey’s Dark chocolate cocoa and strong brewed coffee in place of the water, finished with a simple whipped ganache for frosting. Yummy! Sometimes I’ve garnished with a strawberry on top or just sprinkles…. you won’t be sorry if you try this recipe, it’s amazing!

  84. Kerrysays:

    5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe twice and the cupcakes were delicious! I would like to make a cake. Do I need to change anything in the recipe to do so?

    Thanks for any advice you can provide.

  85. bangkudepansays:

    5 stars
    thanks

  86. Amandasays:

    5 stars
    where is the recipe in weights? I much preferred it with weight measurements! Thanks

  87. Way2flowers Cakessays:

    5 stars
    When I sent them the first recipe almost a year ago, I was sure that it would be the best cupcake recipe.

  88. Sara Morrisonsays:

    Made these cupcakes. They were amazing. I used sack dutched cocoa and hersheys chocolate chips. Question will this recipe work for cakes too??

  89. Raquelsays:

    This is such a neat idea! I love that you challenged your Explorers to try out the recipe and provide feedback. What a process! It sounds like it totally paid off though. I am definitely interested in giving these a try.

  90. Poojasays:

    This recipe is awesome. I will try this.

  91. Inspiringsays:

    hem… it’s look decious

  92. Rosesays:

    5 stars
    I have made these cupcakes twice now and they are AMAZING! I stuck to the recipe exactly, and it worked out. Both children and adults like these cakes. They are lovely and moist inside.
    I used a mix of white and brown sugar, and I used Cadbury Bournville cocoa powder(100%cocoa). Also, I used 4 squares of Lindt 70% dark chocolate. I think this made the cakes extra rich. I did’t have any vege or canola oil so I used olive oil and it was fine. I have also used salted butter when I didn’t have unsalted and they still were amazing. Another substitution which worked was 100% maple syrup for vanilla. For the frosting, I make brigadeiro, which is condensed milk mixed with a couple table spoons of cocoa powder-you can google it to find out how to make it.
    I’ve been reading the comments and next time I make these I will use cake flour because it supposedly gives the cakes a little dome top. I also read that Milka cow brand chocolate is perfect for this recipe so I’ll try that next time too. Can’t wait to make them again! Thanks for posting:)

  93. Meenakshisays:

    I love the ideas.. thanks for sharing it with us. We’ll definitely follows your innovation. :)

  94. CakenGifts.insays:

    This is fantastic! Not only tasty but so quick and easy to make.

  95. Marlenasays:

    5 stars
    I have made lots of cupcakes, but this is really the easiest and best. Not dry at all. Perfect amount if chocolate. My son loves it filled with a chocolate ganache with a vanilla buttercream frosting,m absolutely wonderful cupcake.

  96. Joannesays:

    Hi there! I just wanted to let you know this is my GO TO chocolate cupcake recipe! I get rave reviews every time I make them. I always do the coffee too. I have changed the type of chocolate too and every time it’s a hit no matter what. Thank you SO much!!

    Also, what type of icing would you use in substitute of chocolate? I need to make these with a white icing I can dye blue for a pool party! Any guidance appreciated. Thanks again for this recipe!

  97. Dana Swiftsays:

    I did not enjoy these cupcakes :( they were oily and quite bitter. I used Cadbury milk chocolate and a sweet cocoa as I noticed the lack of sweetness in the rest of the recipe and they still did not taste sweet. I was dubious about the addition of the oil and turns out I was right. Very disappointed.

  98. Anjalisays:

    I love cup cake preparation and wanna try this at home. Chocolate is my favorite.

  99. Evesays:

    Hello,
    This is the first time I’m baking a cupcake.. But all the recipes I find have some ingredient like Sour cream or cream cheese that I dont have and cant find in the supermarket nearby. I’d be incredibly grateful if you could give me a simple recipe with ingredients I have on hand

  100. Sharing Kalisays:

    Hmm, i think easy. I wanna try next time..

  101. Paulasays:

    Great cupcake, and this is the 3rd chocolate cupcake recipe I have made in 2 days! I used coffee and Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa. If I wanted to boost the chocolate flavor a bit, would I add more cocoa or more melted chocolate? Thank you.

  102. Donnasays:

    Very easy and tasty . I found that it will make 30 cupcakes (don’t fill each cup as full as stated, closer to 1/2). They will be the perfect size for icing.

  103. jubahsays:

    thanks for this recipe :D

  104. Imagologisays:

    usefull recipe :D

  105. Mariosays:

    I believe people could be having issues with the cupcakes not rising if they are using Dutch process cocoa as the recipe used baking soda which requires an acid to work and Dutch cocoa powder has most of its acid stripped out. I think there would be more success using natural cocoa powder which still has acid present.

  106. Bijibuahsays:

    hmmm.. yummy..

  107. Kelapa Sawitsays:

    woow, thats look so delicious..

  108. Manonsays:

    Chocolate is my Favorite..Thanks for Sharing..

  109. Manonsays:

    Amazing one..I really liked it

  110. Salmasays:

    5 stars
    I made these cupcakes yesterday and I really loved them! This is the best food recipe I’ve ever seen on the internet! The cake is perfectly sweet and simply melts in your mouth. I used cadbury chocolate and replaced sour cream with yogurt and when it was done, I topped it with nutella and m&ms.

  111. Mansi Raysays:

    5 stars
    Great recipe. Delightful and easy I make these all time.I can remember most of the recipe some times they don’t all ways turn out as moist but still delicious.Thank you for this awesome recipe.

  112. ACsays:

    I must have done something wrong 4 times now. All of my cupcakes have fallen flat every time I have cooked them. Should the recipe contain baking powder?

  113. Jimsays:

    Thanks for giving the clear information about the chocolate cupcake please share more things regarding the cakes recipe

  114. Ellen Shoemakersays:

    5 stars
    I’ve been looking for a chocolate cupcake/cake recipe for years that isn’t heavy and dry as well as too much bitter chocolate. These are perfect!!!! The chocolate flavor is so smooth with just the right amount! They are moist have a perfect texture!! When I took these to a function, everyone said they were the best they ever had, and had to give them the recipe!! I did use coffee instead of water, and you couldn’t taste it at all. It just enhanced the chocolate flavor!!!! Look no more for the best chocolate cupcake recipe, for this is it!!!

  115. Ellen Shoemakersays:

    I’ve been looking for a chocolate cupcake/cake recipe for years that isn’t heavy and dry as well as too much bitterican610@yahoo.com chocolate. These are perfect!!!! The chocolate flavor is so smooth with just the right amount! They are moist have a perfect texture!! When I took these to a function, everyone said they were the best they ever had, and had to give them the recipe!! I did use coffee instead of water, and you couldn’t taste it at all. It just enhanced the chocolate flavor!!!! Look no more for the best chocolate cupcake recipe, for this is it!!!

  116. Margaritasays:

    5 stars
    While I love chocolate in a bar or a candy form, I am not big fan of chocolate desserts. However, being that tomorrow is the National Chocolate Cake Day, I decided to make some chocolate cupcakes and take them to work. Naturally, I had to try one and WHOA!!! My taste buds died and went to chocolate heaven. Seriously, this IS the mother of all chocolate cupcakes: moist, light, fluffy, not too sweet, and not too chocolaty! I usually follow most recipes to a T but this time I strayed and subbed a 1/4 cup of all purpose flour with cake flour, only because I saw it used in other cupcakes recipes. I think that made the difference. I also used a Ghiradelli 60% cocoa bittersweet baking bar, Hershey’s cocoa and topped it off with a cream cheese frosting infused with a hefty dose of Irish cream. Divine!! Thanks so much to all the bakers who participated in this project!

  117. Da Nangsays:

    This cupcake looks fabulous!I will try your tips the next time. Thank you for sharing this!

  118. Shabanasays:

    5 stars
    Hey I just tried them today, I’m just not able to keep my hands off of them
    Definitely the best cupcake recipe
    It has the right taste, right texture and everything just right
    Now I know this is my staple recipe for chocolate cupcakes
    Thank you so much

  119. Ginasays:

    5 stars
    This is my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe. I recently found out I have gluten intolerance, so today I made this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour. They were just as good as they are with regular flour. I am very happy I can still enjoy my favorite cupcakes!

  120. Bubborinasays:

    I love the taste of these cupcakes! But every time they come out of the oven, they shrink! I have a new oven and use a thermometer. What am I doing wrong?!!

  121. khusisays:

    I am habitual to cakes. I made many cakes. Still i don’t have idea how to make cup cake. Your views is very important for me. Thanks. I can’t wait, I want to make cup cake.thanks again.

  122. bagiinfosays:

    look so yummy and delicious.
    Ok, i’ll try to make that cupcake by myself.

  123. Wilmasays:

    5 stars
    Best chocolate cupcake I’ve ever made or eaten! Used Ghirardelli semisweet chips and Hershey’s special dark cocoa and coffee instead of water. Texture is rich and moist. Frosted with chocolate butter cream, not dark chocolate cocoa, as I was decorating it for Halloween, sprinkles!
    I like that it released from the paper cup easily, I really hate when the cupcakes stick to the paper. What a waste.
    Thanks! So glad I found you!

  124. Soooiesays:

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing this recipe. I am going to bake cupcakes for my grandson’s first birthday party and I wanted something special. These cupcakes are the best that I’ve ever baked. Your instructions are clear and easy to follow. I was not confident in my ability to bake a decent cupcake. I will now bake and serve these with pride. I’m going to add Oreo cookie crumbs to the cupcakes and frosting. Wish me luck!

  125. Suzesays:

    I’ve made a lotta cupcakes throughout my 52 years, and these are right up there with the best of ’em! Really light but with a great chocolate flavor! I didn’t change a thing in the recipe and used the coffee instead of the water. I got 20 cakes out of the batch, but my tins are on the smaller size. I’ll definitely be making them again! I think I’m going to try it as a layer cake next time, but think I’ll increase the measurements by 50%. We’ll see how THAT goes!

    • Suzesays:

      5 stars
      Well I tried the layer cake. Did just as I said in my earlier post by increasing the amounts by 50% and OMG! It’s even better as a cake!! ‘Course the frosting probably had a little to do with it. For the cake I used chocolate buttercream, while my cupcakes were vanilla. Either way, this recipe is damn good!! Yummmmmm! Thanks, Stef. This one is definitely a keeper!

  126. Karlie Alice Renaesays:

    5 stars
    Still a fabulous recipe, made these at my bakery for a little girl’s birthday party, the mother said the children just adored them!

  127. Karlie Alice Renaesays:

    2 Oz. is 1/4 cup, not 1/2.
    8 Oz. is 1 cup.
    4 Oz. is 1/2 cup.
    2 Oz. is 1/4 cup.
    1 Oz. is 1/8 cup. Just a heads up.

  128. Karlie Alice Renaesays:

    …2 Oz. is 1/4 cup, not 1/2 cup.
    8 Oz. equals 1 cup.
    4 Oz. equals 1/2 cup.
    2 Oz. equals 1/4 cup.
    1 Oz. equals 1/8 cup.

  129. Lizsays:

    5 stars
    I have no confidence in my ability to cook/bake anything. I once would not let people eat the Elmo cake I made for my daughters birthday because I was sure it would be terrible.
    But these cupcakes make me feel so proud of myself, I can’t wait to let people try them. They are so perfect. Perfect, completely the right balance of everything. Thank you so much for sharing I can’t wait to try more recipes from your site.

  130. AngelaHesssays:

    5 stars
    I just made these cupcakes tonight after spending weeks trying to find the perfect chocolate cake recipe! The were hands down the best I’ve made! The thing that sets it apart from all the recipes I’ve previously made was the melted chocolate…I just knew it had to be good if actual chocolate was in it! I used giradelli milk chocolate chips, and Hershey unsweetened cocoa powder. I DID use the espresso powder suggestion from the footnotes and I personally think that is what just boosted the flavor to amazing. I had read all the reviews prior to making them and some feedback said about the cake sinking back after it cooled. To prevent that I just used cake flour instead (1 cup plus 2 TBLS) other than that, I followed the recipe to the T. Make sure you leave your butter, eggs and water to room temp for sure! Make sure the butter and sugar is really whipped before adding anything else. Do not over mix anything after the butter/sugar! Make sure you keep in in the oven for the right amount of time just enough to spring back. If it’s undercooked they will sink, if it’s overlooked they will be dry. The 18 minutes she suggested was the perfect time for my cupcakes. I used my own buttercream recipe, but the combination was just perfect. I wanted a light, fluffy, moist and rich flavorful cake, and this was just that! My mom is all about boxed cakes, she hates homemade cakes. She had one of these cupcakes and actually said that she officially likes these cupcakes more than the boxed. She loved that it was still light and fluffy and moist like boxed, but with so much better flavor. “Gourmet tasting” she said. I am so glad I can finally stop testing a bunch of recipes to find one that was just perfect. I seriously researched recipes for so long…reading every review, testing them and just not anything special. I knew as soon as I tasted the batter, these were it! I can’t wait to try the ultimate vanilla cupcake now. Thank you Stef for making the perfect cupcake recipe for us!

  131. HMAsays:

    Hi,
    I tried it and they came out WONDERFUL. Thank you so much for working so hard on this and then sharing the recipe.
    I have one question though what kind of chocolate would be best for it? Dark, semi, milk?
    Thanks

  132. Mirandasays:

    5 stars
    Wow, that looks absolutely perfect. I love chocolate so this is the cupcake for me!

  133. Zeynabsays:

    5 stars
    I’m not gonna lie this is the best cupcake I’ve ever done and I’ve had my shares of bdays, three kids and my oldest is now 20. Thank you so much… it was my daughters 4th and she was so happy with the outcome of the recipes I used. <3 thank u again!

  134. Priscasays:

    5 stars
    These are by far the best chocolate cup cakes I have ever made and all my friends agree! At first, I was worried at the consistency of the batter, but oh my!! How DELICIOUS they turned out. I chocolate ganached them then frosted with a swirl of vanilla buttercream and chocolate cheesecake frosting!! Talk about divine!!!!

  135. Anjalisays:

    I love cup cake preparation and wanna try this at home. Chocolate is my favorite.

  136. Ninasays:

    I’ve made these and I LOVE them!! Can you double the recipe to make a two layer cake?

  137. Audreysays:

    5 stars
    Baked this yesterday. I used Hershey’s chocolate and Ghirardelli cocoa powder and everyone loved them, they were chocolatey and delicious I used a vanilla bean frosting.

  138. Amandasays:

    I’ve made this recipe 3 or 4 times now. The cupcakes are great. Everyone loves them. I’m noticing that there’s a small amount of chocolate that becomes clumpy even after banking? Does anyone have tips to prevent this?

  139. Tammy Fixsays:

    I followed this recipe exactly in the manner in which you said. I used brewed coffee in place of the water and used a good quality chocolate. They were moist but too dense for me to keep this recipe. I was surprised since the Ultimate Vanilla recipe is my favorite one. It seems that I like a recipe that uses cake flour and both baking powder and baking soda.

    • AngelaHesssays:

      Try using the cake flour instead (1 cup plus 2 T) that is how I made mine today, and they are just perfect, very light, fluffy and moist. The key is to just get the ingredient incorporated, do not over mix it because it will cause them to get too dense. Also, really whip that butter up and then do the same once sugar is added, that should help as well!
      I literally tried every single chocolate cake recipe that I could find, and they were all way more dense than these. My mom hates homemade cakes because she prefers the light fluffiness from boxes, but actually said these were the best ever. Definitely try them again with cake flour!

  140. Gracesays:

    Will using cake flour change how these turn out? I know your vanilla cupcakes use cake flour.

  141. besetysays:

    Hi Stef,

    I prepared the half recipe, I got 2 cupcakes and 2 mini-cakes. The taste was wonderful,and the frosting was amazing. For the frosting, I cut partially the butter, I added vanilla and I used a mixture of water and rum to make the frosting more workable.

    The problem was that they sank at the middle. More the mini cakes than the cupcakes How do you think I can correct the recipe: How do you think I should correct next time: adding 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, increase 1 tablespoon of flour, reduce the water by 10%, all of them ?

  142. Jennessasays:

    Hello,
    I made these cupcakes and they taste delicious! But they didn’t rise very much so I ended up with 14 small cupcakes. I will test my baking soda, maybe that is it, but any other ideas as to what could fix this? I also am testing their durability in the fridge and freezer, and after having them covered in the fridge for 4 days they were sorta dry (the frosting came in to save the day) but any suggestions there?

    • AngelaHesssays:

      5 stars
      I used cake flour instead which will help with the rise of it. For every cup of ap flour called for, just switch it to 1 cup plus 2 T cake flour. I just made them today that way and are just perfect. Make sure you bake for the exact time to, that makes a difference.

  143. Sarkasays:

    Hi, is it possible to use this recipe for a giant cupcake? If yes, how would the baking time change? Thanks for your advise

  144. Gnepsays:

    5 stars
    This is the taste that I’ve been longing for! I love them! Thanks for this recipe. Btw, I used milk as an alternative for the sour cream. I’m glad that it turned out the way how I wanted it. Thank you! looking forward for more recipes! Xx

  145. Feliciasays:

    5 stars
    I have been baking for over 30 yrs now, I started in my early teens. I have made over 37 chocolate cupcake recipes in the last 5 years and I have to say that this one is it for me! I’m done looking. I made these, following the recipe exactly and frosted with Almond Butter Frosting and took them to work and every single person asked for the recipe! Thank you for your perseverance in your quest to find the ultimate chocolate cupcake recipe! I am not a huge vanilla fan, but will be making the Ultimate Vanilla cupcake recipe next week!

  146. Patriciasays:

    I haven’t read all of the comments but is there a glitch in the recipe w/the amount of chocolate? I found that 1/2 c didn’t come near 2 oz of Ghiradelli cocoa. (Also used Ghiradelli double choc chips 60%.) I need way more chocolate. Wanted to love this recipe given the combination of hard choc and cocoa + oil + butter + sour cream…but didn’t work for me. I bake constantly. Is there a glitch in the recipe
    w/the amount of cocoa? Thanks!

  147. Sarahsays:

    5 stars
    I just made these for test run for my daughter’s birthday as she wanted chocolate cupcakes and I was trying to find a good chocolate cake recipe (I am a vanilla girl..). I like to review recipes when I have tested them exactly as written, as I find that most helpful. The verdict is AMAZING!! This produces a moist, fluffy, tender, flavorful cake (I used the cocoas I had on hand – Bakers unsweetened choc and Scharffen cocoa, and instant coffee granules). The cake also has a nice dome that did not fall. It’s also really easy. Made exactly 16 cupcakes and took 18 mins (my oven is true to temp and preheated well in advance). I don’t really like chocolate cake unless it’s like this, and these are a winner! Printing this recipe!

  148. Kennasays:

    5 stars
    LOVED THESE! made these as a trial a long with the ultimate vanilla for my son’s birthday party this weekend. these are amazing. i used milk chocolate chips as my chocolate and Hershey cocoa powder. they turned out fudgy and perfect.

  149. Nathan Lsays:

    Hi, I’ve made these and they AMAZING. the best choc cupcakes I’ve had or made.

    Quick question – I’m going to make these again tonight, but I was thinking of taking out the water and adding a half cup of red wine. Any thoughts on that?

  150. uma yadavsays:

    Awesome…I love Chocolate Cupcake and very excited to try at home

  151. cleosays:

    if i were to use this recipe to make a cake how long would i bake it and how big would the cake be?

  152. toko kaos filmsays:

    Hi! Can I use this for a cake? Or will it only work for cupcakes?

    Thanks! Liz.

  153. Lauriesays:

    5 stars
    Baked these yesterday for my boys’ birthday party. They are SOoooooooooooooo good! Definitely one of the best I ever had! They came out fluffy and chocolaty, but not too overbearing. Next time I think I’ll add in some chocolate chips because I think that would be fun. I did notice like some other commenters that they “fell” a little when they came out of the oven, but that worked out because (like usual) I seemed to have overfilled them. So they all look perfect! So excited to have found this recipe.

  154. TheOfficialLizGsays:

    Hi! Can I use this for a cake? Or will it only work for cupcakes?

    Thanks! Liz.

  155. Amanda Ksays:

    Hey! I LOVE this post!! I have been searching for the perfect cupcake recipe for my daughter’s first birthday in May. I have not been very successful at baking in the past and tried a recipe this weekend that was just OK – turned out more like a muffin.

    Anyway, my question is I could not find where it says what size cupcakes this makes. I was hoping to make jumbo cupcakes (the 6 per pan) but wanted to make sure the timing of 18 minutes is for the jumbo, or is that for standard size?!

    Just curious so I make them PERFECTLY! Want to try this recipe this weekend! (4/25/15)

    • Stefsays:

      You’ll need to increase the baking time to make jumbos. I’d start checking around 23 minutes. They may take 30 minutes or longer depending on the pan and your oven.

  156. Sophiesays:

    5 stars
    Well risen, 18 mons is perfect, tasty. Mine aren’t bitter. I used cremefraiche because the local shop didn’t have sour cream, perhaps that’s why. Great recipe :D

  157. Lisa Haydneysays:

    5 stars
    The best cupcakes… Absolutely they are! I used Cadbury bournville Cocoa, and just a supermarket own brand dark chocolate, I also used coffee, I made an espresso and left it to cool to room temp. I also used soft dark brown sugar. This will be my go to cupcake recipe from now on. Now to check out the top 10 frosting recipes!

  158. Jessicasays:

    5 stars
    I never write reviews for anything…seriously. I’m a homescholling mom of three that runs my own business and goes to school herself, I literally have no spare time to write reviews, so now that I’ve prefaced with that, I’ll also add: I SUCK at baking…for real. But what came out of my oven after making these for my husband’s birthday was just so WOW, I feel it deserves my time to write a review. Seriously, I couldn’t have bought something better from a store or my local bakery. These were so perfect, so scrumptious, you had me looking like a professional in front of the man and children that have been stuck eating some very interesting baked goods over the last 10 years. Awesome recipe!

    • Stefsays:

      Thanks so much for leaving a comment! I appreciate it.

      • Sherriesays:

        Hi! I made these for my kids’ birthday party and they were excellent. They didn’t pull away from cupcake liners and were delicious. I would like to try this as a layer cake (need as 12″ round) — have you ever tried baking the recipe in a layer pan? How did it turn out? Did it dome?

        • Aucourantsays:

          I use this recipe for 2 eight-inch layer cakes and bake them for about 28 minutes – I use bake-even strips around the tin (to get flatter cakes) so if you’re not using them, they’ll bake in a shorter time. It’s an awesome recipe! Delicious!

  159. Linda Pryorsays:

    I made these wonderful chocolate cupcakes yesterday. I used Hershey Dark Coco. The melted chocolate I used is I melted milk chocolate candy kisses. And I used 1/4cup buttermilk and 1/4 cup strong coffee. When they cooled, I used marshmallow cream filling, and frosted with chocolate buttercream icing. These cupcakes were wonderful!!!!

  160. lousays:

    Hi, these look really nice, carnt wait to try em! I do however have one problem, I HATE cream cheese frosting, does anyone have a recipe for a really nice chocolate buttercream recipe?

  161. Joopsays:

    I made these for my son’s 3rd birthday and they were a major hit! I have never gotten so much compliments for my baking, EVER!

    The only thing is my cupcakes are baked as a high dome. (I’ve tried twice and they both came up dome like) Is there anything I can change to make them slightly flatter?

    • Stefsays:

      Funny, most people want the dome. The recipe was designed to dome. Try it without the egg yolks. I think it was flatter that way.

  162. Jadesays:

    I had mixed feelings about these – they tasted very good, but mine were kind of dry. Not sure what I did wrong – I followed the directions exactly, but they just weren’t as lovely and moist as I’d hoped. Still, a solid recipe. If I make again, might add a little more sour cream or oil or another egg yolk or something and see how that goes…

  163. Rachelsays:

    Hi
    I am a little confused by the measurements. When you say “1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour” is the 5 ounces the weight measurement? or do you mean use 1cup and an additional 5 ounces.
    Sorry if this is a stupid question.
    thanks!
    Rachel

  164. Orlysays:

    5 stars
    Forget everything you’ve read to date. These superlicious chocolate cupcakes are the secret to happiness. They have the potential to change your outlook from gloomy to elated in a single bite. Who says chocolate can’t be the answer to all life’s problems?. Look no further my peeps . This IS the recipe you’ve always dreamt of . You will win friends and influence people. You will reach baller status. Bake ’em ASAP. And lick all the frosting out of the pastry bag when when you’re done decorating.

    5 stars *****

  165. MIHAELAsays:

    5 stars
    I added some cinnamon and cardamom and no, this doesn’t go well. Just use the ingredients listed in this recipe regarding “spices”. Also the next time I did it I used Milka Cow spot chocolate and W-O-W! This is the chocolate for these cupcakes!! And I put one table spoon of brown sugar, adds up something special to the taste. And I used sparkling mineral water, very very handy. Oh and I added up some almonds. Everything’s better when it’s nice and crunchy! Cheers!

  166. Irna Ahadsays:

    5 stars
    Thank u for posting this recipe…!! I made them last night and OMG they are really gooooodddddd……made them in mini size and got 64pcs from the batter. Going to try the Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake next

  167. Tiffanisays:

    I only baked these for 15 minutes and they came out very dry! The tops were nice but not the inside. I couldn’t even get myself to swallow a bite because they were that bad.. I had high hopes for this recipe, but they all ended up in the trash!! And I will also add that I have been baking for many years and do custom cakes and cupcakes, so I’m a pretty experienced baker and I really don’t think I did anything to mess these up..

  168. Kristin Harrissays:

    Hi!
    I love this recipe for cupcakes and don’t use any other! It seems like it would make a great bundt cake also as it is a firm enough cupcake to hold up to a bundt cake or even regular cake. My question is this; would I need to make a batch and a half in order to make a standard bundt cake? It seems that there wouldn’t be enough batter otherwise.
    Thank you!

  169. d-lynsays:

    made 21 cupcakes with this recipe
    they didn’t rise up and fell a bit in the centers

    they taste good

    live in the mountain west and maybe the recipe needs tweeking to rise here?

  170. Fatimasays:

    5 stars
    I trolled the internet for the perfect chocolate cupcake recipe and these are amazing! The irony is, that because of time constraints when making them, I did not properly read the method and did everything wrong! Including accidentally baking them at 150 degrees instead of 180 (350F)! They still came out delicious! Thank you

  171. Morgansays:

    Quick question about the recipe as someone who is brand new to baking: I understand that ‘mix until just combined’ means you want to avoid overstirring. is it best to mix the ingredients with an electric mixer or by hand?

  172. Hollysays:

    5 stars
    I have made these cupcakes many times, and my family absolutely love them! I have used high-quality cocoa powder and the cheap stuff, doesn’t seem to make much of a difference to me. When I first made these, I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I prefer to use either unsweetened or bittersweet baking chocolate. I always use coffee to give the cupcakes a richer flavor. Mine are always done at 15 minutes. Delicious!

  173. J. McGearysays:

    5 stars
    I made this recipe with a gluten-free flour mix (brown rice flour, sorghum flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, corn starch, xanthan gum) instead of the all purpose flour and it came out AMAZING. Had to bake it a little longer than a regular wheat-based batch, but the texture was overall wonderful- and as per your request I donated to the FilterPure folks afterwards. It’s only fair, for something as great as this. Thank you!

  174. Jasminesays:

    Haha I know this is a cupcake recipe, but is it possible to make this into a full 9 inch round cake?

  175. Elisheva Dadounsays:

    Hi! I want to try these Tmrw but I cannot have dairy! Does tofu sour cream work??? Or anything else to replace it with??? Also do we store these in the fridge or is counter top okay? Thanks!

  176. chrissays:

    I tried this recipe and its delicious!!!
    I just want to ask… How long will it last before it expire in normal temperature and in refrigirator?
    Thanks!!

  177. Azisays:

    Hi,
    Thanks for the recipe. I made a batch last night and they turned out great. However, I forgot to add the 1/2 cup of water but they were fine. I’m reading the recipe again now but can’t see where I would have needed to add water. Is adding water necessary? I might add the water next time before adding the dry ingredients to see if it has a positive affect on the cupcakes. Thanks again for the recipe.

  178. PaisleyK8says:

    5 stars
    I make a lot of cupcakes and rarely (seriously almost never) do I repeat a recipe … I like to tailor flavors to my recipients’ preferences and/or my whim at the time, plus there are just so many tasty options to try! :) So with that said, about these cupcakes … I have now made this recipe four times in the last few months and fully intend to make it many more! So delicious and moist and the chocolate cream cheese frosting is just perfection! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!!

  179. Alexandrasays:

    2 questions… can I sub buttermilk for water and can I sub greek yogurt for the sour cream?

    • Stefsays:

      You can’t sub buttermilk for water, because the acid in the buttermilk will affect the rise. Yes, you can sub greek yogurt for the sour cream, it just won’t be quite as rich.

  180. Madelynsays:

    Dark chocolate is always a best ingredient for such recipe. Tastes so nice and try it again :)

  181. Madelynsays:

    Thanks a lot for this post. Tried the recipe last night. The dark chocolate really adds up to the taste…. Will give it a try once more soon…

  182. Cetona frambuesasays:

    Me divierte el artículo. Me guardo el Feed y así no perderme nada en adelante.

  183. Aly Hooversays:

    How many cupcakes does this recipe make?

  184. Linda Billingsleysays:

    5 stars
    Made these tonight. I used 72 percent dark chocolate from endangered species chocolate, and the cocoa powder was from raw and organic chocolate powder! Add i used one tablespoon of cake enhancer from King Arthur! I frosted them with teal buttercream icing with teal crystals like the Elsa from the movie frozen. The cupcakes came out awesome! Thank you so much! I will make these for a birthday party later this week!

  185. Susanne Arenasays:

    I did not like these at all!! They were very oily and dense and didn’t look like a cupcake should when they bake and had these horrible volcano holes on top. And the sugar to cream the butter should have been caster sugar, the grainy ordinary sugar never broke down in the mixing process.I won’t be using this recipe again.

  186. AKSsays:

    5 stars
    Made these for the first time today. The heavens opened, angels sang and I wept. Just kidding…but it came close. These were easy to make and they came out of the oven looking divine. Mine took 21 minutes total and they were moist and decadent, even though they were light and airy. I used Ghirardelli Semi Sweet chocolate, Penzey’s cocoa and I added the coffee. I topped these with a butter/cocoa chocolate buttercream swirl and colored flower sprinkles. THANK YOU!!! This is my new go-to recipe and I will definitely try it in cake form. Definitely the ULTIMATE chocolate cupcake.

  187. Crazyforcupcakessays:

    5 stars
    I baked these yesterday and what a beautiful, dark, rich cupcake! I only had one egg, just enough sour cream and only a few (maybe 10) chocolate chips (I had just baked 6 dz+ cupcakes the day before) so I halved the recipe and got 8 beautiful cupcakes. I noticed a slight crumble, I’m sure due to not having that extra egg and a few more chocolate chips, but this recipe will be my go to chocolate from now on!!! I paired it with my suzy-q filling and chocolate buttercream icing, they are amazing!!

  188. Laurensays:

    5 stars
    I made these for a birthday using Cacao Barry Extra Brute cocoa powder and Chocopologie dark chocolate disks. They were amazing! They rose much better than any other chocolate cake recipe I’ve found and had a really nice crumb. Even after 2 days of refrigeration they were still moist and springy. I crumbled bacon into half the recipe (which was awesome) and served them with strawberry balsamic buttercream, chocolate covered strawberries, and an extra piece of bacon on top for garnish.

  189. Tammysays:

    5 stars
    These are soooo good! The chocolate taste really comes through but not in a way that is too sweet which ruins a good chocolate. I added 2 tsp of instant coffee to the water and I used homemade vanilla and our farm eggs.

    My cupcakes rose but were still flat on top (no humpy middles) and stayed flat after removal from the oven. For cupcakes I want “flat” so that the icing stays put.

    Your site is beautiful!

  190. Amandasays:

    I made these tonight and they taste was great! I used Callebaut chocolate. However, I followed the recipe to a tee and mine came out dry and crumbly. I was cautious about over mixing but I am wondering if the elevation has anything to do with it? I live in Colorado so I feel like I have a hard time getting my baked goods to perfection!

  191. Priscillasays:

    I just baked these tonite. Great flavor. I really don’t like icing but really enjoyed the chocolate buttercream icing recipe. I felt like the cake part was a little dry. I was disappointed because it has a great flavor. Is it possible that I cooked it too long? Or maybe I should have put more batter in the cupcake tin? I timed it to 18 min and the cakes that were 2/3 full came out clean when tested but there were a couple that were more full that didn’t come clean so I baked the undone ones longer. Maybe if I baked them a shorter amount of time, they would be more moist. If not, next time I would fill the center with frosting because they taste amazing!

  192. Sherrysays:

    I just made the cupcakes and followed the recipe exactly, only substituting 1/2 cup of brewed coffee for the 1/2 cup water. The flavor is excellent, however, there is something not quite right. The cupcakes look moist and feel moist when you bite in to them but after chewing they seem somewhat dry…almost as if there is too much cocoa? I’m sure I measured properly. Could it be the type of cocoa that I used?

    I am an extremely experienced baker and have good quality ingredients in my kitchen (I used Ghirardelli Cocoa).

  193. Missysays:

    Would you recommend bleached or unbleached flour? Does it make a difference?

  194. Fionasays:

    Hi I have made your cupcakes many times and loved them, was wondered for this time poor mum that works too much if they would freeze well so I may use the time I have and still hopefully have fresh cupcakes to serve on my little man’s birthday

  195. Tanyiasays:

    5 stars
    Hi,
    I just would like to thank you for this lovely chocolate cupcake recipe. It is absolutely delicious. I just made it this evening and now finished the Buttercream Honey Frosting! wow – just so delicious. It will be my favorite frosting and cupcake recipe from now on. I want to also mention the chocolate powder that I used was the Original Sacher Chocolate powder from Wien Austria which is probably the best chocolate powder around – they came out so tasty, light and wonderful. The chocolate I used was Hachez (chocolatier) plain dark chocolate.from Bremen in Germany,that I just happen to have in the house.

    Again, thank you so much for your free recipes and I look forward to viewing the rest of your website!

    Tanyia

  196. Bloga Mommasays:

    Ooh! These look delicious! I’ll have to try this recipe soon. I made some chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting: blogamomma.com/chocolate-and-vanilla-cupcakes/

  197. Irenesays:

    I’m going to give these a go. I made the “Ultimate Vanilla” cupcakes a while ago and they were fantastic! Question: Can I use 3 whole eggs instead of 2 eggs and 2 yolks?

    I guess it would not be as rich but with the cream and all that oil/butter I can’t imagine that one yolk will be missed…

  198. Asiasays:

    Can you substitute AP flour with cake flour?

  199. chasays:

    5 stars
    I used hersheys unsweetened cocoa powder and cjocolate chips semi sweet since I only have those at the moment…best recipe ever, I substituted the soyr cream to buttermilk and tasted so good!!!

  200. Emmasays:

    I have a question about the eggs. So I’m total 4 egg yokes and 2 egg whites ? Is that correct ?? Please help!

  201. Julianne Farreysays:

    Cannot wait to try these soon! I love that they have real chocolate and sour cream in them.

    • Julianne Farreysays:

      Tried these today! I like how chocolatey tasting they are :) And the color is simply amazing too. I put a mocha buttercream on top and put a chocolate covered coffee bean on top each one. We are ready for the grill out tommorow!

  202. Nneamaka Nwekesays:

    These cupcakes are amazing!! Just made them tonight! So moist and delicious!!! Best recipe ever!!!

  203. Michellesays:

    I made these for my little guy’s 4th birthday. They are very good and chocolaty! Thanks :)

  204. Alexe St-Germainsays:

    I need help!

    I tried this recipe twice, and everytime, when I put together sour cream, oil and vanilla, the sour cream becomes all weard and in small pieces. I just bought the sour cream, it’s brand new.

    Can someone tell me what happened?

    Thank you.

    Alexe

    • Stefsays:

      What happens when you bake it? Is the sour cream still weird?

      • Alexe St-Germainsays:

        Well I decided to throw it away because it was weard and I add the ingredients directly to the preparation…I don’t know if the result is as good as it could be.

        • Julianne Farreysays:

          Mine did that too. looked kinda wierd and somewhat lumpy. but i just kept adding ingredients…turned out ok!

  205. Donnasays:

    I’m an experienced home baker and I decided to give this a try even though I have an amazing, go-to, chocolate cake recipe. I used Callebaut Belgian chocolate and Bensdorp Dutch process cocoa, plus 1 tsp instant espresso powder in the water. I baked for 16 minutes at 350. I did not veer from the recipe at all.

    I found the crumb to be so fine, it remind me of Devil Dog cakes. A crumb that fine is much drier than a slightly coarser crumb and that was true of my outcome. I wouldn’t call them bone dry but you definitely need milk to eat these cakes.

    The taste wasn’t anything special at all. When my husband ate one, he asked me why they didn’t taste “normal” manspeak for not the same as always. When I told him I tried a new cake recipe, he told me to stick with the good one.

    I’m sorry, but this baker does not think these are the ultimate. I thought they were mediocre. Not horrible by any stretch but certainly not the best I’ve ever had.

  206. lillian mittnersays:

    These cupcakes are awesome I used 2 liners in each pan and they came out perfect. Since I am not a big fan of chocolate frosting I used a butter cream frosting that I found on Sarah’s Bake Studio it is really good and left over frosting will keep in the refrigerator for weeks

    Lil

  207. shopandbake.comsays:

    5 stars
    I tried this recipe and it really is the ultimate chocolate cupcake recipe. Thanks for this recipe!

  208. mery zhousays:

    5 stars
    I really love this recipe.. it always works for me…
    today I made this recipe for the 6th time and I used African cocoa powder.. it works too… it tastes more chocolaty… ;p love it… thank you for invented this magical chocolate cupcake recipe…

    love from indonesia..

    Mery

  209. Annesays:

    5 stars
    Thank you for this! It’s amazing and easy and tasty. I didn’t have sour cream, so I used 1/4 cup buttermilk and it’s moist and flavorful and chocolaty and great. This is a keeper.

  210. mickyhossays:

    This is really attention-grabbing, You’re an excessively skilled blogger.
    I’ve joined your rss feed and look ahead to looking for extra of your fantastic post.
    Also, I have shared your web site in my social networks

  211. Chiarasays:

    5 stars
    I made these cupcakes this past december for my boyfriend’s birthday to RAVE reviews. I used about half ghiradelli milk chocolate chips and half scharffen berger (the really nice 90% dark) for the melting chocolate, and I used hershey’s special dark chocolate cocoa powder as well. Everyone loved it and is begging me to make more! I can’t wait to find an excuse to make them again (it’s difficult only because of the price of scharffen berger and, you know, college).

  212. Petalsays:

    I’ve just printed out this recipe, can’t wait to try it. Would you consider using the metric system for consistency? Or an alternative recipe using the metric system? Would be easier to measure grams instead of 1/4 cup of butter, for example. Thanks from Australia!

  213. Carolinesays:

    Okay, let me just say that my 12 year old daughter baked these cupcakes and they were DELICIOUS!!!! OMG, they are truly winners!!!
    Now that I got that out of the way, they did not rise…. She followed the recipe to the T. What happened?
    Can someone please help us? She wants to bake them for her birthday Friday the 25th of April. Yikes!
    Heeeelp!!

  214. Karensays:

    5 stars
    I tried your ultimate chocolate cupcake recipe and it was a smash hit! I frosted with vanilla buttercream and a couple of hours before serving, we placed a strawberry sliced in half on top of the cupcake and drizzled it with dark chocolate…yummy! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe.

  215. Tamisays:

    These cupcakes were amazing. I used Hershey’s cocoa and Bakers for the melted chocolate. I did the recipe twice. The first time, I did everything exactly as stated for the 16 cupcakes. And they came out so yummy — super moist and really perfect. But I had to make more for my daughter’s birthday party, so I tripled the recipe, and the cupcakes came out dry. Do I have to tweak things when making a larger quantity of cupcakes?

    Oh, when I made them, I also added a mocha filling for an added touch.

    Thanks for sharing!!!

  216. Anecdatasays:

    5 stars
    Hi! I made these with Ghirardelli cocoa and chocolate, and substituted Cointreau for the water. They were AMAZING.

  217. Benjsays:

    Hi. I’m confused with the instructions above particularly on the 1/2 cup (2 ounces) cocoa powder ingredient. Isn’t 1/2 cup equivalent to 4 ounces? Thanks for your time. Will try out these recipe and will tell you bout the results. :)

    • Stefsays:

      A half cup weighs something different depending on what’s in the half cup. A half cup of bricks is much heavier than a half cup of feathers. Enjoy the cupcakes!

  218. nadirasays:

    I used to hate chocolate cupcake, but from time time had to make them for family and friends..they usually love the chocolate cupcakes I made but I was not satisfy with the taste or texture or moistness or the amount of chocolate I want to taste in them. I switch recipes after recipes which are known to be the best and came to the conclusion that I love chocolate as chocolate not as cakes or cupcakes. Today I made cupcakes from your recipe and oh my ..this was it. lovely texture, just the right amount of chocolate and cocoa, everything is so well put together what can I say, this is the recipe I want to make for me and eat the whole batch (which I often do with your ultimate vanilla cupcake). thank you Stef

  219. Aucourantsays:

    Has anyone successfully translated this recipe into a 8″ cake or two? Since the Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake can be made into 2 x 8 inch cakes (‘Ultimate Vanilla Cake’ – also on this site), I’m pretty sure this one can too.

  220. Josie's Cupcakessays:

    I’m so glad I found this, and can’t wait to try it. I can never seem to find the right chocolate cupcake recipe.

  221. Rachel Sierrasays:

    the best chocolate cupcakes i have ever made or tasted!!
    I used Ghirardelli Chocolate Baking Chips and cadbury cocoa powder, I added some instant coffee and I can taste a subtle hit.
    I also made a filling of home made turkish delight and added this to the baked cupcakes then used a rosewater flavoured buttercream for the frosting and garnished with a small square of the home made turkish delight on top and dusted with confectioners sugar. As I am in Australia we have Self Raising Flour and Plane Flour options not “All Purpose” so I used Plane and the cupcakes didn’t rise as much as I would like so next time I will add a little more baking soda to help them rise but the mini cupcakes I made still remained soft and fluffy but the larger size became a little dense for a perfect cupcake :)

  222. Sitisays:

    5 stars
    Tried and tested so many chocolate cupcakes and all have come out with “ok” responses. Found this recipe, gave it a go and is loved by everyone. Not too chocolaty and moist. Highly recommend to everyone to try.

  223. Tiffanysays:

    This is such a wonderful recipe, I made this over the weekend, however I seem to of had some issues with it, I made 12 regular sized cupcakes, and one batch of minis, however both of them sank a bit when they came out, and the bottoms are domed up as if the cupcake just sort of collapsed on itself. Maybe I misread the instructions, but it wants me to put all the liquid in at once (oil, vanilla, sour cream) this just felt wrong when I did it. I’m not quite sure what exactly caused them to sink and dome like they did. Any ideas what could have caused this? Maybe I should have added the liquids slower?

    Also my eggs may not have been quite room temperature. Any help would be appreciated!

  224. Caysays:

    5 stars
    mmmm, just took these out of the oven. Baked until 18 minutes in a very finicky oven and came out beautifully. I did turn the pans around at 9 minutes (very carefully) because things tend to burn in the back. Just ate one of the mutant cupcakes that didnt quite look perfect (my fault!) DELICIOUS. Will add instant coffee next time. Topping them with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

  225. Christinesays:

    5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe! I made these today for my sons 5th birthday. They were awesome! I will definitely make them again.

  226. dannisays:

    5 stars
    I googled cupcake recipe bc I didn’t have a box mix on hand and my daughter is having a dinner party tomorrow night.(She is 12, hence, cupcakes.) This recipe is what popped up and I made them (using dark dutched cocoa, 1 t. espresso powder and the cream cheese buttercream, oh and dark guitard chips). They ARE hands-down the best cupcakes I have ever tasted. I am shocked, bc I don’t love cupcakes. Usually frosting is grainy or disapointing and forgetabout the cake itself. I just ate one, the rest are for tomorrow night, and I had to hide them from my houseful of teenagers and try one before serving them and I am so dang pleased with the recipe that I had to write. Super job~

  227. Jasminesays:

    These cupcakes are AMAZING!!! I’m trying to find the one,and I think I did!:) Delisious,Delisious,Delisious!!!!!

  228. Bevsays:

    5 stars
    Okay, these cupcakes were fabulous. I haven’t read the other comments but, I have not been a successful cupcake baker until trying this recipe. This is the first time I have baked a cake without baking powder and with using part chocolate instead of all cocoa. They are rich, moist and yummy. My next pursuit is the perfect raspberry buttercream to top them with. Thanks……

  229. MissMissysays:

    I did not think there was anything special about the way these tasted. They were a little bland. The local cupcakery makes them so much better. I would not waste time making them again.

  230. Erinsays:

    Do you think it would work out if I substituted Canola/vegetable oil with melted coconut oil?

  231. Bjsays:

    I can’t find sour cream where I am , can I remove it totally or substitute with yogurt? And if I do, what else do I change in the recipe ?

  232. Catesays:

    Hi, the recipe for cupcakes was good, but it was very dense and the top was more of a crust then the top of a cupcake. I wouldn’t suggest this recipe

  233. Aliciasays:

    I’ve just finish making these cupcakes. I was really excited to try this recipe, having just made the “ultimate vanilla” with spectacular results. I used a combination of Ghiradelli milk and semisweet chocolate and Hersheys cocoa in the dry mix. I also used the coffee since it was the preferred method by most of the testers. The end result is very disappointing. I did not adjust the measurements of a single ingredient. The cupcakes are light, but also rather dry and although not at all rich or fudgy like a boxed brownie mix, the flavor is very similar. I have slathered each with chocolate buttercream icing, which is all that will save them.

  234. Sarahsays:

    5 stars
    My friend baked the cupcakes from this recipe and they were sooo good. I’m thinking about making some myself now.

  235. Sheryl Fellowssays:

    Just baked these awesome cupcakes. I doubles the recipe and go 12 jumbo cupcakes that had a beautiful crown. I used half Hershey’s special dark cocoa and half regular Hershey’s cocoa. The only thing I changed was I used 6 ounces of semi sweet chocolate when I doubled the recipe. Just tried one without any icing and it was simply heavenly. I don’t see a need for icing but I’m sure it’s gonna kick it up to the next level. Thank you so much for sharing. Now I can’t wait to try the vanilla.

  236. Mosays:

    I must say that this is THE absolute best chocolate cupcake recipe EVER. I’ve tried so many and this one really lives up to its name. My boyfriend isn’t a big chocolate fan but he really liked these. So I just have to say thank you, thank you, thank you! My search is over!

  237. Emmasays:

    5 stars
    Mmmm! My go-to recipe for chocolate cupcakes!

  238. Sammy (Gibraltar)says:

    Hi, I am not a big fan of chocolate, but I know most people love it. So I decided to go on a mission to find a chocolate cupcake recipe and stumbled on to your blog. Having read that you spent a lot of time and effort to perfect a cupcake I thought I’d give it a go. Instead of sour cream I used full fat milk with mascarpone. I made a batch of these cupcakes for work colleagues and they were a hit. I had great feedback. I used Cadbury bournville coco powder and dark cooking chocolate (I grated the chocolate to melt quicker).
    I also used your cream cheese frosting recipe but used mascarpone instead of cream cheese, everyone wanted to know what I did to make the frosting not buttery since they all loved the lightness to it. I did the perfect blend to not make it too sweet or too buttery tasting.

  239. Monicasays:

    5 stars
    I’ve made this so many times. Recently though I’ve started using cake flour(1 cup+ 2TB) and omg they are that much more amazing…super fluffy bc with all purpose flour it’s not that fluffy. I also do not use any coffee bc some people can actually taste it.

  240. Hannahsays:

    5 stars
    These were sooooo amazing, I went ahead and ate one while I was waiting for it to cool :) Favorite cupcake recipe in the world, I can already tell this is going to be my go to recipe!

  241. Genevievesays:

    5 stars
    I never post comment, but I absolutely have to break that rule today. These cupcakes are awesome. They are moist and light and so so good. I’ve made them for Christmas, with a chocolate and orange ganache inside and a chocolate orange frosting and it was heavenly. Thanks for this great recipe, it will be my go-to recipe for chocolate cupcakes for years to come!

  242. Colesays:

    One quick comment about cocoa powders. You cannot use Dutch-process cocoa in a recipe that calls for baking soda as the leavener. Dutch-process cocoa has a neutral PH and is not acidic like natural cocoa. If you are going to use Dutch-process cocoa, you must sub baking powder for the baking soda. I would recommend doubling it, so use 2 tsp. baking powder for each tsp. of baking soda called for in the recipe.

  243. Myrandasays:

    5 stars
    These are seriously delicious!!! I had to comment to let you know your attempts and time paid off!

  244. Danielasays:

    5 stars
    AMAZING!

    I made the recipe and sold 45 in an afternoon… the best cupcake ever!

  245. Naomisays:

    Thank you so much for this recipe!!
    I used this recipe as a guide to make VEGAN chocolate cupcakes and they turned out to be amazing!
    I substituted the egg with 1 banana and the sour cream with a dash of soy milk.
    I also only used about 2 tbsp of oil and 2/3 cup of sugar – personal preference.
    Thanks again!

  246. Sabrinasays:

    5 stars
    This is by far the BEST chocolate cupcake recipe I’ve ever made. I went a little crazy and put a ferrero rocher in the center of the cupcake and topped it with nutella buttercream. I also put vanilla buttercream on some and it was sooooo good. There are some pictures of them on my blog if you want to check it out. Anyways, thank you so much for all the time and effort everyone put into this, it was definitely worth it.

  247. Giasays:

    5 stars
    Thanks for a great recipe. Previous reviews were right on when they said they melt in your mouth and that they are delicious without any icing. So easy to make. BTW, I used espresso coffee in mine and Ghirardeli baking cocoa. Definitely a keeper!! Thanks for sharing.

  248. Teresasays:

    5 stars
    I must say, I was pretty sceptical of your ultimate chocolate cupcake especially as I made it and saw how watery the batter was. But I’m truly impressed and thankful for your recipe! I was in search of a high rising cupcake and have tried SO many…its not even funny. I tested them a couple at a time using various amounts of batter each time. I finally got my PERFECTLY high rising cupcake making these adjustments:
    1. I used a slightly heaping cup of cake flour
    2. Added 1 tbls of baking powder
    3. Used 1\4 cup of instant coffee ( water added)
    4. 1\4 cup of water
    5. Filled a regular cupcake liner with a scant 1\3 cup of batter (almost to the top, but not…if that makes any sense)
    6. Baked that at 400 degrees for a ” timed” 15 minutes

    ( I used Hershey’s cocoa and my melted chocolate was Ghirardelli) they turned out with a super nice dome which was exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’m also lazy so I just dumped everything in the bowl ( I did sift the flour) and combined it all by hand then put it in the mixer for a very short whirl :-)

  249. Angiesays:

    5 stars
    We had family come out for the holiday and my nephews wanted chocolate cupcakes. I found your recipe and made it. As I frosted one, it barely left my hand before it was gone. When I was done I realized I never got one to try myself. Everyone raved over it. After they had left my husband gave me one had he hid in a ziplock in the cabinet. After I told him how sweet he was for saving one for me he fessed up and said he actually had hid it for himself to eat later. Lol! Thanks for the recipe.

  250. hazelsays:

    5 stars
    I recommend you use this recipe I made them for our Christmas family gathering and they were hands down the best ever cup cakes I have ever made no one even left a crumb on their plate . Since then I have baked another batch and given them to other family members I am excited to say that there were no failures with this recipe. It is so good I wish I had found it sooner !!!!

  251. Parvathysays:

    Hi,
    The cupcakes were awesome….that is the feedback I received from my family.I am very critical about my baking….though they were incredibly soft and moist and tasted amazing,the top of the cake was a little dry and I could see sugar granules on the top.That is something I donot prefer to see in a cake.Can u please help me out?

    Parvathy.

  252. Deesays:

    5 stars
    I’ve been on the lookout for a perfect chocolate cupcake recipe forever. The ones I’ve made so far have been too sticky, too dry, too springy, crisp on top, too fudgy, and way to eggy. I made these dreading that tell-tale egg taste that I can’t seem to shake off but oh my! My cupcakes turned out softer than clouds, deep and lusciously chocolaty. I’ve never had anything come out so right! Thank you so much! I was going to top them with a lovely strawberry and white chocolate mousse but I don’t see them lasting that long

  253. Whitneysays:

    I had a question…if I wanted to use this recipe for a base for other kinds of cupcakes, what would I have to change? Would the whole recipe be changed if I left out the cocoa? And if I used some kind of white chocolate for the 2oz of candy bars, would you be able to taste it a lot? I imagine not, but you’re the expert :) I just absolutely loved this recipe and want to be able to make non-chocolate types of cupcakes that taste as good.

    • Stefanisays:

      Have you tried my Ultimate Vanilla Cupcakes? That’s the recipe that I use as the base for non-chocolate cupcakes. It works really well! I don’t think you would taste the white chocolate all that much, but you could try.

  254. faesays:

    If the finished cake is half as good as the batter, these really are going to be the best chocolate cupcakes ever!

  255. Contessasays:

    hello! can i use this recipe into a cake instead of cupcake? :D cheers!

  256. Ilyanasays:

    tried them! loved them! thanks for doing all the hard ground-work! Cheers from Panamá!

  257. mariasays:

    can u please change the recipes to gram, because i lived in country where u use gram in everything, if i change my self it is always different in the result, pretty plzzzz, i lovee ur recipe, thank u sooo much :-)

  258. Clairesays:

    5 stars
    I have just baked these chocolate cupcakes they are absolutely delicious.I have tried so many chocolate cupcake recipes and I haven’t been pleased with them at all.But when I saw this recipe I thought I would give it one last go and I am glad I did.i personally don’t like Dutch Cocoa powder so I tried Cadbury and it worked.Fantastic job!!!

  259. Whitneysays:

    5 stars
    I try all kinds of baking projects from all kinds of baking blogs/sites, but I’ve never commented on anything before. I made these for Thanksgiving yesterday (one batch with caramel buttercream frosting and another with cookie dough buttercream frosting) and they were AMAZING. They were absolutely perfect. Usually my favorite part of the cupcake is the icing, but with these it was the cake part! From now on this will be the only chocolate cupcake recipe I use.

  260. Beano5says:

    I was very worried at first as my mix was very runny and I’m used to more thick, gloopy mix so I tried a test bake. It rose well but like others as soon as they’re out of the heat it shrunk back down. My next bake I have filled the party pans higher, about 90% full.

    They taste great!

  261. Alexandrasays:

    Hi! I look forward to making these cupcakes! I have a question though! The recipe says 1/2 cup of cocoa powder (2 ounces) however half of a cup is 4 ounces not 2 ounces. So does the recipe use 1/2 cup or 1/4 cup of cocoa powder? Thanks!

    • Stefsays:

      1/2 cup doesn’t have a set weight, it depends on what is in the 1/2 cup. A 1/2 cup of feathers would weigh much less than a half cup of bricks.

  262. Monicasays:

    5 stars
    Perfect! Made these 4 times already with consistent results everytime. People rave! I use hersheys dark cocoa with dark chocolate chips for dark chocolate & unsweetened cocoa & semi sweet chocolate chips. You can’t go wrong. No need to look for other recipes. Only thing is I like my cupcakes super moist & as is, the recipe doesn’t cut it. Added 1/4th cup more oil & it was perfect.

  263. Angelasays:

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness!! I’m not big on cupcakes, but am big on chocolate, and so I had to try this recipe. It really is the Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake! How do I begin to describe it? Very moist, rich and flavorful. Not dry at all. It reminds me a little of the crockpot chocolate cake I make sometimes that also uses sour cream, and it’s also a lot like the cake I make from the recipe on the back of the Hershey’s Special Dark baking cocoa I love to make. By the way, I used the Hershey’s Special Dark baking cocoa and Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate chips for the 2 oz of chocolate. If you want the perfect dark chocolate cupcake, this recipe is for you! I’m going to fill mine with the dark chocolate frosting recipe on the cocoa, and after I do, I’ll post an update on how that turned out. Thank you so much for this recipe, Stefani!

  264. Belindasays:

    hi, do you think it is absolutely necessary for the water? I live in a really humid country and somehow when I added the water, the cupcake became way too moist. Do you think I can leave it out?

  265. Msays:

    5 stars
    I am so glad I found this recipe and your site!

    I first made this last week with a local (cheap) chocolate- I loved the texture, but found it lacking in taste. I baked this again last night to AMAZING results- I used Hershey’s dark chocolate bar mixed with milk chocolate (maybe 2:1), and Hershey’s cocoa powder. LOVE LOVE LOVE!

    It made about 28 cupcakes with a 1.5inch base (a little too full- maybe 30-32 would be a better quantity) Baked at about 14 to 15 minutes.

    Thank you for sharing this recipe! :) Can’t wait to try out your Ultimate Vanilla one next!

  266. Luisasays:

    Hi, I have been seeking the ultimate chocolate cupcake for quite some time and just happen to stumble across your site. I just made the cupcakes and I have one main concern. Although they are superb and sensational and I could eat about 10 one after another (according to my husband who is definitely no food critic), I can taste an acidic and bitter flavour. How can I rectify this issue and why did this happen? Your response is appreciated. Thanks.

    • Stefsays:

      Hmm.. not sure why that would be. It could be the type of chocolate you are using. Maybe try a sweeter chocolate next time?

      • Luisasays:

        Hi. I used Lindt chocolate. And Hollands best cocoa powder. So I believe these are two good quality ingredients. I’m not sure if it could be due to the fact that I oiled the patty tin with olive oil before putting in the batter. Otherwise it seems to me to be the baking soda. What do you think?

    • anna chungsays:

      hello, i also had the problem of the bitter aftertaste and i used callebaut semi sweet choc chips and cocoa powder.

  267. LJsays:

    i made these with the coffee and they tasted GREAT. they were absolutely moist. But a little too dense for me. is it possible to sub the AP flour with cake flour for a lighter crumb?

    • Monicasays:

      I don’t know how yours came out dense. I’ve made them about 4 times in the past 2 weeks with AP flour and they came out just as fluffy as boxed cake mixes. Maybe you should try creaming the butter with the sugar longer :-).

  268. Dalesays:

    5 stars
    These are wonderful……… I just found the perfect chocolate cupcake …….Thank you:)))

  269. Salliesays:

    5 stars
    I just made these for my friend’s wedding this weekend. Absolutely delicious. I used half water\half coffee, just a slight hint of coffee to bring out the richness of the dark chocolate. I also added a dark chocolate ganache to to the centers and topped with a salted caramel cream cheese frosting. It was also a perfect use for the egg yolks I had left over from the lavender orange short bread cookies. This recipe is more moist & chocolatey than the Cook’s Illustrated recipe. Thank you.

  270. Deesays:

    5 stars
    Thank you!!! This is hands-down, the BEST chocolate cupcake recipe ever!….and i’ve tried MANY! So moist, so flavourful!

  271. Addy Davissays:

    This looks great! Will be trying this tonight.

    Curious though what is the purpose of the water in the recipe?

  272. Monicasays:

    Hello. I was wondering if you can use cake flour instead? I use cake flour in all my cupcakes. Thank you!

  273. Nancysays:

    5 stars
    This is the best recipe I’ve found. Best chocolate cupcakes ever!

  274. Meryllsays:

    5 stars
    I made this last night. I topped it with a vanilla cream cheese frosting (4 oz reduced fat cream cheese, 1/4cup sugar, 2tsp vanilla, half the zest of 1 orange mixed on a stiff 8 oz heavy cream with 1 tsp cream of tartar). I am not crazy about cupcakes and when I tried it after cooling off I was not crazy about it but my family loved it! They asked for seconds! I placed the rest in the refrigerator and we ate some again today and lo and behold, they were awesome! It’s like suddenly it transformed to how I would like it! I was so puzzled on how that was possible and I concluded maybe it just needed a longer time to sit for the flavors to really come together. This recipe is perfect and thank you so much for the extra effort on putting the weight measurement in ounces! That really made things easy to follow. This was the first cupcake I ever made and it was a success!!! Oh I used Hersheys Semi Sweet for the chocolate and Equal Exchange organic baking cocoa powder. Guess who’s gonna be eating more cupcakes now? =D

  275. Charlotte Sewpershadsays:

    5 stars
    Best chocolate cup cake ever! I had to bake cupcakes for my triplets birthday to take to class, teachers and children just loved it. I used Nestl’e coco powder and chocloate.

  276. juliasays:

    5 stars
    I keep making these and i keep getting told they are better than *relations* lol i LOVE these cupcakes

  277. Lorisays:

    5 stars
    I used this basic recipe but made it gluten free. The cupcakes were amazing, they were moist and fluffy, couldn’t even tell they were gluten free!!! Yum! Thank you!

  278. Stephaniesays:

    Your recipes have never failed me and are always inspiring. In this case, they inspired me to create an orange twist (now named Boyfriend Cupcakes).

    http://spiritedbites.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/boyfriend-cupcakes-chocolate-orange-cupcakes/

  279. Licasays:

    Hello! Can I use Buttermilk instead or Sour Cream?

  280. Jesssays:

    Having baked a few winners from your blog, i was quite excited to try these out, investing in some dark couverture chocolate for both the cupcakes and a whipped ganache planned for frosting.

    unfortunately i was pretty disappointed with the outcome, the cupcakes ‘tasted’ awesome, but they were dry and hard to eat, i thought i had timed the baking wrong or not filled the pans too much, so made a second batch, baked for less time, and the same result, a light crispy crumb on the outside and just a throat cloggingly dry cake (which amazed me with a sour cream cupcake recipe) the only saving grace was the creamy whipped ganache which i piled on top to help with consumption..

    sadly this was the only batch of cupcakes i have ever made which i had to ferry ‘unwanteds’ home with me, hanging their little dry cupcakey heads in shame.

  281. Rachelsays:

    Hi i was wondering if you used caster sugar in this recipe or normal (coffee/tea) sugar?

  282. Ellesays:

    Hi Stef, I thought it was the chocolatiest ever! But my boyfriend thought it was dry and crumbly. I baked the cupcakes for 15 mins at 350F (according to my oven thermometer). I tested with the toothpick and went out clean so i took them out of the oven. Should it be like that? I followed the recipe and added coffee to it. I used Cadbury unsweetened cocoa and 72% chocolate. Any suggestions? Thanks!

    • megsays:

      The trick, for cupcakes since they are so tiny, is to never have them fully cooked. When you insert a tooth pick you always want one or two crumbs on it as opposed to your tooth pick being completely clean. The will continue baking in your pan after removed from the oven.

  283. Nataliesays:

    5 stars
    Baked this recipe twice and it came out perfectly! Both times added Nespresso chocolate flavor coffee…really pops the flavor to a new level! You know a recipe is good when you are happy to eat the batter and not bake it! Lol! There’s always competition for who gets to lick the bowl. I do substitute the sour cream with buttermilk, no issues though. And I use unsalted butter. Thanks for an awesome recipe. It’s gone in my book for hand down to kids and nieces. Will definitely do the water donation. I live in South Africa and well aware of the struggles for fresh drinking water….God bless you!

  284. Melssays:

    5 stars
    I made these for a conference my husband attended. I used an easy white chocolate frosting, a beautiful contrast to how dark these turn out. They were delicious and gorgeous. As evidenced by their disappearance! I’m about to make them again for a bake sale. Hope I remember the choices I made last time!

  285. Catherinesays:

    5 stars
    I made these yesterday for my cousins birthday. ….OMG, they are AMAZING!!!! The taste, texture, density is just perfect!! I could quite happily eat them on their own without any frosting. Mine rose beatifully with no air pockets. I was really concerned during the making process that at no time did they require beating as each stage only stated ‘until just combined’ but I decided to follow the instructions exactly and I’m so glad I did! This will definitely be my ‘go to’ recipe from now on. Well done on creating the perfect chocolate cupcake and a big thank you for sharing!!!

  286. Evelyn Francissays:

    5 stars
    I made this recipe this past weekend and OMG! They were absolutely delicious! They reminded me of a cake-like brownie…so rich and chocolatey. Thank you for all the hours you spent to create such a great tasting chocolate cupcake!

  287. Fadtksays:

    Hey! I tried this recipe yesterday along with your chocolate cream cheese frosting. Apart from the delectable taste, which my family devoured, I had two issues :
    1. My cupcakes didnt rise. If anything , they sunk in even more. I had used yoghurt as a sub instead of sour cream.
    2. The frosting was very soft. It dripped off my cupcakes. Even though i almost doubled the amount of sugar in it.Even tried refridgerating it, but its still the same. It tasted excellent, but there was absolutely no stiffness. What could have been the reasons.
    please help!

    I love your website! Thanks a bunch for such wonderful recipes! :)

  288. Denisesays:

    I just baked these and they were awesome! The only thing is that they didn’t rise. They were really flat and didn’t even rise to the top of the liner. My butter wasn’t room temperature and my sour cream was lite, does that make a difference? Does over mixing cause them to be flat too? Any feedback would be appreciated!

  289. Petasays:

    5 stars
    I made these cup cakes today wow they turned out really well and everyone thought they were really tasty and yummy. I used double cake papers but there was no sticking everything perfect. Thank you Team Chocolate cup cake researchers.

  290. Beckysays:

    Hi

    I would like to try this recipe. Sorry if I am being dense but do you have to use dark chocolate as the your favourite chocolate part? Also I am a brit what do you mean by sugar? Caster sugar or something else? Thanks

    • Beckysays:

      Hi

      I would like to try this recipe. Sorry if I am being dense but do you have to use dark chocolate as the your favourite chocolate part? Also I am a Brit what do you mean by sugar? Caster sugar or something else? Thanks

    • Stefsays:

      No, you can use any kind of chocolate. I mean granulated sugar.

  291. Kelsiesays:

    Made this today, but as a cake. Used a 9″ pan that I greased, lined with parchment and greased again. Puffed up nicely and came out without any problems. Baked approx 35 min. Would bake 30 and then check and add 3-5 min. Haven’t tasted yet as it’s for an event on monday (it’s in the freezer). Just wanted people that asked to know that, yes, you can make it as a cake.

    • Rebeccasays:

      hi kelsie,

      Could you give feedback on the taste and did you decorate the cake? thinking of experimenting this recipe for a tiered cake?

      • Kelsiesays:

        The taste was great! I only frosted it with her chocolate cream cheese frosting. Planning on making it today (double recipe) and making a double layer cake. Should work out fine

        • Msays:

          Thanks for sharing this, Kelsie! I’m planning to make this as a cake as well for my daughter’s birthday. I was wondering what size of pan I was going to use.

  292. Jaenmarcsays:

    I have a question. If I used yogurt in place of the sour cream, do I also need to substitute baking powder for the baking soda since I am removing an acid?

  293. Marilynsays:

    My my my… I baked these tonight and the cupcakes turned out wonderfully delicious. They sunk just a tad in the middle, but the flavor made that issue non-existent ;) I used Baker’s German chocolate (that was all I had on hand), Nestlé unsweetened cocoa powder. This cupcake really does not need frosting, but I frosted them anyway. Homemade German chocolate frosting on some and store-bought chocolate frosting. I don’t need to search for another recipe. This was quick, easy, moist and oh so flavorful!!

  294. Jonathansays:

    I live in a high altitude city (SLC) will I need to bake the cupcakes longer?

  295. Sirishasays:

    I tried this recipe n it was a super hit.Now it’s my favorite chocolate cake recipe.thanks so much..

  296. Billiesays:

    5 stars
    I made these for my granddaughters birthday party after doing a search for super moist cupcakes. As soon as they cooled enough to try i had to have onebto try of course, they are amazing! I made it just like the recipe read, except I used coconut oil instead of vegetable and I used the coffee. They are so very moist and delicious! Thank you for the wonderfully delicious recipe! I have tried many different ones in the past,and I think I finally found my favorite, these will definitely be my go too!

  297. mfemtnewsays:

    Dear friend will be pleased if kindly visit to my blog http://chocolatecupcakserecipes.blogspot.com/
    http://chocolatecupcakserecipes.blogspot.com/2013/08/explore-the-most-beautiful-and-finest.html

  298. Amessays:

    5 stars
    Just made these cupcakes, and they happened to be my very first ever cupcakes from scratch. THEY ARE AMAZING!!!! I had to sub plain yogurt for the sour cream because I didn’t have any s.c., but they turned out completely delicious and fluffy anyway :)
    Thanks for all your hard work in making this recipe….I will now be checking out all of your other recipes!!

  299. Greersays:

    5 stars
    My cousin asked me to make cucakes for her 30th birthday and I had a thought to make chocolate cupcakes. I did a google search on, “the best chocolate cupcakes” and found this one. I knew it would be a hit because over a year ago I did the same search for a vanilla cupcake and found it here as well! My cousin said that the cupcakes were “sooooo good!” and I have to agree. I made the chocolate cream cheese frosting – which I was initially leary of – and it was amazing! It doesn’t taste cream cheesey at all. I’ll be writing a blog post about these very soon!

  300. Summersays:

    5 stars
    I made these chocolate cupcakes for a ‘cupcakes and cocktails’ get together I had with some girlfriends. I used a Hershey’s Dark Chocolate bar for the melted portion, Hershey’s cocoa powder, Land O’ Lakes butter, and 1/2 cup coffee in place of the 1/2 cup water. They turned out wonderful! Very moist but fluffy and with a rich chocolate flavor. I think using coffee and dark chocolate definitely gives them a more grown-up taste. My 8 year old that loves, loves cupcakes commented that it tasted a little burned, but that was the flavor of the bold coffee and dark chocolate. Once they were frosted, everything came together and I thought the cupcakes were amazing. I made vanilla buttercream topped with sprinkles for half and caramel frosting with dark chocolate shavings and a drizzle of caramel on the others. Both very good! Great recipe!!

  301. Mayrasays:

    5 stars
    OMG the BEST chocolate cupcakes I’ve ever made!! These were sooooo good!! Incredibly soft and moist, not like the usual recipes that turn out tasting like a “Pinguino Marinela”.

    I didn’t have sour cream so I had to substitute it with whole milk; and therefore added a little less water at the end. Also the Hershey’s cocoa is too bitter but since that was what I had i added a bit less cocoa and a bit more melted chocolate.

    I topped them with peppermint buttercream and some others with coffe buttercream. My God, I’ve become addicted.

    Thank you for all your hard work in developing this recipe!!! Mission accomplished!!

  302. Daniellesays:

    5 stars
    I made these for my 21st birthday, and they were all really delicious. The cupcake liners were smaller than the standard ones, and I ended up baking them a bit under the stated temperature (320F). It was actually a bit of an accident (hehe) but they tasted awesome and weren’t too dry at all. Thank you for this recipe, I will be making them over and over again! :)

  303. dbsays:

    I love these cup cakes. We baked 3 batches of them, what I found is 18 minutes is too long, they came out dry. I should have done a test bake first before i baked all 3 batches. All in all they are the bomb. i think 15 minutes will do…Next time.

  304. Raysays:

    5 stars
    I had been looking for a chocolate cup cake recipe and when I found this one, I was so excited couldn’t wait to try! I followed each step though I cut all measures by half as I didn’t want to make many for a try. It is hard to get sour cream so I used whipped cream and added fresh lemon juice to create my own sour cream. The cup cakes were amazing! Tasty, very fluffy and melts in the mouth ;) Thank you so much!

  305. Abdelrahman ElBedawysays:

    This was the very first thing I’ve ever baked in my entire 16-year-old life and I have to admit that though they tasted utterly ambrosiac I felt that the cake fell apart and couldn’t hold it’s structure when the cupcake liners where taken off -they were by far too moist. Do you think that if I increase the butter and decrease the oil content would be in favour to more consistency? Thank you so much for putting more than alot in this amazing blog.

  306. GGsays:

    I followed this recipe exactly and the taste was great but they were dry :(

  307. balicravingssays:

    5 stars
    these are great and I really like your best chocolate frosting.
    thank you!

  308. Psays:

    These cupcakes look great. I want to make them today but I have a question. Why are some of the ounces off? For example, we all know 1 cup + 8 oz so why only add 7oz of sugar? Same for the flour.
    Thanks :)

    • Jaenmarcsays:

      I think that only works for butter and chocolates. Different ingredients have different densities, and a cup is referring to volume, not density.

  309. Tamiesays:

    Made these tonight – so delicious! Haven’t frosted them yet but had to try one just to be SURE they turned out (it’s a rough job but I was willing to do it). They are a bit brownie-like in their taste, but with a wonderful cupcake texture. Mine did have the little bump on top (in the middle) which I have learned usually means my cupcakes will have tunnels. I was so sad. Then when I broke into mine I saw it was perfect inside. Yay!!! I don’t think I need to look for any other recipe after this. Thanks for everyone’s hard work. For my chocolate I used Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, and my cocoa was Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa Powder.

  310. diderosays:

    hi, we have no sour cream here and i wanted to ask if i could use normal cream instead?

  311. Marysays:

    5 stars
    Just made these for my mom and dad’s anniversary. My dad is a huge chocolate cake snob but I think that he will be VERY impressed with this recipe.

    I made them into mini-cupcakes (took 12 minutes versus the published 18 for full-sized cups and made 42 cups) and topped with your Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (used 3 cups of powdered sugar versus the published 4 cups).

    Both recipes are light and not too sweet but filled with chocolate! And super-moist!

    By no means am I an accomplished baker but I am an accomplished eater of baked goods and these are right on! I can’t wait to try your Ultimate Vanilla recipe – if I had vanilla bean paste I would made them right now!

  312. Sarahsays:

    What about using 100% unsweetened chocolate? That’s what I have here, a lovely brand. But how much more sugar would you estimate I add in? Thanks!

  313. Erinsays:

    I made these cupcakes for my daughter’s 2nd birthday. The recipe came out just in time!!! I love the ultimate vanilla recipe and had made them previously several times and was really hoping that this recipe would come out in time. I didn’t include coffee (as recommended) and all my guests thought that these cupcakes were amazing and very chocolaty as is. I used the chocolate cream cheese icing which was quite nice with the cupcakes as the cream cheese gave a nice break from the chocolate and made it really creamy. I do have to say that I thought that they were better when put in the fridge but that is my preference.

  314. Dotsays:

    What did I do wrong? It was not moist, very dry and not so good:( i followed ur recipe to a T but something happen along the way. though I love the ultimate vanilla recipe-amazing !!!

  315. CuppyLuvsays:

    What will happen if I substitute more butter for the oil?

  316. Melindasays:

    5 stars
    These are AMAZING. I decided tonight last minute that after my 2 year old daughter got a nasty cut/bruise on her toe from dropping a nearly full metal water bottle on it that she needed a treat to make it all better! I used Hershey’s cocoa and Nestle’s semi-sweet chips and only had low fat sour cream on hand, but OH. MY. GOODNESS. I can’t even begin to describe the decadent texture of this cake. The slight crisp on the top that almost resembled a brownie-but not quite-and the cake that was just like velvet. I have a friend whose birthday is coming up. Now I have an excuse to make some more! Oh, and I didn’t have cream cheese (and chocolate buttercream is never chocolate-y enough for me for some reason, it always tastes too much like sugar) so I ate mine straight up no frosting. Again, thank you so much for sharing your talent with the world! It made our house a happier place tonight :-)

  317. Annasays:

    You said it needs 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks. When you say eggs, do you mean just the egg whites, or the white and yolk.

  318. andysays:

    5 stars
    just a quick note of thanks for the recepie. i have literally just finished making these for my children’s school cake sale. the hardest bit for me was translating the recepie from american to english, but having just tasted one it was well worth the effort. i also made the chocolate frosting you suggested and i have to tell you these are the nicest cakes i have ever made!! i look forward to trying more recepies in the future, and my kids will look forward to the tasting im sure – thanks again., andy (UK)

  319. C.R.E.A.Msays:

    Ah this looks amazing. I have attempted to perfect my chocolate cupcake recipe but this looks intriguing. I’ll be posting mine on my blog ( creamstar.blogspot.co.nz ) soon and might just have to bake double and do a comparison! Thanks for posting

  320. Domonique Chauvaughnsays:

    Also, I used Hershey’s cocoa powder, giradelli creamy devotion milk chocolate bar (5 square), land o lakes butter, spice island pure vanilla extract , and a hand mixer. If I can do it anyone can. I usually buy Betty Crocker and add a little something. Looking toward to actually saying I can bake!

  321. Domonique Chauvaughnsays:

    5 stars
    Completely delisious !!! I had given up on chocolate cupcakes because the flavor just wasn’t right. This was perfect. For those who are not sure add the coffe! It was exactly what I was missing! Love this blog!

  322. Kristiesays:

    Hi there,

    I tried these today for my son’s 3rd birthday, and they sunk?! Is that normal, did I do something wrong? I have reviewed your directions and I feel like it did everything correctly, but surely they should have sunk?

    Oh well, will fill in with frosting and hope they look ok :)

    Thanks!!!

    PS – I did your vanilla cupcake and strawberry whipped cream frosting for my daughters first birthday – HUGE HIT!

    • Tammy's Cupcakessays:

      This is form cake central

      If they sink AFTER they come out of the oven they are underbaked. Even thought a toothpick comes out clean. Try the press the center method. It should spring back. If it leaves any indention, then they are not done. And yes, the toothpick can come out clean and still not be done. I no longer use the toothpick method to check my cupcakes.

      If they sink in the oven before you take them out, they are overleavened.

      mine are in the oven…. I’m so excited! The batter definitely tasted like batter of an ultimate chocolate cupcake!

    • Tammy's Cupcakessays:

      5 stars
      Ultimate for sure! Delicious and stable.
      my feedback: I sued Caillier Chocolate powder and a Swiss cooking chocolate. I baked for 21 minutes. At 18minutes using the touch/indent method to check for doneness, they were not done.
      I topped with my own vanilla buttercream this time around because I already had it made, but next time I’ll top with chocolate.

      THANK YOU: It’s my new favourite chocolate cupcake recipe!

      Tammy, of http://www.tammyscupcakes.com also on FB

  323. Yurisays:

    Congratulations! and a BIG Thank You for sharing the recipe. Love your Ultimate Vanilla too.
    I’ve been waiting for this – Ultimate Chocolate! I made this as soon as I found it. The cupcakes are so moist and yet light. My family loved them and colleagues, inhaled them within a sec!!
    The only concern I have is because the cupcakes are so moist, not all but majority of the patty pans peel away from the cakes after they cooled down.
    Has anyone had the same problem? I wonder if double lining the cupcakes would work…?
    Please advise how I can improve on this. Thank you.

    • Stefsays:

      I’d try using different brands of liners. Some fall off much more easily than others.

    • Tonisays:

      5 stars
      I had the same result; liners coming away from the cupcakes….I have noticed that this is a hit and miss occurrence with Chocolate recipes…..I sourced bulk dark brown liners from a bakery supplies store and yes – some recipes pull away and some don’t but it is always Chocolate recipes!
      I wish i knew why…I am going to try different liners just in case because this recipe is EXTRAORDINARILY excellent!!

      Love your work Stef.
      From Toni of littlecupsofheaven.com
      =)

  324. Ritasays:

    I am sorry to say that my family did not think this was the ultimate chocolate cupcake. In our house we like a chocolate stout cupcake recipe I modified from Smitten Kitchen
    Although I did like this recipe as an alternative for when I don’t have stout in the house.

  325. Channonsays:

    Hi Stef,
    My son wants a cake layered with chocolate & vanilla…it only makes sense I want THE ULTIMATE flavors.

    Can both of your ultimate cupcake recipes be used to make a cake?

  326. jassays:

    Can we have it in grams for the uk bakers please!!!!!!!!

    • andysays:

      hi jas – email me at ajssettle@gmail if you want the translation – well worth a try in my opinion! andy

  327. Chrystinasays:

    Stopping by from Leslie’s page, I absolutely LOVE how this was executed – and with all of the work and effort that went into these, I absolutely feel like I should try them. I’m looking forward to exploring your site more when I’m not on my phone – and excited to look at all the frosting options :). PS my coworkers say thank you in advance.

  328. Sam Csays:

    I just made these with coffee, green & black’s milk chocolate, and hershey’s cocoa (mix of natural and dutch processed) and they are amazing! They really are the best chocolate cucpakes I’ve ever had. My new go – to chocolate cupcake recipe.

  329. Shaynasays:

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness!!! This is totally the ultimate!! I have been waiting for this and it was well worth the wait! I used Saco Premium Cocoa and Bakers semi sweet chocolate. They literally taste like hot chocolate in cupcake form! I topped them with a caramel swiss meringue frosting. The most perfect cupcake I have ever eaten! Thank you so much!!

  330. Chloesays:

    Would it be possible for me to make these cupcakes without sour cream, or would this make the cupcakes to dry?

    • Jennifersays:

      5 stars
      I left out the sourcream and they were still amazing. I made a double batch that was gluten free (for me) and dairy free (for my daughter). 140 g of gluten free flour per cup of regular flour (20% sweet sorghum, 20% millet, 30% sweet rice, 30% potato starch by weight + 1/4 t psyllium husks per cup of gluten free flour) This means for a double batch I used 280 g gluten free flour and 1/2 t psyllium husks. I replaced the butter with margarine because my daughter is not lactose intolerant but seems to react to milk proteins which is why butter is still not good for her unless it is clarified. I used Lindt 70% dark chocolate and coffee. It made 24 cupcakes. They were wonderfully rich and rose quite well. I think I had to leave them in the oven at least 25min. I made them for my three year old daughter’s birthday party and they were a big hit. The day before for her daycare party I used a different recipe that was gluten free, dairy free and egg free. Those were ok but not all in the same league as these. Because I had made that other batch the day before for comparison I knew that I could leave out the sour cream and still have wonderfully rich cupcakes. Yum. Thanks so much.

  331. Jennsays:

    5 stars
    They are fabulous! I made a double batch (got 34 cupcakes). Used the chocolate I had on hand (Nestlé dark chocolate chips and Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder). Texture is amazing, so soft and moist. I frosted them with a variation of Joy the Baker’s Best Chocolate Buttercream (mostly less liquid for piping). I’ve already eaten 3…

  332. Barbarasays:

    5 stars
    Yes, this is the Ultimate for me! I made it Friday. Today is Monday and it’s still as fresh and moist as when I made them. I love that the cake is light but the flavor so intensely chocolately. Thanks for all your hard work!

  333. K-Tynsays:

    Hey Stef, great job on this recipe. I really admire your tenacity and perseverance (’cause god knows I’d never have the patience to have done this). XD

    On a separate note, do you think this could be adapted into a layer cake recipe? Specifically an 8″ or 9″ cake?

    • Sarahsays:

      I was actually going to ask the same question as K-Tyn–i’d like to know what one batch of the recipe translates into

  334. Kelly@RunningBlondesays:

    Hey Stef – I have my post about the challenge up! You can see it here:
    http://runningblonde.com/ultimate-chocolate-cupcake-recipe/

    Thanks again for letting me be a part of the fun! I look forward to future challenges.

  335. Jensays:

    Hi! I am a 13-year-old girl who loves to cook and bake, and I was really excited when I saw this recipe was posted, being a chocolate lover myself. So I decided to make the cupcakes, and I was mixing the wet ingredients…when it seemed that something was off. Something about the consistency. I baked them, and they seemed okay, but smelled kind of funny. It was only then that I realized I had put TWO sticks of butter in the batter instead of one–I had put out two sticks for both the cupcakes and the frosting, but I forgot and added both! How silly of me! They taste decent, but I will definitely try these again. Mistakes happen. :) Thank you, Cupcake Project, for posting such awesome cupcake recipes and being an inspiration for me as a baker.

  336. Laura @FoodSnobSTLsays:

    YEAH! I know you put so much work into these, and it’s exciting to finally see the results!

  337. Joannsays:

    5 stars
    We are always looking for new ways to do classics. Made these tonight and put them in front of my trusty panel of food critics, (husband and boys). They declared them DELICIOUS! I absolutely appreciate your forgiveness in the recipe for coffee/non-coffee, chocolate, cocoa powder. It made the recipe feel like my own yet with the confidence of the many test hours of your bakers behind me. Well done and very appreciated. In my opinion, as a caterer, these are ‘event’ worthy.

  338. Amysays:

    Congratulations!!! I’m so impressed by your perseverance and dedication. A year is a REALLY long time to keep at it, and I’m sure these really are your ultimate chocolate cupcakes! I can’t wait to see what cupcake flavor you try to make an “ultimate” version of next!

  339. Dru @ Teenage Cakelandsays:

    So glad you finally found the perfect recipe!! I made these just now and had one right out of the oven-amazing.

  340. Samsays:

    YES! You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this recipe<3

  341. tracy {pale yellow}says:

    Wow! I can’t wait to try these out. I adore your ultimate vanilla cupcake, so I trust this will be tasty! Thanks for all your hard work!

  342. Georgia @ The Comfort of Cookingsays:

    Haha, I love the little crown! If this is the best chocolate cupcake ever, it is definitely worth a try in my kitchen! I’m ON IT.

  343. Minhsays:

    I’ve been waiting for these and just made them. Here’s my feedback: definitely airy and fluffy but still very chocolatey – exactly what i was looking for in a chocolate cupcake! Amazing taste and consistency. Will be serving to coworkers today with a tiny swirl of Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Love the “choose your own” options. My only gripe would be that although they rose beautifully in the oven, they sank back to flat cakes after taking out. I followed the recipe to a T. Is that how they are supposed to be, or did I do something wrong?
    Also love the donate water idea, will definitely do that. Thank you for bringing this ambitious project to the end. I hope this is as satisfying to you as to us, when we bite into the ultimate chocolate cupcake :)))

    • KraziKrissays:

      I made these last night and noticed the same thing, they rose in the oven but then flatted out after cooling. They were still great but I too want to know if this was supposed to happen…

    • Minhsays:

      P.S. Also wanted to mention, I doubled the recipe and didn’t get 32, but 50 cupcakes! That was one very long baking session ;) I usually fill mine with an ice cream scoop and I didn’t get the impression that they were under-filled. Thank you so much for your feedback on this.

    • Ellisays:

      You know, that happened to me too! the only thing i did differently was using low fat sourcream, because it was raining and i didnt want to go outside to buy full fat… i also wonder if i did something wrong..

  344. Chris Bsays:

    Congrats! I am going to have to make these ASAP to see how they are comparec to my favorite chocolate cake/cupcake recipe.

  345. DaisyTsays:

    These sound amazing and they are in my oven baking. I can hardly wait to try!

  346. Jacquelinesays:

    Yay! I’m so glad you all came to an consensus, and I can’t wait to try these :)

  347. Lisasays:

    5 stars
    I made this recipe as soon as I found it, and absolutely loved it! It was very moist, almost like a brownie, yet still had the same airiness of a cupcake. everyone enjoyed them!

  348. MichelleKsays:

    Sorry if this is a stupid question, but can you qualify “butter”. I am not American and I have heard that your definition of butter is different from what we use in Europe… That quite often either shortening or margerine is used, is this the case here?
    Congrats on finally finding the ultimTe chocolate cupcake!!! Can’t wait to try it :-)

    • Annesays:

      i was one of the testers and i only used actual butter (never shortening or margarine) in the recipes. hope that helps

    • Dianasays:

      Take the whole milk from cows, skim off the heavy cream and churn it with a heavy paddle until it thickens into butter- it will “set up” in the refrigerator. I believe you can also just churn all of the milk and when the butter starts setting up you take it out and refrigerate it, then the liquid that’s left if the buttermilk.

  349. nessasays:

    This needs to happen in my house ASAP!

  350. Juliesays:

    5 stars
    LOVE that chocolate crown!

    Also I was one of the lucky people who got to do some testing (not all rounds) and this was definitely the ultimate chocolate cupcake in my opinion. Better than any store bought cupcake for sure! Loved it!

  351. Annesays:

    WOOOOOH! I’m so glad we finally did it! that was a long time coming and i’m glad i can shelve my cocoa powder (for now).
    While baking the test cupcakes we tried an awful lot of frostings (because when test eating a lot of cupcakes we needed some variety). Our favorite frostings ended up being Peppermint Whipped Cream (especially in winter around the holidays), Cookies and Cream frosting, and Hazelnut Whipped Cream.
    Thanks for not giving up! it was worth all the hard work

  352. Arlenesays:

    Excited to try!

    Did you have any ‘close to ultimate’ recipes that did not contain butter or sour cream? Would love if you’d share!

    • Stefsays:

      All of the recipes had butter. You could use yogurt instead of sour cream if you’d like something less rich.

    • Colindasays:

      5 stars
      Hello! I have a dairy allergy so substituted coconut oil for the butter and used canned coconut milk, well mixed with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar to sour. These were the best dairy-free chocolate cupcakes ever so I imagine the dairy ones are the best as well! I had not read the blurb and was surprised when the recipe didn’t have coffee as I find that coffee (or espresso powder which is what I usually use) always adds to the richness of chocolate cake, as long as it is a small amount (I did 1 tbsp espresso powder).

      I ate them plain, and made chocolate buttercream for my friends who can enjoy dairy. I have a hard time finding anything better than a real buttercream (not the butter + icing sugar model).

    • Madeleinesays:

      I made these dairy-free to go with a meat meal (we’re kosher). It turned out great! We used coconut milk with lemon juice for the sour cream and coconut oil for the butter. Everything else was kept as in the recipe. I’ve made this recipe several times with different dairy combinations and it’s always turned out great. This dairy-free version was no exception.

  353. Lorisays:

    Beyond excited, but I also have a question: option #3 for coffee has me confused, because I can’t find the step in the recipe where I could add the coffee if I wanted to. Now, I am assuming I would add brewed coffee INSTEAD of the 1/2 c. (4 fl oz) water, but we all know what can happen if I start assuming….. Not yet sure if I will add the coffee on this first attempt (for my about-to-be 12 year-old son’s birthday tomorrow), but I want to be sure I do it “correctly” if I end up going that way. Also, did the explorers who used coffee brew it themselves, use store-bought brewed, make instant, or what – we aren’t coffee drinkers at my house, and although I do keep some Starbucks Via packets around for occasions such as this, once again I don’t want to stray too far from what has been successful for 62% of the folks who LOVED this cupcake (at least, not this time). So, guidance please, oh Maker of the Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake!!!

    I will be baking this afternoon, so I will check here later today to see if you have thrown me a life preserver (hee, hee!). Also, if you will tell me where I can share a photo of my finished product (Facebook?), I will definitely give you my feedback on the cupcake itself AND tell you if my Cupcake Project-inspired frosting/filling/finishing plan comes together in reality as awesomely as it has in my head!!! (Here’s a teaser – chocolate-covered cherry……hi hat……nope, that’s all you get right now – more later!)

    • Stefsays:

      I’m so sorry!! I meant to add the note about the coffee and I forgot. I just added it in for you so you’ll know what to do.

      Yes, please share the photo on FB. I’d love to see it!

  354. Jennifersays:

    I notice in your notes you mentioned adding coffee… but I don’t see coffee in the recipe. Would you put it where you have the room temperature water? I personally love to add some King Arthur Flour Espresso powder to all my chocolate cakes and it adds a little extra something. I’ve only had one person who was able to actually tell me they could taste it and pick out the flavor specifically.

    This recipe looks fantastic and I can’t WAIT to test it out. Thanks so much for not giving up! I love your Ultimate Vanilla cupcake recipe and it’s totally my go-to recipe. I’m sure this will be my go-to chocolate recipe too!!

  355. Jenniesays:

    I’m definitely baking this very soon!! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I’ll let you know how it goes,…

  356. Julianne @ Beyond Frostingsays:

    Ooooh I can’t wait to try this!!!

  357. Spinning Cooksays:

    Perseverance pays – congratulations to you and your many dedicated Explorers! Such an ambitious recipe development method…America’s Test Kitchen eat your heart out! Can’t wait to bake these up and feast on the results. Love the custom stand and crown.

    Cheers,

    Ryan

  358. sarasays:

    Yum, I’m excited to try this! :)

  359. Kitty @ The Foodies' Kitchensays:

    Can’t wait to bake it myself! The recipe looks gorgeous!

  360. Jaenmarcsays:

    I have been anxiously waiting for this to come out ever since the search started. I even thought you gave up and I was about to ask you, then BAM! I visited your blog and it’s thumbnail is the first thing that caught my eye. It looks stunning.

    I am definitely trying this. Congratulations on your success.

  361. Christinasays:

    Congratulations! I’m excited to try these.

  362. Ivysays:

    Ohmigosh, I’m so proud of you even though I’ve never really commented or anything before! Congratulations! Now, to convince my friends that they need even more chocolate in their lives….

    • cupcakecrazysays:

      I baked these cupcakes today and they were scrummy! I used Hershey’s milk chocolate and Bournville cocoa powder (uses 100% cocoa bean). I cut back the amount of oil and replaced sour cream with yogurt.I hope to try them with sour cream next time. Thanks for the recipe! It made 14 cupcakes. The cakes did have a slight bitter taste at the end. Maybe because of the chocolate? But chocolate does have a bitter taste.

      • David Alexandersays:

        I agree with the comment that these cupcakes were a little bitter. I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate and Droste Dutch process cocoa. Otherwise, I made them exactly as above. It seems to me that maybe there is not enough sugar. However, I used a sweet quick buttercream, and no one seemed to notice or complain. I got the promised 16 cupcakes. But I think there are better recipes out there, and next time I am going to try Rose Levy Beranbaum’s recipe in “Heavenly Cakes” which takes 12 oz. of butter for 16 cupcakes.

      • Rockiesays:

        Did you use Greek yogurt? That has a bitter taste. Can’t really change the ingredients and then complain they’re bitter. I’ve baked this half a dozen times with various chocolates and mine are never bitter.

    • Deauna @ Honesty’s Protégéesays:

      5 stars
      Made this with Lindt milk chocolate bar, Hershey cocoa and espresso powder, but I mistakenly dissolved the espresso powder in the water before reading all the recipe notes. I also used Siggi organic yogurt because it was the only plain one I could find in a small container at the store. Made ganache too drizzle over it with half 1 part Lindt milk chocolate and 3 parts Godiva dark chocolate. My husband LOVES this recipe and it’s my go to one whenever I make chocolate cake now.

    • Ellasays:

      5 stars
      I baked these today, and they were great! This was my first time baking cupcakes from scratch, and I couldnt be happier. The recipe made exactly 16 cupcakes, and they all had a nice little dome on them once baked. None fell flat. I used Hersheys milk chocolate and rodelle dutch processed baking cocoa. I totally forgot to add coffee, and they probably would have tasted even better with it. I frosted them with chocolate cream cheese frosting, and they tasted fantastic. Since this is my first time, I don’t know if this recipe is the “ultimate”, but it’s definitely yummy.

    • Alisha Findlaysays:

      Try substituting the Water for Coffee. Melt the Butter in the coffee.. 1/2 the sugar brown sugar, other half white sugar.

      Watch how amazingly rich and moist your chocolate cake becomes :)

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