The BEST Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

I’m going to brag a little bit here… my chocolate cupcake recipe is the BEST! These cupcakes are soft, chocolatey, not overly sweet, and just melt in your mouth. The crumb is perfect, the frosting is creamy, they’re just phenomenal! I’m not usually one to brag, but these turned out so wonderful that I had to share. There’s not much better in life than a good chocolate cupcake!

single best chocolate cupcake recipe

Perfect Bite-Sized Sweets

The recipe makes about 36 mini cupcakes, or 12 regular sized cupcakes. I love making the mini cupcakes because sometimes, people just want a small bite for dessert! Please note that you will need to increase the bake time by 5-10 minutes for regular sized cupcakes. I have made this recipe with other brands of cocoa powder but find that the Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder yields the best results. This post isn’t sponsored, I just really enjoy that product!

About this Mini Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

I have made many chocolate cupcake recipes over the years, and made sure to take notes on what I liked and disliked about other recipes when developing this one. I’m sure each person has their own idea of what a chocolate cupcake should be like – the flavor, the texture, the smell, the mouthfeel – and to me, this is THE BEST mini chocolate cupcake recipe! Not only is it perfectly delicious, it’s also relatively simple to whip up. The chocolate cupcake batter can be made in 

The BEST Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

The BEST, most delectable, moist, chocolatey cupcakes you will ever make!
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 59 minutes
Servings 36 mini cupcakes

Ingredients
  

Cupcakes

  • 7 ounces Cake Flour
  • 1 ounces Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder you can use any kind of cocoa powder you like! This is just my preference.
  • 1.5 tsp Baking Powder
  • 0.5 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 4 ounces Unsalted Butter
  • 3.5 ounces Granulated Sugar
  • 3.5 ounces Brown Sugar
  • 5 ounces Heavy Cream room temperature
  • 1 ounce Vegetable Oil
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Frosting

  • 2 sticks Unsalted Butter
  • 4 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 0.75 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder
  • 5 tbsp Heavy Cream
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste
  • 1 pinch Salt

Instructions
 

Cupcakes

  • Preheat your oven to 335°F.
  • Measure out all of your ingredients and let everything come to room temperature.
  • In one bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • Mix together the heavy cream and vegetable oil in a separate bowl.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla bean paste.
  • Slowly mix in the eggs to the butter/sugar mixture.
  • Alternate mixing in the flour mixture and the heavy cream mixture, mixing in 1/3 of each at a time. Scrape down the bowl between each addition.
  • Distribute batter evenly into your cupcake pans (don't forget cupcake liners!) and bake at 335°F for 14-16 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
  • Remove from oven and let cool completely while you make the frosting.

Frosting

  • Measure out the ingredients and let your butter come to room temperature.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. It will take roughly 5 minutes.
  • Mix in the cocoa powder, vanilla bean paste, and salt, until well combined.
  • Pour in the heavy cream 1 Tbsp at a time until combined, then turn mixer up to medium-high speed and whip until light and fluffy.
  • Transfer frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (or whichever decorating tip you prefer) and frost your cupcakes! Make sure they are 100% cooled down before frosting, or the frosting may melt right off!

Notes

These cupcakes are seriously DELICIOUS! They're moist, perfectly sweet, and being mini means they're perfect for just a little bite of dessert!
If you decide to make this recipe in a regular sized cupcake pan it will yield about 12-15 cupcakes.
Did you try this recipe? Let me know! Tag me in your photos, leave a comment below! 🙂
image of Autumn holding a plate of raspberry almond croissants. There is a pink, red, and white balloon arch behind her.

Hey You!

My name is Autumn! I’m a food lover living in Columbus, Ohio. No matter where my life has taken me, my passion for food has…

Stay in the Loop

Subscribe to my newsletter to receive a bi-weekly round-up of posts and exciting updates! OH, plus an adorable measurement conversion cheat sheet!

Newsletter Form (#4)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Hey there!

I'm so glad you're here!

Subscribe to my newsletter to receive new post notifications and exciting updates! OH, plus an adorable baking measurement conversion printable!

Newsletter Form (#4)
Skip to content