If you’re looking for the best chocolate cupcake recipe with vanilla frosting that is simple to make and tastes delicious then look no further. It’s a light, very moist crumb that makes these cupcakes very versatile—top with any buttercream you’d like.
This is my all-time favorite chocolate cupcake recipe and it is a crowd-pleaser. They are great to bring to a birthday party or dinner party as they are easy to put together and have a delicious texture and flavor.
I’ve used vanilla buttercream frosting, Oreo buttercream, and raspberry cream cheese frosting and all are delicious. (This recipe is also used in my Cherry Chocolate Cake and a version of these are used in my Chocolate Cake Pops (Starbucks Recipe) and Bailey’s Cupcakes).
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Cupcakes
Easy to Make: This recipe uses simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Plus, you can assemble and bake them in less than an hour. (I’ve made them on my lunch break before!)
Light and fluffy cupcakes: Because they include both oil and buttermilk, these are very moist chocolate cupcakes and they stay light and fluffy for up to 5 days.
Deep chocolate flavor: If I’m making chocolate cupcakes, I want them to taste like chocolate (not just look like chocolate). These taste like your classic chocolate cupcake, so if you’re a chocolate fan, you may have just found your new go-to chocolate cupcakes recipe.
Jump to RecipeIngredients
Ingredient Notes
Buttermilk: Like the oil, buttermilk provides extra moisture for the cake. It also helps the cupcakes rise as the acid from the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda. If you don’t have buttermilk at home, don’t worry. I rarely do and end up making it every time.
Simply take your 1/2 cup of buttermilk and add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Stir and set aside as you gather the rest of your ingredients. It will then be ready to use. I’ve also used dairy-free milk and it works great.
Oil: I use vegetable oil in this recipe as it has a neutral taste. It also makes the cupcakes have a moist crumb and a light and delicate texture. Because of this, these aren’t great for filling with heavy fillings (like custard).
Hot water: Hot water helps the chocolate bloom which gives the cupcakes their rich chocolate flavor. You don’t need to use boiling water. Use water around 100-110F (which is about what you can get from hot water from your kitchen tap). While technically optional, for best results, I would highly recommend adding hot water to the batter at the end.
Variations & Substitutions
Hot liquid: This recipe calls for hot water, but another great option to use is coffee. Coffee also helps bring out the chocolate flavor. You can use brewed coffee, instant coffee granules, or espresso powder (basically whatever you have in your kitchen). Just be sure to use the same quantity instructed.
Buttercream frosting: While this recipe tops the cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting, feel free to swap it out with any type you’d like—chocolate frosting is another one of my faves to use for cupcake recipes. You could also get fancy and make an Italian or Swiss Meringue buttercream.
Jump to RecipeStep-by-Step Instructions for this Chocolate Cupcake Recipe with Vanilla Frosting
To make the cupcakes:
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 300F and line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
Step 2: In a large bowl, add the all-purpose flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the mixer and using the paddle attachment, mix them together.
Step 3: Add the hot water at the end and combine. The batter will be very thin. This step is optional but I’d highly recommend it. The hot water allows the cocoa powder to “bloom” and produces a rich chocolate flavor.
Step 4: Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 300 F for approximately 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. The cupcakes will still be “singing” at you, but that is because there is so much moisture in the cake.
Pro tip: Baking these at this low temperature ensures that the tops of the cupcakes will stay pretty flat vs rounded. Higher-temperature ovens make the rising agents react faster and therefore give you a more rounded top. Leave the cupcakes in the tins for 5 minutes to let them cool before placing them on a cooling wire rack.
To make the frosting:
This uses a traditional American buttercream meaning it only has butter, powdered sugar, a tiny bit of heavy cream, and some vanilla extract. Be sure your butter is at room temperature before beating.
Beat together the butter until light and fluffy. Then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth (about 4 minutes). If you want extra fluffy buttercream, swap out the paddle attachment for the whisk attachment at the end to create an even lighter frosting.
Pour frosting into a piping bag and decorate!
Pro tip: I’ve found two ways to quickly get the frosting into a piping bag. First, place the piping bag in a tall glass and use that to stabilize it while you’re filling.
Or, wrap the frosting in plastic wrap before putting it in the piping bag. Snip the end and pull it through the nozzle. When you’re done, you have very little cleanup and can easily store any extra frosting.
Yield
This recipe makes 12 cupcakes or 2 9-in round cakes.
Storage Options
Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container on the counter for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Cupcakes are best within 48 hours.
Freezer option: These cupcakes freeze well frosted or unfrosted for up to a month. For frosted cupcakes, “flash freeze” them by placing them on a baking sheet uncovered in the freezer until the frosting is frozen. Then, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a zip lock bag. Check out this post on how to store cupcakes: fresh, frosted, and frozen.
Frequently Asked Questions
In this recipe, the combination of buttermilk and oil provides the moisture.
It depends on what texture you want. Butter makes delicious cupcakes because of the flavor, but they will be more dense than cupcakes made with oil. Oil makes cupcakes light and fluffy. So it depends on what you’re trying to achieve. If you need a sturdy cupcake to hold a filling, then try a butter-based recipe.
For this recipe, I recommend 3/4 of the way full because we are cooking at such a low temperature and they don’t rise very much. If you are cooking at a higher temperature (325 or higher), only fill your cupcakes 2/3 of the way full. If you overfill your cupcakes, they could collapse.
Nope! That’s the beauty of using cupcake liners. I’ve recently switched to silicone liners which I’d highly recommend because you can wash and reuse them.
Can’t get enough cupcakes? Try these other fun recipes:
Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe with Vanilla Frosting
Equipment
- 1 cupcake pan
- 12 cupcake liners
Ingredients
For Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 7 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg (large)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup hot water
For Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 stick butter
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F. Fill a cupcake pan with liners. Combine egg, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Add dry ingredients to large mixing bowl. Whisk together.
- Add mixed wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined (about 1-2 minutes). Add hot water and mix until well combined.
- Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Leave in tins to cool for a couple mins. Remove from tins and cool completely before decorating.
For the Frosting
- Beat room temperature butter until light and fluffy Add the powdered sugar in small batches. Mix until combined. Add the vanilla and heavy cream. Continue mixing until frosting is soft and fluffy.
Notes
Last Updated on May 8, 2023 by Kari Bakes
