Ultra Moist Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe With Chocolate Frosting

These soft, tender, and ultra moist chocolate cupcakes are topped with a swirl of my silky smooth chocolate buttercream. They’re so rich in chocolate flavor they give you goosebumps. The cake itself is soft, tender and moist, and the frosting on top is silky smooth and rich in chocolate flavor because it uses melted chocolate and cocoa powder.

Hey team! Nick here, coming in with an easy chocolate cupcake recipe that you can make from scratch at home using simple ingredients. It’s no secret I’m obsessed with anything chocolate. That’s why I have loads of chocolate recipes on the site. This one hits the spot because each bite is a melt in your mouth hit of chocolate.

The first thing you notice when you bite into these cupcakes is just how soft, tender and moist they are. They stay moist for days too.

Related → if you have a healthy obsession with chocolate, you’ll love my Chocolate Fudge Cake (a reader favorite!) and my

After realizing how soft they are, you’re smacked in the tastebuds with chocolate. I’m talking rich, deep chocolate flavor. And that’s because right at the end of the batter making process you add boiling water which not only makes these cupcakes moist, it kind of wakes up the cocoa powder and brings out its full flavor potential.

The sky’s the limit with frosting options. Pairing them with a swirl of my chocolate buttercream is a no brainer. It’s silky smooth and creamy and it uses two types of chocolate, because why not! But it also goes really well with my cream cheese frosting (kind of like cheesecake in frosting form) and my chocolate ganache which is so smooth and dreamy!

Moist, tender and so rich, These Chocolate Cupcakes are the ultimate hot of chocolate! They stay moist for days, use simple ingredients and are topped with dreamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting!

MOIST Isn’t A Bad Word. It’s The Goal.

Here’s why everyone should start using the word moist and love it. These cupcakes are ultra-moist. That’s because we use boiling water as our last step when making the batter which does a couple things:

• Makes these cupcakes fluffy – the hot water further activates the baking powder and bicarb soda in the batter ingredients.
• Makes them more chocolatey – it helps dissolve the cocoa powder and gives these a smooth and ultra-chocolate flavor.
• It adds more moisture! – the boiling water helps make this Chocolate Cupcake recipe even more moist. Water = moisture. Science.

Get a load of this… Chocolate!

This recipe uses Natural cocoa powder which is untreated and is a little more acidic, not in flavor, just chemically which means it reacts with the bicarb soda. That creates gas which means fluffy cupcakes. It’s different to Dutch processed cocoa powder which is treated to be less acidic and stronger in chocolate flavor.

The magic happens when you add boiling water to the batter at the end. It blooms the cocoa powder which wakes up the flavor potential. That means a deeper chocolate flavor, smoother texture, and a richer color. It also adds loads of moisture to the cupcakes which means a deliciously moist and fluffy cupcake!

Frosting options

Pretty much any frosting will go nicely with these cupcakes but here are my recommendations!

• Chocolate Buttercream Frosting – Super creamy and chocolatey, also classic.
• Classic Buttercream Frosting – It’s a rich and creamy vanilla frosting option.
• Cream Cheese Frosting – I think the light tang pairs well with the chocolate.
• Chocolate Ganache – ultra fudgy and smooth.

Ingredients To Make Chocolate Cupcakes

• All-purpose flour – also known as plain flour. Don’t be tempted to use cake flour as the plain flour mixed with cocoa powder basically makes this as light as cake flour.
• Caster sugar – also known as superfine sugar.
• Cocoa powder (cupcakes) – It’s best to use Natural cocoa powder for this recipe as it reacts with the bicarb soda in the dry ingredients and helps the cupcakes rise while giving it a deep rich chocolate flavor.
• Baking powder
• Bicarb soda – also known as bicarbonate of soda or baking soda.
• Salt – I used fine salt.
• Butter (melted) – I used unsalted butter. You want to make sure your butter is cooled a little before adding to the batter.
• Vegetable oil – canola oil will also work.
• Eggs – I used large eggs. Make sure they’re at room temperature. If they’re straight out of the fridge pop them into hot (not boiling) tap water for 10 minutes before using.
• Milk – use whole-fat milk and make sure it’s at room temperature.
• Boiling water – The boiling water is one of the most instrumental ingredients in this recipe. It’s what helps makes these cupcakes ULTRA moist!

Making the perfect Chocolate Cupcake.

Combine dry ingredients together.
Combine wet ingredients together

Add wet to dry and mix until no dry ingredients are showing
Add the boiling water

Mix until smooth
Scoop the mixture into your cupcake tray lined with cupcake liners

Bake and cool down on a cooling rack
Frost with chocolate frosting!

How To Make Silky Chocolate Frosting

My Chocolate Frosting pairs so well with this. It just completes the chocolate experience.

You whip the butter until it’s fluffy, mix in the sugar and cocoa powder, then add melted chocolate and cream for that rich, silky texture. It’s smooth, holds its shape, and melts in your mouth. I’ve got a full post with the recipe, step-by-step photos, and all my tips for making the perfect chocolate buttercream. You can check it out here.

Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!

• Sieve your cocoa powder to make sure it’s lump free in your batter.
• Don’t overmix your batter, it can cause your cupcakes to shrink and come out tough. Only mix until no dry ingredients are showing.
• Scrape down the bowl – It’ll make sure no dry ingredients are left behind.
• Room Temperature ingredients are important in this recipe. Make sure your eggs and milk are at room temperature. Microwave your milk for 30 seconds if needed. If you’re using fridge cold eggs place them in ab owl and cover with warm tap water. Let them sit for 10 minutes before using to come to room temp.
• Fill your liners the right amount – about 3/4 of the way is the right amount for this recipe. Anything more than that and they can overflow.
• When frosting your cupcakes – avoid using a round piping tip with chocolate frosting unless you’re going for the 💩 emoji look! 🤣

What happened to the old recipe?

I updated this recipe because I believe recipes can always get better and you can always find new ways to make recipes tastier. The old recipe is great and is used widely through this website with my older, over the top cupcake recipes. This recipe is designed as a stand alone and not really designed to work with those older recipes. Basically both recipes are great, but I prefer this new updated recipe, it’s just so moist and delicious.

Why is this recipe in grams and not cups?

The short answer is accuracy! It is far easier, more accurate and you get more consistency results when you measure ingredients by weight, especially in dessert and bread baking! I wrote all about this in my post about using digital kitchen scales!

Tried this recipe and loved it? Awesome! Drop me a comment below and tell me about it! Can’t wait to hear how it turned out for you! You can also keep up to date with me during the week by joining me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!