These soft and rich chocolate cupcakes are baked from scratch and filled with a delicious chocolate sauce. Perfect for anyone who loves making chocolate cupcakes at home, this recipe gives you moist chocolate cupcakes with chocolate in every bite.
Published: December 29, 2024 by Pamela. Updated on September 30, 2025.
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These simple and easy triple chocolate cupcakes are bursting with flavor! They’re filled with a delicious chocolate ganache that perfectly complements their moist texture, and are super easy to make as well. Topped with my go-to rich chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, these cupcakes are a chocolate lover’s dream.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect moment to share this recipe with you. If you’re looking to surprise your significant other with something truly special, these chocolate cupcakes are an excellent choice.
Understanding the Ingredients in chocolate cupcakes:
- All-Purpose Flour:I use all-purpose flour for my chocolate recipes because it gives a good balance of structure and softness. If you don’t have all-purpose flour, you can use cake flour for a lighter crumb. Just avoid bread flour, since it has too much protein and makes the cake dense.
- Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder gives your cupcakes that deep chocolate flavor everyone loves. Make sure it’s unsweetened so your cupcakes aren’t too sweet, and go for a good quality cocoa powder, it makes all the difference.
- Baking Soda: This helps your cupcakes rise and become fluffy. It reacts with the buttermilk and makes sure your cupcakes aren’t too dense.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is great for adding a slight tang and helps make your cupcakes really soft. If you don’t have buttermilk, no worries you can make a substitute at home using milk, the recipe is here.
- Vegetable Oil: Using oil instead of butter keeps your cupcakes moist for longer. This means they’ll still taste great even the next day. If you want to use butter you can, use the same amount of melted cooled butter just keep in mind that although butter gives more flavour and richness, the texture is a bit dense compared to oil.
How to make chocolate cupcakes from scratch:
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I make chocolate cupcakes without coffee?
Absolutely! The coffee is used to enhance the chocolate flavor, but you can leave it out if you prefer, just know that you will not taste the coffee in the cupcakes. Replace it with the same amount of water or extra buttermilk to keep the liquid ratio balanced.
What can I use instead of buttermilk in baking?
No buttermilk? No problem! You can easily make a substitute at home with just 2 ingredients. Check “How to Make Buttermilk from Regular Milk in Minutes”.
Can I add chocolate chips to the batter?
Yes! Just fold in about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips after you’ve mixed all the other ingredients together.
How do I store leftover cupcakes?
Keep any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. If the cupcakes are frosted, store them in the fridge for a few days (also in an airtight container). Just take them out for a few minutes before serving for the best flavor.
Can you freeze chocolate cupcakes?
These cupcakes freeze well, just make sure you freeze them plain (no filling anf no buttercream). Allow them to cool completely at room temperature after baking, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge or for a few hours at room temperature when you’re ready to decorate them or enjoy them.
Why did my cupcakes sink in the middle?
Cupcakes usually sink if they haven’t been fully cooked or if the oven door was opened too early during baking. Make sure to bake them for the full amount of time and check they’re done with a toothpick before taking them out of the oven.
Making Chocolate Cupcakes: (Step-by-step)
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
- After sifting, add the granulated sugar and a pinch of salt to the bowl. Stir all these dry ingredients together until they are well combined.
- In a separate bowl, add the egg and add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
- Using a hand mixer or a whisk, mix these together until they are fully combined and smooth.
- Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients while continuously mixing at a slow speed.
- Once all the wet and dry ingredients are combined, pour in the room-temperature coffee. Continue to mix on low speed just until the coffee is fully incorporated into the batter. The coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cupcakes taste like coffee.
- Line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners and fill each liner halfway with batter.
- Preheat your oven to 300°F (about 150°C). Place the cupcake pan in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. To check if they’re done, insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake. If it comes out clean, they’re ready to be taken out.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack.
- While the cupcakes are cooling down, prepare the filling.
- For the filling, use a microwave-safe bowl to combine equal parts of chocolate chips (or your choice of chocolate) and heavy cream. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Allow the ganache to cool slightly at room temperature (don’t use super hot ganache).
- To fill the cupcakes, use a piping tip or a small knife to create a hole in the center of each cupcake.
- Once filled, top each cupcake with chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream.
⭐️ If you tried this chocolate cupcakes recipe, be sure to leave a rating and share your thoughts in the comments below. I’d love to hear your feedback!
Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 Cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ Cup granulated sugar
- ¼ Cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- ½ Cup buttermilk
- ⅓ Cup vegetable oil
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ Cup room temperature coffee
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. After sifting, add the granulated sugar and a pinch of salt to the bowl. Stir all these dry ingredients together until they are well combined.
- In a separate bowl, add the egg and add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
- Using a hand mixer or a whisk, mix these together until they are fully combined and smooth.Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients while continuously mixing at a slow speed.Once all the wet and dry ingredients are combined, pour in the room-temperature coffee. Continue to mix on low speed just until the coffee is fully incorporated into the batter. The coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cupcakes taste like coffee.
- Line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners and fill each liner halfway with batter.Preheat your oven to 300°F (about 150°C). Place the cupcake pan in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. To check if they’re done, insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake. If it comes out clean, they're ready to be taken out.Remove the cupcakes from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack.
- While the cupcakes are cooling down, prepare the filling. For the filling, use a microwave-safe bowl to combine equal parts of chocolate chips (or your choice of chocolate) and heavy cream. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Allow the ganache to cool slightly at room temperature (don’t use super hot ganache). To fill the cupcakes, use a piping tip or a small knife to create a hole in the center of each cupcake.Once filled, top each cupcake with chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream.
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Notes
- Nutrition info is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and portions. For the most accurate details, consider using a nutrition tool or checking our full Nutrition Information Disclaimer.
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