The Most Amazing Chocolate Cupcake Recipe is moist, chocolatey perfection. These are the chocolate cupcakes you’ve been dreaming of!
We know how much everyone loves The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake. Thousands of rave reviews have poured in from all over the world. It truly is the perfect chocolate cake. We have now scaled back the recipe so that it is perfect for cupcakes, making an even two dozen.
This is the best chocolate cupcake recipe in the world and it’s pretty easy to make too. They are unbelievable moist, about as perfect as they come. No more boxed cake mixes! We have kept this recipe as simple as possible so that even an inexperienced baker can be successful with it.
TIPS AND TRICKS AND FAQ
- Q: Can I make this recipe into a two layer cake?
- A: Yes you can! This recipe will fill two, 9 inch cake rounds. It should bake for approximately 30-35 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
- Q: Do I have to use buttermilk? What is buttermilk? Is there a buttermilk substitute?
- A: Yes, buttermilk is necessary for this recipe. It has to do with the way it interacts with other ingredients. Buttermilk is the liquid leftover after churning butter. Check out my more in depth post about how to make buttermilk substitute.
- Q: Do you have a substitute for eggs?
- A: There are numerous options for substituting eggs in baking recipes. You can always try using one of those. A basic egg substitute for cupcakes is 1 tablespoon white vinegar + 1 teaspoon baking per egg.
- Q: Can I use a different frosting?
- A: You certainly can! You are also welcome to use any other frosting recipe that you like. This recipe includes a plain chocolate buttercream, or you can use a whipped chocolate ganache or a cream cheese buttercream.
- Q: Won’t the hot water cook the eggs?
- A: No, the hot water will not cook the eggs. You should be using hot water, not boiling water. Boiling water may cook the eggs.
- Q: Can I substitute coffee for the hot water?
- A: Yes you can. Coffee can enrich the flavor of chocolate and provide a more dark, and complex chocolate taste. Simply replace the water with hot brewed coffee.
- Q: What kind of cocoa powder did you use?
- A: We used Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa Powder in order to use a brand that is most widely available for our readers. We are also fond of using higher quality cocoa powders like Ghiradelli’s or cocoa powders from specialty chocolatier shops, but those are pretty pricey. We don’t recommend using cheap store brands.
- Q: Can I make this recipe gluten free?
- A: Use gluten free flours at your own risk. Not all gluten free flours are equal and most don’t work as a straight forward substitute for all-purpose flour. We have not tested any gluten free flours in this recipe.
You should also check out my recipes for The Most Amazing White Cake and my Funfetti Birthday Cake. They can also be easily made into cupcakes.
Watch the video below where I walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and I’ve always got you covered with my very own cooking show. You can see the entire collection over on YouTube.
These cupcakes are true to the word amazing. Rich and moist with a great crumb. I used dark chocolate cocoa for a dark chocoate lover but stuck to Hershey’s regular for the frosting. Super yum!!
should be 5 stars….thought I had chosen that and saw the issue as it was sending.
I have been in search of the BEST chocolate cake/cupcake recipe for the past 17 yrs and mission accomplished! I made these cupcakes using the high altitude adjustments and they were phenomenal, didn’t even need frosting. I can’t wait to make another batch of these delicious, perfect cupcakes. Kudos!
Made those for Easter! Yummy ☺ Thanks for sharing recipes ?
Hi, I made the triple layer cake version awhile ago and it truly was the most amazing cake I’ve even made and looked just like the cake off Matilda as you said! Thank you, you’re an amazing baker and it’s now my go to recipe for chocolate cake and I won’t make any other. I’m going to make your cupcake version for Easter and wondering if I can add choc chips to the mixture? Or would it change the structure too much? Thanks ?
Yes, you can add chocolate chips.
Hi Rachel! I have made this amazing cake before and this will be my first attempt making cupcakes. I’m wondering you had suggestions on incorporating fresh mashed banana. Do I increase baking time? And how much banana do I use….2? Thanks so much!!
Sometimes banana is used to replace oil or eggs. I don’t necessarily recommend that in this recipe.
Made the cupcakes last night and it was a home run! I sub the AP flour for GF flour and used the sub recipe for buttermilk as I did not want to buy a whole carton for just a cup. The cake was super moist and couldn’t tell it was GF at all. I would add a bit of espresso and up the cocoa powder to amp up the chocolate flavour in the cupcakes. Other than that, this was a great and simple recipe to follow! Thanks for your very thorough post and all the helpful FAQs as well!
Just FYI, I tried this recipe with gluten free flour (Pamela’s all purpose) and it worked super well. In fact, nobody even guessed it was GF. 🙂
powdered sugar means regular sugar or Icing sugar? If regular sugar then weigh before make it powder or first powder it and then weigh it?
Powdered sugar is icing sugar.
Can you make the mixture the night before?
After it’s refrigerated it does tend to change the texture of the finished product a little bit. It’s best baked fresh.
Hi, I have used your recipie lots and love it, I am wondering whether I can use 24cm square cake tins?
Yes you can. Just make sure you don’t overfill them.