Soft, moist one-bowl chocolate cupcakes with mini chocolate chips and a rich, fluffy fudgy chocolate buttercream. Makes 24 cupcakes, far better than any box mix.

Prep time: 25 minutesCook time: 15 minutesTotal time: 40 minutesServings: 24 cupcakes

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The best chocolate birthday cupcakes, topped with fudgy chocolate buttercream. Even if it is not your birthday, we can pretend, because everyone deserves a cupcake now and then. Cupcakes may not solve all the world's problems, but sitting down with a rich chocolate cupcake covered in creamy frosting certainly makes them feel smaller for a moment.

These cupcakes started as a little sister's birthday request. Every year the birthday recipe involves lots and lots of chocolate, and while a vanilla birthday cake with whipped chocolate buttercream once managed to win her over, most years she simply asks for a plain chocolate cake. This year she wanted it in cupcake form, and who can blame her? Cupcakes are cute, hand-held and just small enough that going back for a second one is completely acceptable.

This is a truly classic recipe, and sometimes you really cannot beat a classic. Everyone needs a great chocolate cupcake recipe in their back pocket. The best part is how simple they are: one bowl for the cupcake batter, one bowl for the buttercream. They are so easy that you will never think about buying a box mix again, and they are a million times better.

The cupcakes themselves are soft, moist and extra fudgy, with just the right amount of chocolate flavor and the perfect tender crumb. After making them countless times, they really are unbeatable. The little secret that makes them special? A few handfuls of mini chocolate chips stirred straight into the batter. And the frosting is basically chocolate buttercream heaven, the only proper way to finish these cupcakes.

One note: this recipe makes a generous amount of buttercream, enough for a nearly one-to-one ratio of cake to frosting, which is exactly how everyone seems to like it. You could scale the frosting down, but do you really want to?

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 180 ml (3/4 cup) buttermilk
  • 60 g (1/4 cup) plain Greek yogurt
  • 120 ml (1/2 cup) canola or other neutral oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 190 g (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 300 g (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
  • 85 g (1 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 80 ml (1/3 cup) hot black coffee
  • 85 g (1/2 cup) mini semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Fudgy Chocolate Buttercream

  • 340 g (3 sticks, 1 1/2 cups) salted butter, at room temperature
  • 360 g (3 cups) powdered sugar
  • 65 g (3/4 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, Greek yogurt, oil and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until no lumps of flour remain. Add the hot coffee and mix until just combined. The batter should be pourable but not thin. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
  3. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.
  4. To make the buttercream, beat the butter and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and beat, scraping down the sides as needed, for another 2 minutes or until no white streaks remain. Add 3 tablespoons of the heavy cream and whip the frosting for 2 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the remaining tablespoon of cream if needed. Taste, and add more powdered sugar if you prefer a sweeter or thicker frosting.
  5. Frost each cupcake as desired. The cupcakes will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days; bring to room temperature before serving.

Tips

  • The hot coffee deepens the chocolate flavor without making the cupcakes taste like coffee; hot water works in a pinch.
  • Do not overmix once the coffee is added, or the cupcakes can turn dense.
  • Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting, or the buttercream will melt.
  • Nutrition information is an estimate only.

Nutrition

Calories: about 334 per cupcake

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