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Heavenly Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes, made with cocoa powder and strong hot coffee, are the most decadent and moist chocolate cupcake recipe you’ll ever enjoy!
If you love rich chocolate desserts, you may want to try my Mud Pie, Five Minute Microwave Fudge, or my Brown Butter Brownies.
Why this recipe works:
Think about all the wonderful things you’d want in a chocolate cupcake.
- Moist? Most certainly.
- Amazing taste? The combination of cocoa, strong coffee, and sugar create rich flavor.
- Rise and volume? Oh yes. These cupcakes get tall and fluffy. This has to do not only with the mixing directions but also the baking process.
Your quest for the best chocolate cupcake recipe can finally be over. You have found it. Never again will you need to search for a chocolate cupcake recipe, only to be sorely disappointed by the results.
I’ve made this cupcake recipe dozens of times and it always turns out perfect.
How to make these chocolate cupcakes with coffee:
- Combine the cocoa powder with the coffee (photo 1).
- The trick is to mix all of the dry ingredients and all of the wet ingredients in the cupcake recipe separately. Then, add just enough of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients to have it form a thick batter (photo 2). This gets mixed really well on a high speed until light and fluffy.
- Finally, you will add the remaining liquid along with the chocolate coffee mixture to the batter (photo 3) and mix to combine. This is the mixing secret to not only this chocolate cupcake recipe, but for all of my homemade cakes and cupcakes. Mix the batter just until everything is fully combined (photo 4).
- Fill the cupcake liners in the muffin pan so that they each have the same amount (photo 5) and then bake (photo 6). One of my tricks for amazing homemade cupcakes to give them good rise is to start cooking them in a very hot oven for a few minutes and then to reduce the oven temperature until they are done.
Cooking tips:
- These cupcakes rise. A lot. If you’re looking for flat cupcakes, this isn’t the recipe for you.
- This recipe can be made into a 9-inch round Chocolate Cake, however it will rise making the center taller than the edges which isn’t always ideal for a cake recipe that you want to stack and frost.
- The cocoa powder I use is Volupta Organic & Fair Trade Unsweetened Super Food Cacao Powder (I buy it at costco). If you use dutch processed cocoa powder, you’re supposed to add 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda for every three Tablespoons of cocoa powder used because Dutch-processed cocoa powder is cocoa powder that has been washed in a potassium solution that neutralizes its acidity.
- Remember when baking to get the cupcakes in the oven as soon as possible. This will maximize the amount your chocolate cupcakes rise.
Frosting recommendations:
I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t share some other frosting ideas to go along with this chocolate cupcake recipe.
- Perfect Buttercream Frosting – great for decorating
- Cream Cheese Frosting – super easy to make
- Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Frosting – rich and delicious
- Mascarpone Frosting – my personal favorite because it’s so light and smooth
- Maple Cream Cheese Frosting – incredible flavor
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting – made with freeze dried blueberries!
- Eggnog Frosting – fun during the holiday season
- Cookie Dough Frosting – what cravings are made of!
Can this recipe be used to make a cake?
I get asked this question all the time, and the answer is yes. My family loves these chocolate cupcakes so much that I often get asked to use this cupcake recipe but turn it into a cake. There are just a few things to consider when doing this:
- Scale your recipe appropriately. This recipe yields 12 cupcakes which equates to one 9-inch round cake layer. If you were wanting to make a two layer 9-inch cake, you would have to double this cupcake recipe.
- No need to change the recipe. You wouldn’t want to change the heavenly taste, would you?
- No need to change the oven temperature. You would follow the same procedure to make a cake as you would these homemade cupcakes which involves starting it in a very hot oven to give it lift, and then reducing the temperature. If you don’t want as much lift, do not start at the higher temperature. Just bake the cake at 325 F and the cooking time will need to be increased until a tester comes out clean.
- The baking time will change. These cupcakes, on average, take about 20 minutes to bake. Cakes, however, take much longer. You can plan on two 9-inch baking pans taking about 30-35 minutes to fully cook. Be sure to test the center with a toothpick and do not remove from the oven if the batter still appears to be wet.
Related recipes:
Love homemade cake recipes? You’ll definitely want to try these favorites.
- Pound Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Angel Food Cake
- Homemade Hummingbird Cake
- Texas Sheet Cake
- Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lemon Cupcakes
Did you make this recipe? Please leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
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Pin ItHeavenly Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes
Heavenly Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes, made with cocoa and strong hot coffee, are the most decadent and moist chocolate cupcake recipe you’ll ever enjoy!
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup strong hot coffee or 1/2 cup boiling water + 1 pack starbucks via instant coffee
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º F.
- Place cupcake liners in muffin tin. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Combine hot coffee and cocoa powder. Mix well to dissolve and set aside. By the time you mix this with the liquid ingredients, you'll have wanted it to cool to a lukewarm temperature so that it doesn't cook the eggs.
- In bowl of stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with paddle attachment.
- In a separate bowl, combine milk, oil, egg, and vanilla. Mix well to combine.
- Add about half of the milk mixture to the flour and mix on medium high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Combine the chocolate mixture with the remaining milk mixture and add to the batter. Mix with batter on medium speed for about 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl before turning mixer on.
- Distribute batter evenly to the 12 muffin cups. Batter will be very wet.
- Bake in preheated 425 degree F oven for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 F without opening the oven door. Continue cooking at lower temperature for an additional 13-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and transfer cupcakes to a cooking rack as soon as they’re cool enough to be touched.
- Prepare buttercream frosting according to instructions or your other favorite frosting… or just devour it plain!
Notes
Recipe yields 1 dozen cupcakes and nutritional information is based on one unfrosted cupcake.
- These cupcakes rise. A lot. If you’re looking for flat cupcakes, this isn’t the recipe for you.
- This recipe can be made into a 9-inch round cake, however it will rise making the center taller than the edges which isn’t always ideal for a cake recipe that you want to stack and frost.
- The cocoa powder I use is Volupta Organic & Fair Trade Unsweetened Super Food Cacao Powder (I buy it at costco). If you use dutch processed cocoa powder, you’re supposed to add 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda for every three Tablespoons of cocoa powder used because Dutch-processed cocoa powder is cocoa powder that has been washed in a potassium solution that neutralizes its acidity.
Nutrition
Calories: 162kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 105mg, Potassium: 122mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 35IU, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 1.1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave me a comment below
This recipe was originally created in December 2016 and has been updated to include more helpful information, cooking tips, and process photos. Don’t worry – I didn’t change the recipe!
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yep… just plan on 24 cupcakes instead of 12. Krissy
I would like to make these but in mini form instead of standard size, do you know how that would change the baking time?
I’m sure the time would be less… I just don’t know by how much. -Krissy
I did mine for 3 minutes on 425 and then about 10 on 325, it works fine! Just watch them closely 🙂
Hi.. is it necessary to use that baking method?? Because I have a gas oven.. with numbers 1 2 n 3 for the flame .. can I just bake it one time on high with my family oven? Any tips on what I could do? Thank you..
would really love to try your recipe coz Ice been looking for a good chocolate cupcake recipe.. and an easy one too?.. hope to hear from you soon
I use my method because it helps them rise and gives them volume. You could cook at a steady temp but it might not give the same end result. -Krissy
RafeeqahT– you have probably already tried the recipe by now, but just in case you plan to make it again, it looks like the conversion from Fahrenheit degrees in this recipe to gas marks on your oven would have you start at Gas 7 and then move to Gas Mark 3. I hope that helps! Here is a link with a conversion table for Fahrenheit, Celsius, Gas Mark, and also old terms like “Slow” and “Hot” – I have a cookbook from my great-great grandmother that uses those old slow/moderate/hot terms: http://www.inspiredtaste.net/23326/oven-temperature-conversion/
Krissy – These cupcakes are really outstanding! My wife and I LOVE them!
I’d like to ask if I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour would the measurememt change for the flour?
Hi Jessyl, I believe you can but I’ve never tried. Cake flour makes makes very light and airy, and these cupcakes already are, so I’d be very curious to see how it changes the texture. If you try it with cake flour, will you come back and let me know how they turn out? thanks!
I made this recipe and they are fantastic!!! The chocolate flavor is so good
do I have to use starbucks instant coffee or can I use any instant coffee?
As long as its strong and delicious, you can use any kind of instant or regular coffee you want. Krissy
Would 2% milk work fine?
Probably, but we switched to drinking whole milk so that’s what I used. More fat! Krissy
you should try raw non gmo milk it is way better than store bot milk.
Forgive me for commenting, but I am an elite member of FFA, and the only way that I know GMOs could effect your milk is if GMOs were fed to the cow it came from. This could happen through both store boughten and milk bought directly from the farm, although the two come from similar places. As GMOs are engineered to improve production, and protect crops from harmful diseases it would most likely not interfere with the taste of the product unless it was meant to do so. However the type of food the cows consume (hay, grass, etc.) does tend to effect the flavor of your milk. This may be a case of different types of food, not GMOs. If you would like resources to look further into the topic I would be happy to provide some repliable references.
Would 2% work as well?
Most likely YES. -Krissy
Will the coffee give them flavor of coffee? Or is the coffee just for the moistness of the cupcake?
Hi Sienna, I LOVE coffee so I might not even be able to taste it in the cupcakes, but my kids didn’t notice a coffee taste as all. I think it just adds to the texture and richness. -Krissy
putting coffee with chocolate just enriches the chocolate flavor
The coffee simply enhances the chocolaty flavour and does not give a taste at all !!!
Coffee intensifies the taste of chocolate.
Hi I’m not a baker but I made this delicious and simple recipe and it was divine.
Will definitely try some more of your recipes.
Thank you
I made these last night and they were fantastic! The entire process took only an hour, including a separate homemade buttercream frosting AND clean-up! What was funny about mine, is that the tops rose very high! Thank you so much for this recipe. It will be my “go-to” chocolate cupcake recipe 🙂
Mine rose very high, as well! I removed the baking soda the second time and they were perfect.
MIne rose like crazy as well! But boy are they good!