Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with the Ultimate Chocolate Frosting are delicious chocolate cupcakes topped with a smooth creamy chocolate frosting. These amazing moist chocolate cupcakes will be your new favorite! Try my Black Bottom Cupcakes for another delicious cupcake recipe!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Chocolate: I prefer using bars of chocolate, chopped, for this recipe. You can substitute chocolate chips in this recipe. Unsweetened cocoa powder is also used in this recipe for additional chocolate flavor.
Coffee: Coffee will enhance the flavor of the chocolate, not overpower it. You can substitute with hot water if desired, but that would affect the flavor.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room temperature ingredients (butter, eggs, sour cream, and cream cheese) will help you get the best results when baking these cupcakes.
How to Freeze Chocolate Cupcakes
- To freeze, first allow the cupcakes to cool. I recommend freezing these cupcakes without the frosting.
- Place the cooled cupcakes into a labeled and dated freezer-safe container or bag. Store for up to 3 months.
- Allow the cupcakes to thaw before frosting and serving.
How to Store
Because there is cream cheese in the frosting, you will need to store these cupcakes in the refrigerator in an airtight container. These cupcakes will last up to one week.
Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Ultimate Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter
- 2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (115 g) sour cream, room temperature
- ½ cup (42 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup (95 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chips or chopped bar
- 1 ½ cups (3 sticks / 339 g) unsalted butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups (250 g) confectioners' sugar
- ¼ cup (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup freshly brewed coffee
- chocolate sprinkles, optional
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Set aside.
- Add the butter and chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 20-second increments, stirring after every 20 seconds, until the chocolate is melted and smooth (about 1-2 minutes total). Set aside to cool slightly.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and sour cream. Whisk on medium speed until smooth. (about 1 minute)
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the butter and chocolate mixture to the stand mixer and whisk for about 30 seconds, or until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, slowly sprinkle in the flour mixture, about ¼ cup at a time. Mix until just combined. The batter will be very thick.
- Fill the cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full with batter. Bake for 15-18 minutes. The center of the cupcake should spring back up if gently pressed, and a toothpick should come out mostly clean when inserted in the middle. Allow the cupcakes to cool.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 20-second increments, stirring after every 20 seconds, until the chocolate is melted and creamy (about 1-2 minutes total).
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Slowly pour in the melted chocolate. Scrape the sides as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the hot coffee and cocoa powder. If the mixture seems too thick, an additional tablespoon of hot coffee can be added.
- Add the coffee mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low until combined.
- With the mixer still on low, add in the confectioners sugar, 1 cup at a time. Once incorporated, turn mixer on high for 1-2 minutes.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes, add sprinkles if desired, and serve.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
I have been searching for the perfect chocolate cupcake recipe! It makes sense that you say cake and cupcakes need to be from different recipes. I have a question along the same lines.. can this (and the cake recipe) be doubled without adjustments? I can double and triple and quadruple my vanilla cake recipe and it’s perfect every time that I have yet to find a Chocolat cake or cupcake recipe that will work when I double it.
Thanks!
I tried this recipe today. The cupcakes were perfect, but the frosting – though delicious, was very runny. I added 4 tablespoons of brewed coffee, not 5. I had a hard time trying to pipe the frosting and ended up in a big mess. And the quantity was way too much for 12 cupcakes.
Next time I make these, I would probably halve the quantity of frosting and add only about 1 tablespoon of brewed coffee.
The consistency will vary from kitchen to kitchen and depends on your kitchen’s circumstances. Also, the amount will vary as well because people pipe differently and tend to use different amounts. 🙂 That being said, feel free to do as you did, and make adjustments as you go. You could also add more confectioners sugar to stiffen up the frosting a bit.
How about chilling the frosting in the fridge a bit before icing the cupcakes, would that help with firming up the consistency? Also could you preserve some of the leftover frosting for use later?
Thanks..
To me, these taste more like brownies. They are very dense. They have a nice rich chocolate taste, but the texture isn’t fudgy cake like my family loves!
Following the recipe lead to extremely runny frosting, even after adding extra confectioners sugar. I don’t even see how chilling it will help. The photos with pretty piped frosting is definitely misleading.
I should have read the comments before choosing this recipe!
The frosting piped on the cupcakes is the recipe, so not sure how that is misleading? It’s a good idea to work with recipes as the circumstances in your own home and supplies will vary from mine. Sorry you had issues! Hope you find a recipe that works more to your liking.
I think you need to check your ingredient quantities as the frosting was way too runny to use.
Frosting was perfect as written, I had no problems with it. Maybe your butter was too warm.
I have tried these delicious cupcakes. Even after a few days they remain soft and damp.
Yes, they are the perfect chocolate cupcakes.
Thank you, Amanda! 🙂
Brilliant cake recipe, they came out perfect; not too sweet, and moist, but not too dense. I made a vanilla buttercream to top them with so I don’t have any comment to add regarding the accompanying frosting recipe.
Made these cupcakes and the frosting today. Omigod, the cupcakes are amazing! I didn’t think I’d love the frosting because I don’t usually like cream cheese frosting, but it works perfectly with the cupcakes. Can I say again that the cupcakes are amazing? I’ve been a baker for 25 years and this is one of the best new recipes I’ve tried. The frosting came out perfect as written. The only complaint I have, which really isn’t a complaint at all, is that I have more than half of the frosting left. It’s a lot for only 12 cupcakes. But that’s OK, it’s in the fridge giving me an excuse to make more cupcakes!
SO glad you liked them!! Thanks for the feedback on the frosting amount… I will take a look at improving it! <3
I do not like the taste of coffee at all. Can this be tasted at all or would it work without the coffee?
Absolutely love the blog but my waistline doesn’t! How much chocolate in grams would I need? When I convert 2oz it says I only need 57g…is that correct? Planning to make these for my daughters birthday party
Thank you
Replacement for sour cream? TIA