These super moist chocolate cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese frosting are made for serious chocolate lovers. The recipe is simple to follow and doesn’t require a stand mixer for the cupcakes. The frosting is rich and silky but stable enough to pipe because the cream cheese is kept cold.
After perfecting a vanilla cream cheese frosting version, I wanted a deeper, more chocolate-forward cupcake — so I developed this chocolate variation. The base is my reliable cupcake batter that uses oil for lasting moistness, plus sour cream (or Greek yogurt) for extra tenderness. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is intensely chocolatey and holds its shape for piping, thanks to using cold cream cheese.
Grab Your Ingredients
- Oil: Use a neutral oil such as vegetable, canola, or sunflower. Oil keeps the cupcakes soft and moist for days and lets you mix the batter by hand.
- Butter: Butter is used in the frosting. If you prefer a frosting without butter, substitute with a cream cheese-only version.
- Cocoa powder: This recipe calls for Dutch-processed cocoa for both cupcakes and frosting. Dutch-processed cocoa behaves differently with leaveners than natural cocoa, so swapping can affect results. Natural cocoa can be used in the frosting if needed.
- Espresso powder: A small amount enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cupcakes taste like coffee. It’s optional but recommended.
- Cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese and keep it cold for the frosting so it stays stable and pipeable.
Let’s Make Some Cupcakes!
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line cupcake pans with liners. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: In a separate jug, whisk the eggs, oil, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. In a small cup, dissolve the espresso powder in the hot water and set aside.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. Add the hot espresso water and mix once more. The batter will be fairly thin, which is expected.
Step 4: Fill each liner about ¾ full. Bake for 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 5: For the frosting, beat room-temperature butter with powdered sugar on low until combined, then increase speed and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and salt.
Step 6: Add the cold cream cheese and cocoa powder and beat until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes and serve.
Top Baking Tips & Notes
- Cold cream cheese: Keep the cream cheese cold for the frosting. Room-temperature cream cheese makes a runny frosting that won’t pipe well.
- Weigh ingredients: For consistent results, use a kitchen scale. Measuring by weight helps avoid adding too much flour or cocoa, which can dry out the cupcakes.
- Substitutions: If you don’t have sour cream, use full-fat Greek yogurt. If you don’t have kosher salt, use half the amount of fine salt.
- Cocoa: This recipe uses Dutch-processed cocoa. If you only have natural cocoa, use it in the frosting but be aware it may affect rise and flavor in the cupcakes.
- Make ahead: Cupcakes can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, refrigerate (bring to room temperature before serving).
Try these cupcake recipes next!
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Moist Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
-
Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes
-
Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes
-
Moist Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
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Ella
Recipe
Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ella Gilbert
Equipment
- 12-cup cupcake pan
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- ½ cup (51 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon (¾ tsp) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (100 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (113 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- ½ cup (118 ml) hot water
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3¾ cups (423 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, cold
- ½ cup (42 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp heavy cream (optional, to adjust consistency)
Instructions
Make cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place 16–18 cupcake liners in pans.
- Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Stir espresso powder into the hot water until dissolved and set aside.
- Whisk eggs, oil, sour cream, and vanilla together until smooth.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until nearly smooth. Add the hot espresso water and mix once more. The batter will be thin.
- Fill liners ¾ full and bake 18–20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Make frosting
- Beat butter and confectioners’ sugar on low until combined, then increase speed and beat 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Mix in vanilla extract and salt.
- Add cold cream cheese and cocoa powder; beat until combined. If frosting is too thick, add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.
- Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes. A Wilton 1M tip works well for swirls.
Notes
These recipes are developed and tested using metric weights. For best results, weigh ingredients. Cup measurements are provided as a convenience but may yield different results.
Bring cupcake ingredients (eggs, sour cream) to room temperature before baking. Keep the cream cheese cold until you add it to the frosting to prevent a runny texture.
Salt: If using fine salt instead of kosher, halve the amount called for.
Sour cream: Greek yogurt or full-fat yogurt can be used as a substitute.
Storage: Store cupcakes in the fridge up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Carbohydrates: 51 g
Protein: 3 g
Fat: 21 g
Sugar: 41 g
The nutritional information is an estimate per serving and not guaranteed to be exact.