These super moist chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting might be my favorite cupcakes yet! Each cupcake is topped with a super creamy cream cheese frosting that's made without butter. I love serving these cupcakes for birthdays or parties because the chocolate is a perfect match with the dreamy cream cheese frosting.
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These chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are a breeze to make! Just like my chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting recipe, you don't need a mixer to make the cupcakes. I then used my favorite cream cheese frosting without butter (the same frosting used for my carrot cake cupcakes!), which is super light and airy.
If you're more of a chocolate cream cheese frosting kind of person (no judgment, I'm always up for anything chocolate) then use the chocolate cream cheese recipe from my brownies with cream cheese frosting!
If you want even more chocolate cupcakes (because come on, who doesn't??) then try my mini chocolate cupcakes or chocolate Oreo cupcakes!
Why I Love This Recipe!
- The best chocolate cupcakes - this is my favorite chocolate cupcake base recipe. It uses oil instead of butter which keeps the cupcakes soft for days! It also has a dash of espresso powder which enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Light & airy cream cheese frosting - the cream cheese frosting recipe uses a base of whipped cream instead of butter, keeping the frosting super light and cloud-like.
Grab Your Ingredients!
- Cream Cheese: make sure you're using full-fat cream cheese! If you're in Europe and your cream cheese comes in tubs, this recipe will work but you might have to pat it down with a paper towel to get rid of excess moisture.
- Cocoa Powder: you want to make sure you're using dutch processed cocoa powder and not natural cocoa powder, as they react differently to leaveners (like baking soda and baking powder). If you're not sure what your cocoa powder is, check the ingredients label! If it mentions alkali or acidity regulators, then you have dutch processed cocoa powder.
- Heavy Cream: heavy cream (or double cream if you're in Europe) is going to be used as the base for the frosting.
- Espresso Powder: this is optional but using a bit of espresso powder is going to enhance the chocolate taste, I promise it won't make the cupcakes taste like coffee!
- Oil: use a neutral oil like sunflower oil or vegetable oil or canola oil. Using oil instead of butter is going to make the chocolate cupcakes super moist.
- Sour Cream: I love using sour cream in cupcake recipes because it makes the cupcake super soft.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°Fahrenheit and line a cupcake pan with liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, sour cream and vanilla extract until smooth.
Step 3: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until just combined. Whisk the espresso powder with the hot water to make coffee, then pour into the cupcake batter and whisk until smooth.
Step 4: Fill the cupcake liners so they're three-quarters full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Step 5: Using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer, beat the cold heavy cream with the salt, sugar and vanilla extract until the sugar has dissolved. Continue beating until it looks very thick.
Step 6: Add the cream cheese a tablespoon at a time on low speed, then increase the speed to high and beat for 3 minutes until thick and smooth. Use immediately and enjoy!
Ella's Baking Tips & Tricks
- Cold ingredients - cream cheese is known to get super runny, but using a whipped cream base and cold ingredients is going to help you! I keep my mixing bowl in the fridge until ready to use to help with this and also make sure your cream cheese and heavy cream are cold.
- Let cupcakes cool - make sure the cupcakes have cooled completely before you frost them, otherwise, the frosting will melt right off. Been there, it was not fun!
- Use a kitchen scale - baking is all about accuracy, so I recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your ingredients! It's super easy to add too much flour or cocoa powder to your cupcakes, giving you dry cupcakes.
Try these cupcake recipes next!
Made This Recipe?
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Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 12 cup cupcake pan
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup (120 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
- ½ cup (51 grams) cocoa powder dutch processed
- ½ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) kosher salt
- 2 large (2) eggs room temperature
- ½ cup (100 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (113 grams) sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) espresso powder
- ½ cup (118 ml) hot water
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ⅓ cup (75 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (105 grams) heavy cream cold
- ¾ cup (170 grams) cream cheese cold
Instructions
Make cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C and place 16-18 cupcake liners in your cupcake pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.1 cup (120 grams) all purpose flour, ½ cup (51 grams) cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon (¾ tsp) baking powder, ½ teaspoon (½ tsp) baking soda, ½ teaspoon (½ tsp) kosher salt, 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
- In a mug or small cup, mix together the espresso powder and hot water until the espresso powdered has dissolved. Set aside.1 teaspoon (1 tsp) espresso powder, ½ cup (118 ml) hot water
- In a large jug, whisk the eggs, oil, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.2 large (2) eggs, ½ cup (100 ml) vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon (1 tsp) vanilla extract, ½ cup (113 grams) sour cream
- Pour the wet mixture into the flour, stirring until it is just about smooth - we don't want to over mix the batter! Then pour in the hot coffee and mix until smooth.
- Fill the cupcake liners so they're ¾ full and bake for 18-20 minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool for 15 minutes in the tray, then take them out and place on a cooling rack.
Make Frosting
- I recommend chilling your mixing bowl for about an hour before using!
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, whisk the heavy cream, salt, sugar and vanilla on medium-low for 2 minutes. The sugar needs to have completely dissolved.⅓ cup (75 grams) granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ cup (105 grams) heavy cream
- Increase the speed to high and whisk for 2 minutes, until it looks very thick like Greek yogurt.
- While the mixer is running on a low speed, add the cream cheese a tablespoon at a time. Turn off the mixer, and scrape the entire bowl to make sure no cream cheese is left on the side. Turn the speed to high, and whip for 3 minutes until smooth.¾ cup (170 grams) cream cheese
- Frost your cupcakes and enjoy! I used a Wilton 1M piping tip.
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