This homemade Chocolate Cupcake recipe is easy to follow and works every time – and a foolproof cupcake recipe is exactly what we need from time to time. Did I mention they’re little fluffy, chocolatey bundles of deliciousness too?
I’m a great believer that everyone should have a go-to Chocolate Cupcake recipe up their sleeve for when the day calls for it.
You can’t beat this SUPER SIMPLE classic bake because it works in many-a situation, from birthdays to cake sales or just-because days.
This tried-and-tested method works every time, even for beginner bakers out there, and the results are perfectly moist bundles of joy.
Why you’ll love this Easy Chocolate Cupcake recipe
Ready in about half an hour
Perfectly moist AND fluffy
Easy foolproof method
Sarah’s notes
In case you hadn’t noticed, I have updated my age-old version of what I thought was the BEST Chocolate Cupcake recipe ever.
And while it worked for me every time, it turns out it wasn’t quite as reliable as I first thought. For years I had made my simple cupcakes without a single hitch, and then I moved house, baked them in a new oven… and they SANK!
I realised that other people may have also had this problem, so I began my mission of coming up with a go-to, simple Chocolate Cupcake recipe that worked every time, no matter of baking skill level or what oven they have.
Now it’s good to go, with lots of tests in 3 different ovens, and I can happily hold my hands up and say THIS one is definitely foolproof!
Chocolate Cupcake Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- Caster sugar – This is finer than granulated sugar, and if you’re outside of the UK may be called superfine, bar or baker’s sugar.
- Butter – This needs to be at room temperature. If your butter comes straight from the fridge, soften it in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Eggs – I prefer medium, free range.
- Self-raising flour – This flour contains a raising agent so there’s no need for baking powder too.
- Cocoa powder – I feel that one non-negotiable to make these cupcakes amazing is VERY good quality cocoa powder.
- Milk – Full fat or semi-skimmed is fine. Do not use skimmed milk as your cupcakes will be very dry.
For the chocolate buttercream frosting:
- Butter – I use unsalted, room temperature butter for the icing. Do not even THINK about using margarine! It tastes grim and just doesn’t behave in the same way.
- Icing sugar – I find that a freshly opened bag of icing sugar gives the best results, so make sure you always seal your icing sugar bags well. Sieving it gives the best result but – honestly? – I don’t usually bother as I never have time!
- Cocoa – As above.
- Boiling water – This loosens everything a little.
- To decorate – Chocolate sprinkles
How to make Chocolate Cupcakes
1. Cream the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs, sifted flour and cocoa powder. Mix, then spoon into cupcake cases. Bake according to the full recipe below.
3. Make the buttercream icing: Beat the butter until pale, followed by the icing sugar. Mix cocoa powder with boiling water, then mix this paste in.
4. When the cakes are baked and cooled, pipe the icing on and finish off with sprinkles.
How to pipe the chocolate icing on
- When the cupcakes are cool, pop a star nozzle (I almost always use a Wilton 1M nozzle, available on Amazon) in your piping bag and fill the bag with the freshly beaten icing.
- Pipe a circle around the edge of the cupcake, continue with another circle on top, slightly smaller, and a finally tiny circle on top.
- Give the bag a squeeze, stop squeezing and pull the bag away quickly.
- Add sprinkles!
Top Tip!
If you measure the batter out equally into the cupcake cases, this recipe will make 12 perfect cakes.
There might not be a lot of batter in each case, but don’t worry! Have faith, they should rise to just the right size.
Please don’t be tempted to add more into the cases – if you overstuff them with batter, they could rise too much in the oven, which will then cause them to sink and ruin.
Storing
Store these in an airtight container that ISN’T plastic, somewhere cool (so usually dark too) but not a fridge.
The buttercream icing has butter in, but if you’re old school, you’ll always leave your real butter out of the fridge anyway when in use.
How long do Chocolate Cupcakes last?
Answer – in this house, not very long! Really though, you can make these chocolate cupcakes ahead of time.
They should last 3-4 days in an airtight tin (although they are better when they are fresh, most people wouldn’t notice the difference.)
You may find that if you store them on a hot day or in a plastic container, the cupcake cases come away a little from the cakes. This won’t affect the taste.
Can Chocolate Cupcakes be frozen?
Yes. Freeze them before icing and wrap them well.
Let them defrost at room temperature. You may find that if they have been frozen and defrosted, the cupcake cases come away a little from the cakes. This won’t affect the taste.
More Baking Tips
For light, fluffy buttercream
If your buttercream is too stiff, add more boiling water, a little at a time until it is a smooth pipe-able texture.
Don’t over bake
Be sure to take them out of the oven when they are only JUST cooked as the heat in the pan will continue to cook them for a little while.
Tool recommendations
As well as the ingredients, you will also need the following baking utensils for this Chocolate Cupcake recipe:
- Piping bags – I still tend to use disposable piping bags sadly. Of course, I realise these are not great for the environment, but using reusable bags takes so much detergent to get them clean. I’m honestly not sure of the best option so I’m still with these piping bags at the moment, but please do let me know if you know of a better alternative!
- Piping nozzle – I almost always use a Wilton 1M nozzle, which is available on Amazon.
- Muffin tray – It’s really important to bake these cupcakes in a deep muffin tray like this one: Cupcake Baking Pan.
- Muffin cases – Having tested HUNDREDS of muffin cases (cupcake cases), I like these: Dr Oetker White Cupcake Cases, which are available at most supermarkets, or Brown Cupcake Cases. (I know – the white ones are a surprise! But I genuinely find them really good value and very sturdy)
- Ice cream scoop – I ALWAYS use a scoop for these cupcakes as the batter is quite runny.
More Easy Bakes…
FAQs
Almost always dry cupcakes are down to overbaking. Test your oven with an oven thermometer to check it isn’t TOO hot.
Also, cupcakes will always become dry if they aren’t fresh. If you’re eating them on day 5, they probably will be dry.
Yes! Wedding cupcakes were my main business and so these were well tested for that purpose. I hope the bride and groom love them!
Be sure that your flour isn’t out of date (so the raising agent is still working).
Test your oven with an oven thermometer to check it really is as hot as the gauge says.
Do not open the oven too early.
Check that your eggs are medium or large size. Not enough eggs can cause cakes to rise less.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Easy Chocolate Cupcakes
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Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 180 g Caster sugar
- 180 g Butter Room temperature
- 3 Eggs Free range, medium
- 150 g Self raising flour
- 30 g Cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp Milk
For the buttercream:
- 150 g Butter
- 300 g Icing sugar
- 30 g Cocoa powder
- Boiling water
To decorate:
- 2-3 tbsp Sprinkles
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 160℃/320F fan, 180℃/350F.
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Put 12 cupcake cases into your tin.
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Cream your room temperature butter with your sugar until it's pale, light and fluffy, using a wooden spoon or an electric hand whisk.
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Add all of the eggs and sift in the flour and cocoa powder and mix together until everything is well combined.
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Spoon equal amounts of mixture into your cupcake cases. (I use an ice cream scoop as this gives the perfect amount and ensures some uniformity.)
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Bake for about 15-18 minutes until the cakes are golden and slightly bouncy to the touch. Then leave them to cool on a cooling rack.
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Now make the buttercream icing. Beat your butter until it's pale, light and fluffy then beat in the icing sugar.
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Mix the cocoa powder with 1-2 tbsp boiling water, just enough to make a thick smooth paste. Then mix this into the butter and icing sugar.
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You want your icing to be most soft, fluffy and pipeable so add a teaspoon of boiling water at a time until it's the texture that you want.
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Once the cakes are cooled, pipe or spoon on the icing, and scatter over the sprinkles.
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Notes
Quantity: If you measure the batter out equally into the cupcake cases, this recipe will make 12 perfect cakes. There might not be a lot of batter in each case, but don’t worry! Have faith, they should rise to just the right size. Please don’t be tempted to add more into the cases – if you overstuff them with batter, they could rise too much in the oven, which will then cause them to sink and ruin.
Ice cream scoop: Use one to make sure you dish your batter up evenly into the cupcake cases.
For light, fluffy buttercream: If your buttercream is too stiff, add more boiling water, a little at a time until it is a smooth pipe-able texture.
Don’t over bake: Be sure to take them out of the oven when they are only JUST cooked as the heat in the pan will continue to cook them for a little while.
Nutrition
This recipe was first published here on July 1st, 2019. It was updated again on December 15th, 2025 to add additional step-by-step videos.
We improved and updated this recipe in December 2025, but I know some of you may have enjoyed the first recipe so much that you’d like to stick to it. If that’s the case, here it is below 
Previous Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
(published in 2019)
Ingredients
Dry:
- 150 g Caster sugar
- 120 g Self raising flour
- 25 g Cocoa
- Pinch of salt
Wet:
- 1 Egg
- 50 ml Oil
- 125 ml Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
For the icing:
- 300 g Icing sugar
- 150 g Unsalted butter
- 30 g Cocoa powder
- Boiling water
- Sprinkles
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ fan/350F, 200℃/400F or Gas Mark 6.
- Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl.
- Beat the wet ingredients in another bowl.
- Combine by adding about two thirds of the wet ingredients and beating until smooth. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients and beat until smooth again.
- Scoop into muffin cases in a muffin tin and bake for between 17-19 minutes or until domed and springy on top.
To make the icing:
- While the cupcakes are cooking, make the icing. Beat together the sugar and butter until combined. (This may take a while and look grainy at first, carry on!)
- Mix the cocoa with a little boiling water in a mug, just enough water to make a thick paste. Mix it until smooth and there are no lumps.
- Beat the cocoa mixture into the icing.
- If you want your icing to be most soft, fluffy and wipeable, add a teaspoon of boiling water at a time until it’s the texture that you want.
To decorate:
- To decorate, when the cupcakes are cool, put the icing into a piping bag fitted with a star piping nozzle.
- Pipe a circle around the edge of the cupcake, continue with another circle on top, slightly smaller, and finally tiny circle on top. Give the bag a squeeze, stop squeezing and pull the bag away quickly.
- Add sprinkles!
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