These bakery-style, made-from-scratch chocolate cupcakes are moist and fudgy with a deep chocolate flavor. Pair them with your favorite fillings and frostings — from Peanut Butter Cup to Chocolate-Covered Strawberry to Double Chocolate — and you’ll have the only chocolate cupcake recipe you’ll ever need. These variations were favorites at Amycakes Bakery.
How to Make Extra Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
This cupcake recipe is adapted from the base cake used in my Triple Chocolate Ganache bakery-style cake, but cupcakes benefit from a bit more moisture to stay tender and fudgy. Key ingredients that keep these cupcakes exceptionally moist are:
- Buttermilk: The acidity helps break down gluten so the crumb stays tender.
- Vegetable oil: Oil yields a softer, moister cupcake than butter alone.
- Instant Clearjel: A bakery ingredient (often called modified cornstarch) that helps retain moisture while preserving a light texture. If you don’t have it, refer to substitutes in my Instant Clearjel notes.
Making Chocolate Cupcakes with a Rich Chocolate Flavor
The batter combines unsweetened cocoa powder and melted semi-sweet chocolate chips for an extra-chocolate, fudgy result. This recipe uses a Two-Bowl method — no stand mixer required — making it a straightforward bake for home kitchens. Use a two-ounce scoop for uniform cupcakes and darker nonstick pans for even rise and color. Start the bake at 350°F to encourage lift, then reduce the oven to 300°F without opening the door to finish baking gently and retain moisture.
Mix and Match Your Chocolate Cupcake Fillings and Frostings
These cupcakes pair perfectly with a variety of fillings and frostings. Fill them with fudgy ganache, strawberry compote, or peanut butter centers, and finish with your favorite buttercream. Below are some suggested flavor combinations.
Suggested Chocolate Cupcake Flavors
I hope you enjoy these recipes — which flavor will you try first?
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📖 Recipe & Step-by-Step Instructions
Moist and Fudgy Chocolate Cupcakes
These bakery-style, made-from-scratch chocolate cupcakes are moist and fudgy with a rich chocolate flavor. Combine them with favorite fillings and frostings to create a variety of special cupcakes.
Servings: 19 cupcakes
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 16 mins
Equipment
- Cupcake tins (nonstick preferred)
- 2-oz scoop or 1/4 cup measure
- Greaseproof cupcake liners
- 18″ disposable pastry bag and tips
- Kitchen scale (recommended for accurate results)
- Cupcake corer (optional)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 170 grams (1 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp Instant Clearjel (or see substitutes)
- 26 grams (1/4 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) sugar
- 113 grams (1/2 cup packed) brown sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp buttermilk
- 1/4 cup brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 Tbsp dark corn syrup (or light corn syrup)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Butter Mixture
- 3/4 stick (3 oz) salted butter
- 43 grams (1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Optional Fillings
- Chocolate ganache
- Strawberry compote
Optional Buttercreams
- Vanilla bakery buttercream
- Peanut butter buttercream
- Chocolate buttercream
Optional Decorations
- Chocolate ganache drizzle
- Fresh strawberries
- Chocolate curls
Instructions
Make Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tins with 19 cupcake liners.
- Sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, Instant Clearjel, cocoa powder, sugar) into a large bowl. Add brown sugar and whisk to combine, breaking up any clumps.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until smooth (eggs, buttermilk, brewed coffee, vegetable oil, corn syrup, vanilla).
- Melt the salted butter until just melted. Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips and whisk until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until incorporated. Add the chocolate butter mixture and whisk until the batter is smooth and lump-free. Small brown sugar bits are fine; they will dissolve during baking.
- Use a 2-oz scoop or 1/4-cup measure to portion batter into the prepared liners.
- Let the tins sit for 5–10 minutes before baking. This resting time allows the Instant Clearjel to thicken the batter and improves rise.
- Bake on the middle or top rack for 8 minutes at 350°F. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 300°F and bake another 8–10 minutes. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted quickly comes out mostly clean. A few moist crumbs are okay; wet batter indicates more time is needed.
- Brush cupcakes with simple syrup if desired to lock in extra moisture.
- If frosting the next day, keep unfrosted cupcakes wrapped in the tin at room temperature overnight. You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes (wrapped) for up to a week; they retain moisture well.
Decorate and Serve
- Core and fill cupcakes with your chosen filling, then pipe your preferred buttercream using a pastry bag and tip. A 1M star tip or round tip works well.
- Finish with a ganache drizzle and garnishes such as strawberries or chocolate curls, if desired.
- Store finished cupcakes in an airtight container. Serve at room temperature when possible. If not eaten within 24 hours, refrigerate and return to room temperature 2–3 hours before serving.
Notes
- Instant Clearjel is a modified cornstarch that helps retain moisture and structure. Whisk it thoroughly with dry ingredients to avoid lumps. Brands tested include Prepared Pantry, Hoosier Hill Farm, and Ingredion. If unavailable, boxed chocolate instant pudding mix may be used as a substitute; consult Instant Clearjel substitute guidance for measurements.
- Simple syrup is optional but recommended to seal moisture. For a quick version, combine equal small amounts of water and sugar and warm until sugar dissolves. Brush onto cooled cupcakes before frosting.
Author: Amy
Calories: Approximately 203 kcal per cupcake (estimated with a nutrition calculator; additional fillings and frostings add extra calories).
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