This chocolate cupcake recipe is easy to make from scratch with simple ingredients. They are the best, moist chocolate cupcakes with a rich chocolate flavor and perfect texture.
Line a standard muffin tin with 12 cups and lightly spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt and espresso powder. Set aside
In a large bowl, whisk together canola oil, eggs, sour cream, milk and vanilla until the mixture is smooth.
Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until combined.
Add mini chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.
Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to fill each cupcake liner with ¼ cup of batter.
Bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, or until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
Place cupcake pan on a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature (takes about 30 minutes).
Once cool, lift cupcakes in their liners out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cool, frost with chocolate frosting and serve.
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Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
All-purpose flour. Cake flour or bread flour are good substitutes. To make them gluten free, use a 1:1 all purpose gluten-free baking flour.
Granulated sugar. Use regular white sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results.
Espresso powder. I always have espresso powder on hand to make chocolate desserts (like this chocolate cake, chocolate zucchini cake, etc.). It's definitely worth purchasing if you love baking. You can substitute instant coffee.
Canola oil. Oil keeps these chocolate cupcakes very moist. You can substitute equal amounts of melted butter or another neutral oil if desired, however canola oil yields the best results.
Sour cream. Full-fat, plain Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream. I recommend using full-fat ingredients.
Whole milk. 2% milk or half and half are good substitutes.
Vanilla extract. You can switch up the extract and use almond, peppermint, orange, etc. if you prefer flavored chocolate cupcakes.
Mini chocolate chips. These are a must. Regular-sized chocolate chips sink to the bottom of the cupcakes while baking. Be sure to use mini chips for the best results.
StoreStore these chocolate cupcakes at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Serve at room temperature. FreezeIt's really easy to bake a batch of chocolate cupcakes and freeze them. Simply follow the recipe and let them cool completely. Then transfer the unfrosted cupcakes to an airtight container and freeze until you're ready to frost and serve. Doubling the RecipeYou can easily double (or triple) this recipe. This is a great option if you want to make enough homemade chocolate cupcakes for a large crowd.