If you ever need quick, easy, and moist chocolate cupcakes, this is it. Nothing gets easier than these one-bowl chocolate cupcakes. In fact, you simply add all ingredients in one single bowl, mix it up and your batter is ready. These are delicious on their own, but you can also top them with my one-bowl chocolate frosting.
Table of Content
Both my moist vanilla and chocolate cupcakes are delicious on their own, but you can also top them with my one-bowl buttercream frosting recipe. A great treat for a simple evening tea, a last-minute kids' party, or decorated beautifully for a celebration.
Why make these cupcakes?
- The batter takes just about 5 minutes to make and all you do is throw everything in one bowl and mix.
- I have used a hand mixer in the video, but a bowl and whisk are all you need.
- And this recipe is very forgiving and a little undermixing or overmixing is not an issue. This means it is perfect to do with kids.
- Also, the cupcakes freeze beautifully, which means they are perfect to save in the freezer for later use.
- While I have given you a one-bowl frosting recipe, these are delicious on their own even without frosting.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Flour - Regular all-purpose flour is all you need for these cupcakes.
- Fat - I like to use unsalted butter and oil. While butter adds a nice flavor, the oil helps keep the cupcakes moist. And if salted butter is all you have, use it. But, omit salt in the recipe. Also, it is very important that the butter is room temperature, but soft is better than firm or it will be lumpy in the batter.
- Sugar - Fine-grain white sugar works best for one-bowl recipes. This helps the sugar dissolve easily in the batter. And if coarse grain sugar is all you have - pulse it in the food processor for a few minutes.
- Eggs - Always use large eggs, about 50 to 60 grams each. Make sure they are room temperature or the cold eggs will curdle the batter.
- Buttermilk - Makes the cupcakes moist with a tender crumb.
- Cocoa powder - I use regular dutch-processed cocoa powder.
Chocolate cupcakes
One bowl cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F / 160 °C / Gas Mark 3.
Pro tip - The batter gets ready very quickly but, make sure the oven is preheated well. - Line a muffin pan with cupcakes liners.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment or (mixing bowl with a whisk), add all the cupcake ingredients starting with the cocoa powder and hot water first.
Pro tip - It is essential that all ingredients are at room temperature. Otherwise, you will have a lumpy batter.
Also, adding the hot water and cocoa powder first will give a deeper color to the cupcakes.
- Next, combine on medium speed until you have a smooth batter.
Pro tip - Do not overmix the batter, since we don't want to activate the gluten in our flour. - Then, divide the batter between 12 cupcake liners using an ice cream scoop or ⅓ measure cup.
Pro tip - These make 12 regular-size cupcakes, you can also make 8 large cupcakes in baking cups.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes clean.
Pro tip - Turning the baking pan halfway through will ensure they bake evenly (I forgot as you can see in the video - some baked with sideway domes ?). - Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Cool cupcakes completely before you decorate.
Pro tip - It is essential to cool cupcakes or cake completely before frosting or the frosting will melt.
One-bowl chocolate frosting
- In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add all the buttercream ingredients. Combine, and then add all the rest of the ingredients.
Pro tip - Make sure the butter is at soft room temperature otherwise you will have a lumpy mixture. - Whip until you have a smooth, light, and fluffy buttercream.
Pro tip - It is important to whip for at least 3 minutes so you have a light and fluffy whipped cream consistency buttercream.
Assemble
- Place buttercream in a piping bag with your favorite piping tip. I like to use a large star tip to make swirls.
- Add the frosting to the bag. Pipe a generous swirl on each cupcake.
Pro tip - You can also color frosting into one, two, or more colors as desired and then put it in the piping bag. - A few sprinkles and your cupcakes are ready to be served.
- Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- The one thing you want to take note of is the temperature of your ingredients. You want all the ingredients to be at room temperature.
- If the butter is not at room temperature, it will not cream well but lumpy.
- On the other hand, if the butter is too soft (or melted) the batter will be denser rather than light and fluffy resulting in dense cupcakes.
- The same goes for eggs. Cold eggs will curdle the batter.
- Also, don't overbake cupcakes since they can become dry easily. Similar to cake, cupcakes are done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- These cupcakes today were frosted with my one-bowl vanilla frosting but they are also perfect with so many other frostings. For example, cream cheese frosting, Strawberry Buttercream, whipped cream, American, French, German, Swiss, or Italian buttercream.
How do I prevent cupcake liners from peeling?
There are a few things you can do - I discuss it in this post -- how to avoid cupcake liners peeling after baking.
How to bake even-size cupcakes?
There are a few things you can do to bake similar-size cupcakes - we discussed that in detail here - How to bake same size cupcakes.
How long will these cupcakes keep?
Cupcakes are always best on the day they are made. But, these cupcakes will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. And they will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Can I make these eggless?
This recipe works best with eggs. And yet, I also have an eggless vanilla cake recipe that works beautifully for chocolate cupcakes.
Printable Recipe
Moist Chocolate Cupcakes (one-bowl)
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save Grow Coooking Temperature: 325 °F / 160 °C / Gas Mark 3
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 278kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 12 Cupcakes
Description
If you ever need quick, easy, and moist chocolate cupcakes, this is it. Nothing gets easier than these one-bowl chocolate cupcakes. In fact, you simply add all ingredients in one single bowl, mix it up and your batter is ready. These are delicious on their own, but you can also top them with my one-bowl chocolate frosting.
Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
- ½ cup (45 g) Cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) Hot water
- 4 tablespoon (60 g) Butter ( unsalted, soft room temperature)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Oil
- ½ cup (110 g) Brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (150 g) White sugar
- 2 Eggs (large)
- 1¼ cup (160 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) Sour cream or yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Frosting
- ½ cup (45 g) Cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Hot water (Hot )
- ½ cup (113 g) Butter (unsalted, soft room temperature)
- 2 cups (240 g) Powdered sugar (confectioners or icing sugar)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Coffee powder ((optional))
Instructions
Bake the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven 325 °F / 160 °C / Gas Mark 3.Pro tip - The batter gets ready very quickly but, make sure the oven is preheated well.
- Line a muffin cup with cupcakes liners.
- Ingredients - In a bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment or (mixing bowl with a whisk), add all the cupcake ingredients starting with the cocoa powder and hot water first.Pro tip - It is essential that all ingredients are at room temperature. Otherwise, you will have a lumpy batter. Also, adding the hot water and cocoa powder first will give a deeper color to the cupcakes.½ cup Cocoa powder, ⅓ cup Hot water, 4 tablespoon Butter, ¼ cup Oil, ½ cup Brown sugar, ⅓ cup White sugar, 2 Eggs, 1¼ cup All-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Baking powder, ½ teaspoon Baking soda, ¼ teaspoon Salt, ½ cup Sour cream or yogurt, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Mix - Combine on medium speed until you have a smooth batter. Pro tip - Do not overmix the batter, since we don't want to activate the gluten in our flour.
- Liners - Divide the batter between 12 cupcake liners using an ice cream scooper or ⅓ cup measure. Pro tip - These make 12 regular-size cupcakes, you can also make 8 large cupcakes in baking cups.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes clean.Pro tip - Turning the baking pan halfway through will ensure they bake evenly (I forgot as you can see in the video - some baked with sideway domes ?).
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Cool cupcakes completely before you decorate.Pro tip - It is essential to cool cupcakes or cake completely before frosting or the frosting will melt.
Chocolate Frosting
- Combine - In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add all the buttercream ingredients. Starting with the cocoa powder and hot water first. Combine, and then add all the rest of the ingredients. Pro tip - Make sure the butter is at soft room temperature otherwise you will have a lumpy mixture. Also, adding the hot water and cocoa powder first will give a deeper color to the buttercream.½ cup Cocoa powder, ¼ cup Hot water, ½ cup Butter, 2 cups Powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon Coffee powder
- Whip until you have a smooth, light, and fluffy buttercream. Pro tip - It is important to whip for at least 3 minutes so you have a light and fluffy whipped cream consistency buttercream.
Assemble
- Bag - Place buttercream in a piping bag with your favorite piping tip. I like to use a large star tip to make swirls.
- Pipe a generous swirl on each cupcake. A few sprinkles and your cupcakes are ready to be served. Enjoy!Pro tip - You can also color frosting into one, two, or more colors as desired, and then put it in the piping bag.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- The one thing you want to take note of is the temperature of your ingredients. You want all the ingredients to be at room temperature.
- If the butter is not at room temperature, it will not cream well but lumpy.
- On the other hand, if the butter is too soft (or melted) the batter will be denser rather than light and fluffy resulting in dense cupcakes.
- The same goes for the eggs. Cold eggs will curdle the batter.
- Don't overbake cupcakes so it is easier to dry out. Similar to cake, cupcakes are done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- These cupcakes today were frosted with my one-bowl vanilla frosting but they are perfect with so many other frostings too. Cream cheese frosting, Strawberry Buttercream, whipped cream, American, French, German, Swiss, or Italian buttercream.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 72- gCalories: 278- kcalCarbohydrates: 35.7- gProtein: 2.8- gFat: 14.9- gSaturated Fat: 9.1- gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5.3- gMonounsaturated Fat: 0- gTrans Fat: 0.5- gCholesterol: 68- mgSodium: 315- mgPotassium: 0- mgFiber: 0.9- gSugar: 27.5- gVitamin A: 0- IUVitamin C: 0- mgCalcium: 0- mgIron: 0- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Carol
I followed the recipe for the frosting exactly as per the method and i ended up with a soupy mess.
Veena Azmanov
I'm sorry to hear that. Please check to ensure you have the amounts of the ingredients right and make sure to whip the buttercream until light and fluffy.
Carol
Hi Veena because i used 113g of butter instead of 60g as mentioned in Jeanettes's comment below. i did not know there was a mistake in the recipe till after i had made it. No worries i will try it again.. All your recipe's have been amazing. Thank you so much for sharing.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Carol, I am happy you are enjoying my recipes. However, this recipe does have 113 grams of butter dear.
Jeanette T
Just noticed your butter info has conflicting info. 4T =60g, your recipe shows 4T=113g. Which is correct please?
Thanks
Veena Azmanov
Hey Jeanette. Sorry - it's just 4 tbsp butter (60 g). Thanks for bringing it to my attention.