Moist Chocolate Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream Frosting
These Chocolate Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream Frosting are the ultimate sweet treat. Super moist and chocolatey, they're sure to be a family favorite.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Total Time25 minutes mins
Course: Baked Goods
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 Servings
Calories: 331kcal
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 5 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Mocha Buttercream Frosting
- 2 ounces baking chocolate chips
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until well-distributed.
In another bowl, combine water, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract. Add to flour mixture and stir together until just combined.
Using a scoop or tablespoon, divide batter into prepared muffin pan.
Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to completely cool before frosting.
For the Mocha Buttercream Frosting
In a microwaveable bowl, microwave chocolate on HIGH for about 40 to 45 seconds. Stir until just melted and cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, combine milk and instant coffee granules. Stir until dissolved.
In a large bowl, combine butter, vanilla extract, and salt and beat for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add melted chocolate and beat until blended, scraping occasionally.
Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
Add coffee mixture and beat until desired consistency.
Chill buttercream for a few minutes before piping cupcakes.
- Add a teaspoon of instant coffee granules to the batter to boost the chocolate flavor.
- I use distilled white vinegar, but apple cider vinegar will work, too.
- If baking this as a cake, you can stir all the ingredients and bake it in the same pan. There's no need to grease the baking pan.
- I included a delicious mocha buttercream frosting which really goes well with the chocolate flavor, but you can just sprinkle the cupcakes with powdered sugar or use store-bought icing if you want to keep things simple.
Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 379mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 235IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1.2mg