This easy chocolate cupcake recipe was created by Mary Berry, and creates rich, indulgent cupcakes that are easy to achieve in your own kitchen.
Whether you're looking for simple chocolate fairy cakes for a party or an easy chocolate cupcake recipe for everyday baking, this chocolate cupcake recipe is soon to be your go-to recipe for 5-star rich, gorgeously-moreish chocolate cupcakes every time.
In just half an hour, this quick and easy cupcake recipe will make a delicious batch of 12 delicious chocolate cupcakes, ready to pipe with your favourite topping. We love whipping up an easy Chocolate Buttercream flavoured with rich cocoa powder for a satisfying chocolatey hit!
If you love quick and simple cupcakes, then why not give some of our other cupcake recipes a go? Try our Chocolate Chip Cupcakes for an easy twist on traditional Vanilla Cupcakes. If you’re a Nutella fan, our Nutella Cupcakes are always a winner for family and friends.
How to make Halloween cupcakes:
Turn your chocolate cupcakes into spooky Halloween treats with just a few easy steps! Use Silver Spoon’s chocolate fudge icing sugar and follow the instructions on the pack to whip up the smoothest, most delicious chocolate buttercream. For a fun bat design, top each cupcake with an Oreo for the body, and pipe black and white icing to create little bat eyes. It’s cute, creepy, and absolutely delicious!
How to make Christmas cupcakes:
Transform our versatile chocolate cupcakes recipe into adorable Christmas cupcakes. Simply add some edible eyes, a small ball of red fondant icing (or red smartie) and some broken pretzels for antlers and you have the cutest Christmas reindeer cupcakes. Alternatively, crushed up some candy canes and sprinkle on top for a simple, yet indulgent looking Christmas treat.
How to decorate chocolate cupcakes:
These rich chocolate cupcakes are perfect to decorate for any occasion, all year round. Simply top with chocolate buttercream, then add Mini Eggs. Alternatively, add a quarter of a teaspoon of Hundreds And Thousands to the top of each cupcake's buttercream topping.
How to make your cupcakes moist and fluffy:
If you want your cupcakes to stay moist for longer, brush your cooled sponges with a simple sugar syrup made from two parts granulated sugar to one part boiling water. After you’ve added the sugar syrup, top the cupcakes with your buttercream icing and enjoy.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C/gas mark 5. Line a muffin tin with paper cases (Tip: muffin cases will give you a deeper cupcake). Sift the cocoa powder into a bowl, pour in the boiling water and mix into a thick paste. This may look curdled - this is normal (the image below shows what this paste should look like).
Ingredients for this step
30gCocoa powder
4 tbspWater (boiling)
Step 2
Add the eggs, butter, golden caster sugar, self-raising flour and baking powder into the cocoa powder and water mix. Mix with an electric hand whisk (or beat with a wooden spoon) until the mixture is smooth.
Ingredients for this step
3Free range large egg(s)
175gUnsalted butter (softened)
165gBillington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
115gAllinson's self-raising flour
1 tspBaking Powder
Step 3
Divide the cake mixture equally between the 12 paper cases. (Tip: try using an ice cream scoop to ensure that you have evenly portioned cupcakes). Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F, Gas mark 6) for about 14-15 minutes until the cupcakes are risen and springy to the touch. Cool in the cases on a wire rack.
Step 4
To make the chocolate buttercream icing, melt the butter and pour it into a bowl. Sift in the cocoa powder and stir in the icing sugar a little at a time to make a glossy and spreadable chocolate buttercream.
If the icing is too thick, gradually add the milk until it reaches your desired consistency.
Ingredients for this step
175gUnsalted butter (softened)
40gCocoa powder
3 tbspMilk (whole)
250gSilver Spoon Icing Sugar
A handfulDecorations
Step 5
To finish , fill a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle with the chocolate buttercream and pipe swirls onto the cupcakes then sprinkle with chocolate decorations and leave to set before serving.
Ingredients
MetricImperial
For the Cupcakes
40gCocoa powder
4 tbspWater (boiling)
3Free range large egg(s)
175gUnsalted butter (softened)
165gBillington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
115gAllinson's Self Raising Flour
1 tspBaking powder
For the Buttercream
60gUnsalted butter (softened)
30gCocoa powder
250gSilver Spoon Icing Sugar
3 tbspMilk (whole)
A handfulDecorations
Utensils
Muffin cases
12 hole muffin tin
Spoon
Bowl
Whisk or electric whisk
Piping bag
Star nozzle
Microwaveable bowl
Nutritional information per 80g serving
Energy 365cal
Fat 18g
of which Saturates 12g
Carbohydrates 42g
of which Sugars 34g
Protein 4.4g
Salt 0.26g
691 Baker Ratings
We genuinely value all the feedback we receive on our recipes and take great care to read your comments, test the recipes, and make updates. We're happy to share that this recipe has been refreshed to make it even more delicious. Thank you for helping us improve! Happy Baking! Baking Mad x
Love this?
Do you mean melt the butter for the butter cream? Or whisk it?
Baking Mad
Whilst melting butter for a buttercream is a less common technique, we find that it can help eliminate lumps, ensuring a super-smooth and creamy buttercream texture. It is easier to incorporate with other ingredients and melted butter can bring out a nuttier, richer taste due to slight changes in the butter’s structure during melting. This can add depth to the buttercream’s flavour. You could however make your buttercream the traditional way for an equally delicious frosting for these cupcakes.
