These super moist chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are one of my favorite cupcake recipes. The cupcakes are tender and chocolatey, and each one is crowned with a light, airy cream cheese frosting made without butter. They’re perfect for birthdays, parties, bake sales, or any time you want a classic chocolate-and-cream cheese combo.
These cupcakes are easy to make and don’t require a stand mixer for the batter. The recipe uses oil and sour cream to keep the crumb soft and moist for days. The frosting swaps butter for whipped cream as the base, resulting in a fluffy, cloud-like finish that pairs beautifully with chocolate.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Soft, moist cupcakes: Using oil instead of butter keeps the cupcakes tender and moist for longer. A touch of espresso powder deepens the chocolate flavor without adding any coffee taste.
- Light cream cheese frosting: Whipped cream forms the base of the frosting, making it lighter than traditional butter-based cream cheese frostings while still rich and creamy.
Grab Your Ingredients
- Cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese for best texture. If your cream cheese is sold in tubs with excess moisture, pat it with a paper towel.
- Cocoa powder: Dutch-processed cocoa is recommended because it reacts differently with leaveners than natural cocoa. Check the label for terms like “alkali” or “acidity regulators.”
- Heavy cream: Cold heavy cream is whipped to form the frosting base.
- Espresso powder: Optional but recommended — it enhances the chocolate without adding a coffee flavor.
- Oil: Neutral oils such as vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil keep the cupcakes moist.
- Sour cream: Adds tenderness and a soft crumb to the cupcakes; Greek yogurt can be substituted if needed.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line cupcake pans with liners. Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Step 2: In a separate bowl or jug, whisk the eggs, oil, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. Dissolve the espresso powder in hot water, then whisk it into the batter until smooth.
Step 4: Fill liners about three-quarters full and bake 18–20 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 5: For the frosting, chill your mixing bowl if possible. Beat cold heavy cream with the salt, sugar, and vanilla until the sugar dissolves and the cream becomes thick.
Step 6: With the mixer on low, add the cold cream cheese a tablespoon at a time. Scrape the bowl, then beat on high for about 3 minutes until the frosting is smooth and thick. Use immediately to frost cooled cupcakes.
Baking Tips & Tricks
- Keep ingredients cold where needed: For a stable whipped-cream-based frosting, use cold cream and cold cream cheese. Chilling the mixing bowl helps too.
- Let cupcakes cool fully: Frost only when cupcakes are completely cool, or the frosting will soften and slide off.
- Use a kitchen scale: For consistent results, weigh ingredients. Cup measurements can vary and lead to dry or dense cupcakes.
Try These Cupcake Recipes Next
Moist Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes-
Moist Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
-
Easy Coffee Cupcakes
-
Easy Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
Made This Recipe?
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Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ella Gilbert
Equipment
- 12-cup cupcake pan
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- ½ cup (51 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ½ tsp (¾ tsp) baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (100 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (113 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- ½ cup (118 ml) hot water
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ⅓ cup (75 g) granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup (105 g) heavy cream, cold
- ¾ cup (170 g) cream cheese, cold
Weigh ingredients with a kitchen scale for the best results.
Instructions
Make cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and place 16–18 cupcake liners in pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir the espresso powder into the hot water until dissolved and set aside.
- Whisk the eggs, oil, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the hot espresso mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Fill liners three-quarters full and bake 18–20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Make frosting
- Chill your mixing bowl for best results.
- Whisk the cold heavy cream with the sugar, salt, and vanilla on medium-low until the sugar has dissolved.
- Increase speed to high and whisk until very thick. With the mixer on low, add cream cheese a tablespoon at a time. Scrape the bowl, then whip on high for 3 minutes until smooth and thick.
- Frost cooled cupcakes and enjoy. (A Wilton 1M piping tip works well.)
Notes
These recipes were developed and tested using metric measurements. For the most reliable results, use a kitchen scale. Cup conversions are provided but may vary.
Bring cupcake ingredients (eggs, sour cream, etc.) to room temperature before mixing. Keep heavy cream and cream cheese cold for the frosting.
Salt: If using fine salt instead of kosher salt, halve the amount called for. (1 tsp kosher salt ≈ ½ tsp fine salt.)
Sour Cream: Greek yogurt or full-fat yogurt can be substituted if needed.
Cocoa Powder: Dutch-processed cocoa is recommended; check your package for terms like “alkali” or “acidity regulator.”
Storage: Store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature about 30 minutes before serving.
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