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cupcake on a plate with a fork taking a bite out of it and more easy chocolate cupcakes in the background

Easy Chocolate Cupcakes

These easy chocolate cupcakes are quick and simple to make, using pantry staples.  You can't go wrong with easy desserts!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Total Time 46 minutes
Servings 22
Author Kelsie

Ingredients

Chocolate cupcakes

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup strong lukewarm coffee or flat cola
  • 3/4 cup full-fat sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate frosting

  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 8 ounces dark chocolate chopped (about 1 1/2 cups chopped chocolate)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder optional
  • 2 cups powdered sugar sifted

Instructions

Chocolate cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 22 to 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners and set pan aside.
  2. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer to combine.
  3. Add the eggs and beat on low just to combine. Add the coffee, sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla and beat to combine. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then beat on medium speed until batter is smooth.
  4. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full of batter. Bake 16 to 20 minutes, until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched with your fingertip. Cool cupcakes in pans on wire racks for 20 minutes, then remove from the tins to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate frosting

  1. Place the sweetened condensed milk in a large microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second increments until hot. Stir in the chocolate, vanilla, and espresso powder (if using).
  2. Mix with a rubber spatula until the chocolate has melted and mixture is completely smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar with an electric mixer set to low speed. If frosting is too loose to spread, refrigerate for a few minutes until it firms a bit.
  3. Spread over the cooled cupcakes and decorate as desired. Serve. Uneaten cupcakes can be refrigerated, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Recipe Notes

  • If you have to open a new bottle/can of cola, pour it between two glasses until it stops bubbling. You want all the carbonation gone from the cola before you add it to your cupcake batter.
  • I strongly prefer the flavor of these easy chocolate cupcakes when they’re made with coffee rather than cola—the coffee makes the cupcakes taste more chocolatey, whereas the cola makes them sweeter—but use cola if that’s what you prefer.
  • If you want to top you cupcakes with sprinkles, you’ll have to work quickly because the frosting sets very fast.