These Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes start with my hands-down, shut-the-door, never-need-another, favourite, easy chocolate cupcake recipe. Phew!

For more decadent cupcakes, try these coffee cupcakes with coffee buttercream.

A half eaten chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting laying on its side.

I rarely claim to have the best recipe for anything because, really, it’s a question of personal preference but, there, I said it! These are the best chocolate cupcakes you’ll ever have. Why? Let me count the ways;

  1. Big on chocolate flavour
  2. Soft, fluffy texture
  3. Super moist
  4. Incredibly easy to make

True story; I actually eat cupcakes from the bottom up. I break off the bottom half and eat that, then when I eat the top half I can get a large amount of frosting with it. By removing the bottom half first the ratios are much, much better 🙂 Yeah, right …. ok, moving on …

Tips for cooking the best cupcakes

  • Don’t overmix the batter – overmixing can cause glutens in the flour to over-develop which can end in tough cupcakes or cakes.
  • Check them a few minutes before the recipe suggests. Why? Because all ovens are different. The particular muffin tin you use may also affect cooking time.
Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, sprinkled with cookie crumbs on a grey wood background.

How to make chocolate cupcakes

This cupcake batter could not be easier – you’ll have them in the oven in 10 minutes or less.

  1. Start by placing some cupcake liners in your muffin tin, then whisk together some flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside (this will take 5 minutes max)
  2. Melt some butter in a large bowl, then add the sugar and beat it until totally combined and glossy (literally 30 seconds).
  3. Add two eggs, one at a time and some vanilla, beating each one in before adding the next (let’s say 1 minute).
  4. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and gently fold them in with a spatula. Now add half the buttermilk, gently mix through and repeat this process until all the flour and buttermilk has been added and combined. (2 minutes).
  5. I like to use a medium ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into the cupcake cases just to half full (1 minute).
  6. Now bake them for 18-20 minutes. My oven always takes 20 minutes but, as all ovens are different, test them at the 17-18 minute mark. A toothpick should come out with no more than a crumb or two but be careful not to overbake them.

This is the easiest method for making chocolate cupcakes, since there is no creaming together butter and sugar, and my recipe has never failed me once. It gets rave reviews and I’ve used it as a base for many recipes including these Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes, to my Black Forest Cupcakes to the blog favourite Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes (plus these, these and these).

How to fill cupcakes

Filling cupcakes requires 2 things

  • To cut the hole in the cupcake, you can use a sharp knife to cut a little circle and scoop out the cake or you can use a cupcake corer which is my personal preference. They’re cheap, last forever and make a perfect hole really easily.
  • A filling thick enough that it won’t soak into the cake – think the thickness of peanut butter, dulce de leche, Nutella, jam or jellies.

These are cheesecake filled cupcakes and the filling is simple;

  1. Combine icing (powdered) sugar, cream cheese, cream and vanilla in a bowl and beating it until soft and creamy.
  2. Fill the holes with the cheesecake filling.
  3. The luscious chocolate cream cheese frosting is even easier – just beat some butter cocoa and little more sugar together, then add the leftover filling. Tadaa!

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Closeup of a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting and covered in cookie crumbs on a grey wood surface.

Everyone needs a great cupcake recipe in their life and if you really want to spoil your loved ones, these Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes are the one you need.

With very little effort you’ll be rewarded with a batch of luscious, dreamy chocolate cupcakes and the urge to grab a cuppa and a quiet corner. Enjoy!

Other recipes you’ll love

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Closeup of a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting and covered in cookie crumbs on a grey wood surface

Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes

Yield: 14 cupcakes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
4.8 from 5 votes
Only the best chocolate cupcakes, stuffed with cheesecake filling and topped with a chocolate cream cheese frosting. These Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes are perfectly moist, fluffy, soft, flavourful and the easiest cupcake recipe by far.
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Ingredients

FOR THE CUPCAKES

  • 130 g plain (all purp) flour (1 cup / 4.6oz)
  • ½ cup dutch processed cocoa (40g / 1.4oz)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (113g / 1 stick)
  • ½ cup caster (superfine) sugar (100g / 3.5oz)
  • ½ cup packed dark brown sugar (100g / 3.5oz)
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup buttermilk

FOR THE FILLING AND FROSTING

  • 250 g cream cheese, softened
  • 2 ¼ cup icing (confectioners / powdered) sugar, sifted
  • ½ cup thickened (heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 85 g unsalted butter, softened (¾ stick)
  • ¼ cup cocoa
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

FOR THE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

  • Preheat your oven to 350F / 180C / 160C fan and line your muffin tins with paper cases
  • In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well to combine.
  • In a separate bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the melted butter and both sugars until smooth.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl each time and beating well after each. Add the vanilla and beat to combine.
  • Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir through gently until just combined.
  • Now add half of the buttermilk, mix gently again. Continue like this until all the flour and buttermilk is combined… just. It is important not to overmix or be too heavy handed otherwise your cupcakes will turn out dense and tough.
  • Fill the cupcake cases to about only to about ½ full. Bake in the oven for around 18-20 minutes, turning the pan around in the oven half way through to make sure they bake evenly. When a toothpick inserted comes out with just a crumb or two, they are done.
  • Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Make sure they are completely cool before frosting.

FOR THE FILLING & FROSTING

  • For the cheesecake filling, add the cream cheese, cream, vanilla and half the icing sugar to a bowl and beat using a handheld beater until smooth and creamy.
  • Use a sharp knife or cupcake corer to cut a hole in the top of each cupcake, then fill each with around 1 teaspoon of the cheesecake filling. Set aside the rest.
  • In another bowl, beat the butter and remaining sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the leftover cheesecake filling, cocoa and salt and beat just until smooth (don’t overbeat).
  • Pipe the frosting on top of your cupcakes then roll the edges in cookie crumbs.

Notes

Equipment I use: stand mixer, handheld beater, silicone muffin trays, cupcake corer
  1. For best results, you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
Want more cupcake recipes? Click here
Calories: 347kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Afternoon Tea, Dessert, Sweets
Cuisine: American, World
Have you tried this recipe?Rate or comment below and let us know how it was!
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