• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Modern Honey
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Top 20
  • Subscribe
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Top 20
    • Subscribe
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Cakes + Cupcakes

    Chocolate Bombshell Birthday Cupcakes

    Published: May 3, 2017 · Modified: Aug 14, 2018 by Melissa Stadler · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

    2639 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Chocolate Bombshell Birthday Cupcakes. Rich, tender, and fluffy chocolate cake topped with homemade perfect chocolate buttercream frosting. A match made in heaven! These are the ultimate chocolate cupcake. www.modernhoney.com

    I was that kid who spent her afternoons with an apron on destroying my Mom's kitchen.

    Every single time I began to bake, I promised my Mom over and over that I would clean the kitchen until it was spic and span.

    But here's what would happen. I would get so excited about getting my cupcakes or cookies in the oven that I would neglect washing the dishes. I would be sitting with a big piece of chocolate cake and a glass of milk at the kitchen table and would put blinders on in an attempt to block out the mixing bowls piled in the sink.

    My Mom somehow would let me bake again! So I would say that I have eaten my fair share of chocolate cakes in my years.  I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing but regardless I am definitely a cake snob. 🙂

    Chocolate Bombshell Birthday Cupcakes. Rich, tender, and fluffy chocolate cake topped with homemade perfect chocolate buttercream frosting. A match made in heaven! These are the ultimate chocolate cupcake. www.modernhoney.com

    After much kitchen research, my favorite all-time chocolate cake was born -- The Love at First Sight Chocolate Cake. It's all kinds of chocolate fabulous but sometimes you need an out-of-this-world chocolate cake in cupcake form.

    So let me present Chocolate Bombshell Birthday Cupcakes -- rich, tender, and fluffy chocolate cake topped with a heavenly chocolate buttercream frosting. This isn't your average grocery store cupcake! You could even call these Black Velvet Cupcakes because they are everything an amazing chocolate cupcake should be.

    For every birthday party I ever had growing up, my request was simple -- bring on the chocolate!

    Chocolate Bombshell Birthday Cupcakes. Rich, tender, and fluffy chocolate cake topped with homemade perfect chocolate buttercream frosting. A match made in heaven! These are the ultimate chocolate cupcake. www.modernhoney.com

    TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE HEAVENLY CHOCOLATE BOMBSHELL BIRTHDAY CUPCAKES:

    • Cake flour does make a difference in the tender crumb of the cake but you can substitute all-purpose flour.
    • High-quality cocoa powder can change the depth of chocolate flavor. I use Callebaut Cocoa (which I find in the bulk section at Winco). Ghirardelli and Trader Joe's make good ones as well. Always use unsweetened cocoa powder.
    • Using both baking soda and baking powder gives it the best rise.
    • Buttermilk is a must because it gives it the melt-in-your-mouth texture.
    • Even though I am the biggest butter fan in the world, oil just works best in chocolate cakes (in my humble opinion). I have used both canola and coconut oils and both turn out beautifully. When I use melted coconut oil, there is surprisingly no coconut oil taste in the cake.
    • Don't overbake your cake. You want that moist, tender crumb so watch it carefully and test it with a cake tester or toothpick.
    • When making your chocolate buttercream, you may substitute half and half or whole milk for the cream.  If you are using whole milk, use a little less as it is thinner than cream.

    Chocolate Bombshell Birthday Cupcakes. Rich, tender, and fluffy chocolate cake topped with homemade perfect chocolate buttercream frosting. A match made in heaven! These are the ultimate chocolate cupcake. www.modernhoney.com

    Chocolate Bombshell Birthday Cupcakes. Rich, tender, and fluffy chocolate cake topped with homemade perfect chocolate buttercream frosting. A match made in heaven! These are the ultimate chocolate cupcake. www.modernhoney.com

    Chocolate Bombshell Birthday Cupcakes

    Melissa Stadler, Modern Honey
    Rich, tender, and fluffy chocolate cupcakes topped with decadent chocolate buttercream frosting. The perfect chocolate cupcake!
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 20

    Equipment

    • kitchenaid mixer
    • muffin tin
    • measuring cups and spoons
    • spatula set

    Ingredients
      

    Chocolate Cupcakes:

    • 1 ¾ cup Flour
    • 1 ¾ cup Sugar
    • ¾ cup Cocoa high quality
    • 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • ½ cup Oil canola or coconut oil
    • 2 Eggs
    • 1 cup Buttermilk
    • 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla
    • 1 cup Hot Water

    Chocolate Buttercream:

    • 1 cup Butter softened
    • ¾ cup Cocoa
    • 3 ½ cups Powdered Sugar
    • 2-3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream Half n Half or Whole Milk
    • Garnish:
    • Chocolate Shavings or Chocolate Chips

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. If you have a flour sifter, sift all dry ingredients.
    • In mixing bowl, beat oil, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla for 1 minute. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined. Pour in hot water and mix together.
    • Lightly spray cupcake liners with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter evenly into each cupcake liner filling ¾ full. Bake at 18-22 minutes. Place toothpick or cake tester in the center of cupcake to check if it comes out clean.
    • Let cool before frosting.
    • To make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
    • In mixing bowl, cream together butter, cocoa, powdered Sugar, and cream until light and fluffy. You may want to add more cream or milk depending on consistency. Once cake has cooled and has been removed from cupcake pans, top with frosting.
    • Top with chocolate shavings, chocolate chips, sprinkles, M & M's or whatever your heart desires.
    • This is one baked good that gets even better the next day, if covered.
    Keyword chocolate cupcakes
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Share the LOVE and PIN this on PINTEREST:

    Chocolate Bombshell Birthday Cupcakes. Rich, tender, and fluffy chocolate cake topped with homemade perfect chocolate buttercream frosting. A match made in heaven! These are the ultimate chocolate cupcake. www.modernhoney.com

    Happy Baking, my friends! xo

    For a highly rated Yellow Birthday Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting -- click HERE.

    More Cakes + Cupcakes

    • This Strawberry Cream Crunch Cake is a strawberry cake soaked with sweetened condensed milk after baking and topped with fresh sweet whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and crushed golden Oreos for crunch. This strawberry poke cake has it all!
      Strawberry Cream Crunch Cake
    • Light, fluffy homemade lemon cupcakes with fresh lemon frosting are the perfect dessert for lemon lovers. This is the best lemon cupcake recipe!
      Lemon Cupcakes
    • Rich decadent flourless chocolate cake recipe with chocolate ganache. This chocolate cake is a chocolate lover's dream! This naturally gluten-free chocolate cake is flour free and is so decadent!
      Flourless Chocolate Cake
    • Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are moist, pumpkin spiced bars topped with homemade sweet cream cheese frosting. The best pumpkin bar recipe!
      Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Braiden

      January 08, 2023 at 9:27 pm

      5 stars
      Great cupcakes! Super moist and fluffy but not overly decadent and the chocolate is not overpowering. I made lots of personal adjustments that added to them, I believe! So here are my tips having made them:

      1: I used hot coffee instead of water and bloomed the cocoa powder in the coffee by whisking it in, instead of adding it to the dry ingredients (add this mixture in at the same time you would've added the hot water)

      This enchances the chocolate flavor and will Not make it taste like coffee rest assured. This is actually very common in tried and true chocolate cake recipes.

      2. I opted to incorporate the sugar in with the wet ingredients since this is more common and I like to mix it in with my oil and egg ingredients in recipes since it dissolves. Be careful not to whip too much air into the wet ingredients however! ( the cupcakes wont be as pretty when they rise if theres too many air bubbles)

      3. I substituted buttermilk for 1 cup milk and 1 tbsp white vinegar since I didnt have it on hand. This works for pretty much any buttermilk recipe.

      4.) I used less powdered sugar in the buttercream and partially substituted some dutch processed cocoa since I ran out of regular cocoa. This made it Slightly darker and richer. I also added some vanilla extract (3/4 tsp)

      Other changes: I used all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled) and Vegetable oil (works great) my cocoa powder was just hersheys brand since thats what we had on hand but I agree that a higher quality cocoa wouldve enchanced the chocolate flavor.

      Since I haven't seen anyone mention it yet, the batter is quite liquidy! Much more so than cake batter or other cupcake batters ive used in the past, but It came out perfectly and very moist anyways, so no need to be nervous if this is you.

      Also I reccomend sticking to the lower end of the bake time and check if they need to cook longer !

      Good luck on your cupcaking journey! I made these for a buddys birthday 🙂

      Reply
    2. Terri

      November 13, 2020 at 8:30 am

      Can you make cupcakes and freeze? Also, can you freeze your cakes,too?
      Do you have a pecan pie recipe?
      I love your recipes, thank you.

      Reply
    3. Deb

      July 02, 2020 at 4:36 pm

      Are the flour measurements in the actual recipe for cake flour or all purpose flour? I would like to use cake flour, but need to confirm which is used in the actual recipe.

      Thank you

      Reply
    4. Lee

      November 06, 2019 at 5:51 am

      Hi, can you tell me how many cupcakes this recipe makes? Will I need 2 12-count baking pans?

      Reply
    5. Melissa

      June 28, 2019 at 3:39 pm

      5 stars
      These are the BEST cupcakes I’ve ever made! This recipe yields WAAAAAYY more than 20 cupcakes, I’d say 2 dozen and even a 24 tray of mini cupcakes! I think when you add the water, it makes MORE batter so you get a lot more. So most and it’s fluffier than other chocolate cupcakes I’ve tried. If you did half a cup of hot water instead of the full cup, I think you’d have denser cupcakes. Overall, delicious 🙂

      Reply
    6. Erica

      April 19, 2019 at 4:49 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness. I’ve died and gone to heaven. These were incredible! Both the cake and the icing are to die for. Thank you!!

      Reply
    7. Laura

      February 16, 2019 at 8:13 pm

      5 stars
      I just made these beauties and they are the best chocolate cupcakes that I have ever tasted. I used cake flour and canola oil...perfection! I am practicing icing and cake techniques in hopes of opening my own business one day and came across your page and WOW everything is spot on.

      Reply
    8. Dana

      July 21, 2018 at 3:49 pm

      5 stars
      This was my first foray into from-scratch cupcakes and I'm glad I used this recipe because they were awesome. I made two batches, one with coconut oil and one with canola. I love coconut oil but I preferred the canola.

      I used Hershey's cocoa and I can definitely see how a higher end chocolate would be preferred, but they still were a big hit.

      I did not use the buttercream recipe, just the cupcakes.

      Reply
    9. Laura

      August 22, 2017 at 6:55 am

      5 stars
      I made these cupcakes for my son's birthday party last weekend and they are AMAZING!!!
      I followed the recipe and used spelt flour and coconut oil. The cake is super moist and the frosting is wonderful. I don't usually write comments for recipes I find online, but this one is so good that I wanted to say thank you for posting this recipe. It is a recipe I will be making over and over again.

      Reply
    10. Lynn

      July 19, 2017 at 9:38 am

      To be fair and honest: I didn't use cake flour, I used hershey's cocoa, I didn't have buttermilk, and I went for coconut oil. I used regular milk with cream of tartar. As the cupcake are right now without any frosting, I say 3 stars, but I did have to make my own modifications so that could be a contributing factor. This recipe was easy and simple, though I wish I had placed the dry ingredients in the smaller bowl. Also the cupcakes currently look more moist than they actually are. All that said, I can't wait to try them with frosting, and I would definitely make these again but when I have all the required ingredients and some dutch unsweetened cocoa powder. Quality of the chocolate definitely makes a difference. And substitutes (while useful) just aren't the same. I will definitely rate this recipe when I try it again. And if you're like me and read the comments first I hope this review is honest enough to help you make a baking decision on whether to make this or wait this out until you have what you need.

      Reply
    11. Nanette

      May 31, 2017 at 10:53 am

      5 stars
      These cupcakes are delicious! First time I made them was for my daughters birthday she loved them and now are making more for her graduation open house. I have made several of your recipes and each one has been so good! Thank you for sharing them. I'm looking forward to making many more!

      Reply
    12. Melissa Griffiths

      May 09, 2017 at 4:15 am

      You had me a chocolate! These look SO good!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Melissa Stadler Modern Honey

    Hi, I'm Melissa Stadler! I am an Award-Winning Recipe Creator. Cover of Food Network Magazine. Two-Time Pillsbury Bake-Off Finalist. I am passionate about sharing the best recipes so you have success in the kitchen!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Chinese Orange Chicken that is better than take-out. How to make ORANGE CHICKEN at home with a sweet orange sauce. www.modernhoney.com
      Chinese Orange Chicken
    • The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe makes chicken extra juicy and flavorful. This savory marinade makes grilled chicken mouthwatering! This Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe is made with extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper. The perfect chicken marinade recipe! www.modernhoney.com
      The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe
    • Levain Bakery Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies. The BEST Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie Recipe. The perfect chocolate chip walnut cookies. #levainbakery #chocolatechipwalnutcookies #chocolatechipcookies
      Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies
    • The Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe. Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies. The popular cinnamon-sugar soft and chewy sugar cookie recipe. A recipe that has been in the family for over 30 years! #snickerdoodle #snickerdoodles #snickerdoodlecookies #snickerdoodlecookie #cookie #cookies #christmascookies #christmascookies www.modernhoney.com
      The Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe

    Recent Recipes

    • This Caprese Tortellini is made with cheese Tortellini tossed with sauteed garlic and tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella and spices. This fresh tortellini caprese pasta is perfect for summer!
      Caprese Tortellini
    • Soft, chewy sugar cookies filled with sprinkles and white chocolate. This festive funfetti cookie recipe has the perfect chewy center with buttery crisp edges filled with rainbow sprinkles.
      Confetti Sprinkle Cookies
    • How to make the best pasta salad with Italian meats, cheese, pasta, and vegetables, all tossed with a homemade creamy red wine vinaigrette. This is such an easy, popular pasta salad recipe.
      Italian Pasta Salad
    • Creamy Homemade Chicken Salad made with tender chicken, crunchy celery, green onion, sweet grapes, and crunchy almonds in a mayonnaise dressing. This is a classic chicken salad recipe that everyone loves and is perfect for a quick lunch or potluck.
      Chicken Salad

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Info

    About

    Recipe Index

    Travel

    Privacy Policy

    Contact

    melissa@modernhoney.com

    Subscribe to my Recipes

    Follow

    Instagram

    Facebook

    Pinterest

    TikTok

    Copyright © 2023 Modern Honey