• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Biting at the Bits logo
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • CONTACT
  • Nav Social Menu

    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • ABOUT
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • CONTACT
  • SPRING
  • Find us on Social!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • ABOUT
    • RECIPE INDEX
    • CONTACT
    • SPRING
  • Find us on Social!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • A serving dish filled with couscous salad made the authentic Mediterranean way.
      The Mediterranean Couscous Recipe Everyone Should Know
    • Collection of 25 homemade pizza varieties including vegetarian options, meat-vegetable combinations, hawaiian, prosciutto-arugula, marinara, margherita, mushroom, various cheese pizzas, olive, breakfast pizza, capricciosa, zucchini and ham, pepperoni, quattro formaggi, BBQ chicken pizza, and more on different kinds of homemade pizza dough including neapolitan, whole wheat, bread flour, 00 flour, St. Louis Style, pizza fritta, and pinsa Romana.
      Best Pizza Toppings & Pizza Dough Ultimate Guide w/Real Photos
    • A serving platter with light green colored Mexican cilantro rice.
      Restaurant-Style Cilantro Lime Rice (Better Than Chipotle w/Video)
    • The best shrimp burger recipe served up in red burger baskets on a vintage carhop tray - crispy shrimp burgers on two potato buns with burger toppings including spicy wasabi mayo, shredded cabbage, pickles, cilantro and shallots with twice-fried french fries for a real classic drive in burger experience.
      Crispy Shrimp Burger Recipe (Homemade Teochew Shrimp Patties + Video)
    • Homemade Asian sesame dressing in a small Weck Canning jar with toasted sesame seeds and fresh chives floating on top, showcasing its rich amber color and smooth texture.
      Asian Sesame Dressing (Easy 5-Minute Homemade Recipe + Video)
    • Creamy blue crab risotto served in a white pasta bowl with whole cooked blue crab garnish, topped with fresh chives and a single fresh red chili pepper.
      Easy Crab Risotto Recipe (Risotto al Granchio Blu Classico + Video)
    • Homemade Mexican dinner plate featuring cheese enchiladas, creamy refried pinto beans topped with melted cheese and authentic Mexican cilantro rice - better than restaurant enchilada plate.
      Easy Authentic Refried Beans Recipe (From Scratch or Canned w/Video)
    • Traditional homemade lasagna bolognese with eight layers, showcasing rich meat sauce and handmade spinach pasta sheets in classic Italian culinary style.
      Authentic Lasagna Bolognese (Lasagne alla Bolognese +Video)
    • A tray holding a microplane with blood orange zest filling it up sitting in front of fresh blood oranges, empty blood orange halves, freshly squeezed blood orange juice, and a jar of homemade orange sugar.
      Easy Orange Sugar Recipe (Using Sicilian Blood Oranges)
    • A casserole dish filled with cheese enchiladas covered in sauce, melted cheddar cheese, and minced white onions.
      Cheese Enchiladas with Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe (Authentic Tex-Mex + Video)
    • An All-Clad sauté pan filled with homemade red enchilada sauce with a whisk resting in the pan.
      Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe (Authentic Tex-Mex w/Video)
    • My hand holding a widemouth Mason canning jar filled with bright red glistening homeamde cherry pie filling.
      Ultimate Cherry Pie Filling Recipe (10-Minutes, Homemade)
    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    Super Moist Devil's Food Cupcakes (w/Chocolate Ganache Frosting)

    Published: Aug 6, 2021 · Modified: Dec 20, 2022 by Kelly · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe

    This signature Devil's Food Cupcake recipe is easy to pull together and consistently makes the most tender (super) chocolatey crumb. It looks like it came from a box and is almost as simple to pull together, but is 100% scratch-made and tastes every bit like Grandma used to make.

    It's one of the most versatile and easy chocolate cake recipes we have. In fact, there's no need to even pull out a mixer (of any kind). Just grab a bowl and a whisk and get started. For anyone who may be new to baking, I've included step-by-step recipe photos at the end of the post.

    A Super Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe for Chocolate Lovers

    If you're here because you're looking for a chocolate cake recipe that ticks all the boxes, you're in the right place. These cupcakes have just the right amount of sweetness, are super chocolaty from the Dutch-processed cocoa powder, and are enhanced further by the addition of a little espresso.

    While butter gives it flavor, the oil in the recipe helps create a very tender crumb.  The color of these cupcakes deepens into a rich, almost black chocolate color the longer they cool.

    You can tell by the photos above and below -- they're seriously delicious. This chocolate cake recipe can be used to make a double-layer chocolate cake, mini bundt cakes, and anything else you can think of.

    hand holding a devil's food cupcake after it's completely cooled and now the color has become even darker and you can see how moist the cupcake is
    non-pareils closeup
    shiny chocolate ganache icing in a bowl with a whisk

    Why You'll Love This Devil's Food Cake Recipe 

    • As you can see, it's so incredibly moist that it looks like a boxed cake
    • It's easier to cream the butter and sugar together by hand
    • You can use one bowl and a whisk all the ingredients together
    • It's the quickest chocolate cake recipe I've ever made
    • Dutch process cocoa gives it the acidity it needs for extra lift
    • Espresso gives it even more extra chocolate flavor
    • It's so delicious it doesn't need any icing (really)

    Devil's Food Cupcake Ingredients 

    These cupcakes are based on a vintage Devil's Food Cake recipe by Mrs. Greer that I made a few modern enhancements to (found in my late 99-year-old Granny's collection when we were going through her cookbooks together) -- it's definitely a keeper.

    CAKE INGREDIENTS

    • 5 ½ tablespoons butter, room temperature (75g)
    • 5 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil (grapeseed, canola, or vegetable) (75g)
    • 2 cups sugar (400g)
    • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (20g)
    • 2 large eggs, at room temperature (50g)
    • ½ cup boiling water (118g)
    • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (250g)
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
    • ½ cup cocoa powder (50g)
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder (4g)
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda (4g)
    • 1 ½ teaspoons espresso powder (3-4g)
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6g)

    GANACHE ICING INGREDIENTS

    • ½ cup heavy whipping cream (118g)
    • 4 tablespoons sugar (50g)
    • 6 ounces 70% bittersweet chocolate (170g)
    • 1 tablespoon butter chopped into small pieces (14g)
    • pinch of salt

    How to Make The Best Devil's Food Cupcakes (w/Chocolate Ganache Frosting) 

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C. Heat the oven and line the cupcake tin with paper or foil liners.
    2. Prepare the dry ingredients. To a large mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, espresso, baking powder, and salt and whisk well to combine and set aside.
    3. Prepare the baking soda + water solution. Boil the water (or microwave it until very hot), add the baking soda, and stir until dissolved, set aside.
    4. Prepare the wet ingredients. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or by hand using a whisk), beat the butter, oil, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy approximately 2-3 min - scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice while mixing to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated. Add the eggs and whisk just until incorporated. Add the buttermilk and baking soda water mixture and mix just until combined.
    5. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and use a rubber spatula or whisk to gently combine the ingredients until no flour streaks remain. *after combining everything you should still have some visible lumps and that's exactly what you want.
    6. Portion the cupcake batter.  Use a portioning scoop or pour the cake batter evenly between the lined cupcake tins.
    7. Bake the cupcakes. Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester (or toothpick) comes out clean and the tops are set. 
    8. Cooling the cupcakes. Remove the cakes from the oven and place them onto a cooling rack for 15 minutes to slightly cool and then gently remove the cupcakes from the pan to finish cooling directly on the cooling rack. When cakes are completely cooled, they may be frosted.
    9. Prepare the chocolate ganache frosting. Heat the cream and sugar until almost boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate and add the butter and whisk the mixture until it's smooth and shiny.  Frost the cooled cakes and add sprinkles for a little extra fun.  Enjoy!

    Devil's Food Cupcakes w/Chocolate Ganache Icing recipe step-by-step photos

    For the Cupcakes

    cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking powder, and espresso measured into a glass mixing bowl
    cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking powder, and espresso measured into a glass mixing bowl and whisked to blend the ingredients with the whisk still in the glass mixing bowl sitting on top of a dark blue with multi-colored polka dots
    wet ingredients measured into a stainless still bowl including room temperature butter, sugar, grape seed oil and vanilla just before being mixed
    cupcake batter in cupcake paper lined tin ready to be placed in the oven to bake
    just baked devil's food cake cupcakes

    For the Ganache Icing

    shiny chocolate ganache icing in a bowl with a whisk
    a dollop of shiny dark chocolate ganache in the middle of a chocolate cupcake with a small cake spatula spreading the ganache evenly over the top of the cupcake
    closeup of a tray full of devil's food cake cupcake next to the others frosted with a thin layer of glistening dark chocolate ganache frosting with pink, turquoise, lilac and orange jimmies and green balls with a few nonpareil sprinkles

    Devil's Food Cupcakes (w/Chocolate Ganache Frosting) tips + tricks + FAQ's

    • Why use a scale versus measuring cups and spoons?  Using a scale to measure ingredients produces more consistently reliable results than measuring cups. Plus, it makes measuring ingredients quicker and there's less mess to clean up.
    • Why are room-temperature ingredients important in baking?  Room temperature ingredients like eggs, butter, milk, and other dairy ingredients when combined form an emulsion that traps air inside of a mixture. This trapped air expands and rises during the baking process, which ultimately produces fluffier and more tender baked goods. Room temperature ingredients =  tender cake crumb and moist cupcakes.
    • Should I frost my cupcakes? This cake is so moist that it kind of makes its own glossy 'icing" as it cools. It's a cake that really doesn't need to be frosted or iced in order to be enjoyed. Also it pairs really well with a scoop of ice cream.
    • Can I make devil's food cake ahead and freeze it? Yes, you can freeze devil's food cake. In fact, this cake freezes extremely well and tastes just as great when thawed in the fridge overnight or left at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Devil's food cake is a great make-ahead cake for get-togethers or dinner parties. You can even frost or ice the cupcakes (or whole cake)with the ganache and then freeze.
    • Why is Devil's Food Cake called devil's food cake? According to most food scholars, Devil's food cake was invented in the United States somewhere around the end of the 1800s or early 1900s.  One of the first recipes for Devil's Food Cake uses melted baking chocolate instead of cocoa powder and can be found in print as early as the 1900s. It's believed that Devil's food cake gets its name from being the total opposite of Angel Food Cake which was very popular in the Victorian era.  But it's also likely to have been so named because of the ingredients that give this cake an intensely rich flavor and a super moist crumb that are pretty decadent (and some thought devilishly good).
    • What makes Devil's Food Cake different from regular chocolate cake?  Devil's Food Cake is simply a richer more chocolatey cocoa version of chocolate cake.  This can be attributed partly to the espresso added to enhance the chocolate flavor, the addition of baking powder and baking soda in this recipe, and a hot liquid (sometimes coffee was used), but I use hot water.  All of these elements provide a very moist tender crumb that isn't typically matched by a regular chocolate cake. Also, Devil's Food Cake almost always uses Dutch-process cocoa powder only versus using a combination of cocoa powder and melted baking chocolate like many regular chocolate cakes.
    • Why do you need to gently incorporate the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients?   Stirring together the dry and wet ingredients in cake batter too much or too aggressively can activate the gluten in the flour too much. This can ruin your otherwise perfect cake crumb by making it dense.  If the wet and dry ingredients are incorporated gently and just until it's all well combined (and no more), you'll end up with a lighter crumb allowing your cake to be very moist and spongy.
    • Don't overbeat the frosting ingredients or you will end up with a gritty texture.  Beat the egg white mixture just until you have stiff peaks.  A good way to check for the right consistency is to turn the bowl upside down and when the frosting will not slide or fall out, it's ready. Another good way to know if egg whites are properly stiff is when the peaks will stand upright on a whisk without falling back into themselves.
    Sliced banana bread on a pink marble serving dish with a half banana turned upside down to the left in the background (it's a very black-brown banana).
    closeup of double layer devil's food cake with sprinkles
    Closeup of a strawberry scone that's been split in half and filled with clotted cream and topped with homemade strawberry jam and the plate sprinkled with freeze-dried strawberry powder with strawberry coulis dots off to the side.
    A whole carrot cake with cream cheese frosting sprinkled with pale green freeze-dried pistachios and two slices removed.
    Purple blueberry muffin batter in foil cupcake liners in a muffin tin covered with crunchy sugar crumb topping just before baking.
    A perfect spoonful of vanilla bean white chocolate cheesecake that's been brùléed and drizzled with strawberry coulis.
    Stacked mini vanilla bean cheesecake cups on a marble serving platter.
    Fried cherry pie with a bite taken out revealing the glistening cherry pie filling inside.
    closeup of a blueberry pumpkin muffin on a sheet tray
    strawberry cupcakes with whipped cream and mini fresh strawberries on top

    Looking for More Delicious Cake & Cupcake Recipes?

    Here are a few of our favorite cakes, cupcakes, and other sweet dessert recipes we think you might also enjoy.

    • Best Banana Bread Bread Cake Ever
    • Double Layer Devil’s Food Cake (w/Granny’s Hand-Whipped 7-Minute Frosting)
    • Strawberry Shortcake Scones w/Jam + Clotted Cream
    • Incredibly Moist and Easy Carrot Cake (best carrot cake recipe ever)
    • Very Berry Frutti di Bosco Muffins w/Crackle Top
    • White Chocolate Creme Brûlée Cheesecake w/Biscoff Cookie Crust
    • Crispy + Flaky Southern Fried Cherry Pies (Best Ever)
    • One-Bowl Blueberry Pumpkin Spice Muffins
    • All-Natural Super Moist Strawberry Cupcakes w/Strawberry Gelée

    Let's get started!

    Print

    📖 Recipe

    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    closeup of a single devil's food cake cupcake next to the others frosted with a thin layer of glistening dark chocolate ganache frosting with pink, turquoise, lilac and orange jimmies and green balls with a few nonpareil sprinkles

    Super Moist Devil's Food Cupcakes (w/Chocolate Ganache Frosting)


    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    No reviews

    • Author: Kelly
    • Total Time: 40 minutes
    • Yield: 20 to 24 regular cupcakes
    • Diet: Vegetarian
    Print Recipe

    Description

    Hands down this is the single best chocolate cake recipe in my arsenal. And while these cupcakes don't need any frosting to be eaten, the chocolate ganache frosting is a perfect complement to these fluffy and intensely moist mini cakes.  In fact, it's sophisticated enough for the adult crowd, but is 100% kiddo-approved!  If you have a dinner party planned, or birthday, or an office party to attend, these are a guaranteed hit.  In fact, this is my go-to recipe for celebrating all of our friends' birthdays.  Happiness guaranteed ♡.


    Ingredients

    CAKE INGREDIENTS
    • 5 ½ tablespoons butter, room temperature (75g)
    • 5 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil (grapeseed, canola, or vegetable) (75g)
    • 2 cups sugar (400g)
    • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (20g)
    • 2 large eggs, at room temperature (100g)
    • ½ cup boiling water (118g)
    • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (250g)
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
    • ½ cup cocoa powder (50g)
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder (4g)
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda (4g)
    • 1 ½ teaspoons espresso powder (3-4g)
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6g)
    GANACHE ICING INGREDIENTS
    • ½ cup heavy whipping cream (118g)
    • 4 tablespoons sugar (50g)
    • 6 ounces 70% bittersweet chocolate (170g)
    • 1 tablespoon butter chopped into small pieces (14g)
    • pinch of salt
    *I use 00 flour when I'm in Italy, and the weight of different flours varies based on the humidity content and absorption potential of the flour you're working with. Just be sure to use the 'scoop and level' method to measure your flour into measuring cups and spoons and the recipe works perfectly every time.


    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C. Heat the oven and line the cupcake tin with paper or foil liners. 
    2. Prepare the dry ingredients. To a large mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, espresso, baking powder, and salt and whisk well to combine and set aside.
    3. Prepare the baking soda + water solution. Boil the water (or microwave it until very hot), add the baking soda, and stir until dissolved, set aside.
    4. Prepare the wet ingredients. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or by hand using a whisk), beat the butter, oil, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy approximately 2-3 min - scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice while mixing to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated. Add the eggs and whisk just until incorporated. Add the buttermilk and baking soda water mixture and mix just until combined.
    5. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and use a rubber spatula or whisk to gently combine the ingredients until no flour streaks remain. *after combining everything you should still have some visible lumps and that's exactly what you want.
    6. Portion the cupcake batter.  Use a portioning scoop or pour the cake batter evenly between the lined cupcake tins. 
    7. Bake the cupcakes. Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester (or toothpick) comes out clean and the tops are set. 
    8. Cooling the cupcakes. Remove the cakes from the oven and place them onto a cooling rack for 15 minutes to slightly cool and then gently remove the cupcakes from the pan to finish cooling directly on the cooling rack. When cakes are completely cooled, they may be frosted. 
    9. Prepare the chocolate ganache frosting. Heat the cream and sugar until almost boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate and add the butter and whisk the mixture until it's smooth and shiny.  Frost the cooled cakes and add sprinkles for a little extra fun.  Enjoy!

    Notes

    • If you don't have buttermilk, make your own by simply squeezing 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice (or white vinegar) into a liquid measuring cup then add the milk until you reach one cup of liquid. Stir the mixture and set aside for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.  The mixture may curdle a bit and that's normal.
    • If you don't have espresso, substitute instant coffee or omit it altogether, or use hot coffee to replace the hot water that gets mixed with the baking soda.
    • If you want the ganache to be pourable (thinner in consistency) just add more hot cream to the chocolate mixture until it's as thin as you want.
    • If you have a mix of different chocolate and want to use it for the ganache, go ahead, just make sure you use the total amount of chocolate called for in the recipe.  I typically use 150g of bittersweet chocolate and 20g of white chocolate.
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 25 minutes
    • Category: Cakes + Tortes
    • Method: Oven Bake
    • Cuisine: American

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 cupcake

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @BITINGATTHEBITS on Instagram and hashtag it #BITINGATTHEBITS 

    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

    More Recipes

    • Top down view of a widemouth Ball jar filled with creamy homemade almond pulp hummus next to a prep bowl of raw almonds.
      10-Minute Creamy Almond Pulp Hummus (Zero Waste Hack)
    • Top down view of a glass jar full of homemade pumpkin spiced pumpkin seed milk resting on an orange and white pot holder with a green and yellow pumpkin half in view.
      Easy Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Seed Milk (Dairy-Free Fall Favorite)
    • A glass pitcher with creamy homemade almond milk and a small peach colored bowl filled with raw almonds in front of it.
      Easy Homemade Almond Milk (Zero Waste Almond Milk Recipe)
    • A slice of prosciutto cotto and mozzarella lasagna with cheese and tomato sauce oozing out.
      Italian Ham & Mozzarella Lasagna (Lasagna di Prosciutto Cotto e Mozzarella)

    Reader Interactions

    Made the Recipe? Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

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

    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    Primary Sidebar

    A photo of Kelly doing a pasta making demonstration at The Broadway Panhandler in NYC, NY.

    Hi, I'm Kelly! A private chef helping busy families cook and enjoy tastier, healthier meals at home. Born and raised in Arkansas, I've lived and worked in NYC, Sichuan China, and now Northeast Italy. Each of these places impacts the diverse way we cook, live, and celebrate life. You'll find a bit of everything here whether you're new to cooking, or you've made it all. If you love to eat, you're in the right place!

    A BIT MORE →

    Healthy Comfort Food Recipes

    • A casserole dish filled with cheese enchiladas covered in sauce, melted cheddar cheese, and minced white onions.
      Cheese Enchiladas with Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe (Authentic Tex-Mex + Video)
    • A tray filled with rows of homemade raw tortellini in the traditional style of Bologna.
      Authentic Homemade Italian Tortellini (Tortellini in Brodo)
    • An All-Clad sauté pan filled with homemade red enchilada sauce with a whisk resting in the pan.
      Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe (Authentic Tex-Mex w/Video)
    • Traditional homemade lasagna bolognese with eight layers, showcasing rich meat sauce and handmade spinach pasta sheets in classic Italian culinary style.
      Authentic Lasagna Bolognese (Lasagne alla Bolognese +Video)

    Pizza Night Recipes

    • Just sliced super crispy thin-crust sausage and onion pizza.
      Best Thin-Crust Pizza Dough Recipe (Using Bread Flour)
    • Perfect thick-crust pizza dough with pizza toppings (including homemade pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella, and mini buffalo mozzarella balls.
      Best Thick-Crust Pizza Dough Recipe (Using 00 Flour)
    • Super crispy sliced whole wheat Supreme pizza with green olives, spicy ventricina salami, salsiccia, prosciutto cotto, mushrooms, red bell peppers, and onions.
      Best Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe (For Thin Crust Pizza)
    • Homemade 00-thin crust pizza with pioppini mushrooms, pepperoni, shallots, mozzarella, buffalo mozzarella, and large green and black olives.
      Best Thin-Crust 00 Flour Pizza Dough Recipe (+Video)
    • HOME
    • ABOUT
    • Contact

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • PRIVACY & COOKIE POLICY
    • ALL RECIPES

    Newsletter

    • Coming Soon!

    Contact

    • CONTACT

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    COPYRIGHT© 2025 BITINGATTHEBITS.COM ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO IMAGES OR CONTENT CONTAINED ON THIS SITE MAY BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN ANY MANNER WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNER.