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I used to think I couldn’t make a better chocolate cupcake than a doctored-up cake mix. That is, until I tried these Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes—and now, there’s no going back! Rich, fudgy, and so incredibly moist, these cupcakes are even more decadent than my double chocolate sourdough muffins. I love using up my sourdough discard in these five-star, birthday-approved treats.
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Why You’ll Love Sourdough Cupcakes
- Perfect Birthday Recipe – These cupcakes are the perfect way to celebrate the chocolate lover in your life. If chocolate isn’t your thing, try these Sourdough Vanilla Cupcakes instead!
- Rich and Fudgy – You’ll love the rich, fudgy, chocolaty goodness that is these cupcakes. They are just as fudgy and rich as my Chocolate Cobbler with Sourdough Discard.
- Moist and Tender – These cupcakes have an excellent texture – just like this Chocolate Muffin Sourdough Bread.
Important Ingredients
- Sourdough Discard – You can use fresh, bubbly sourdough starter or sourdough discard in this recipe. I prefer a mild to non-existent sour flavor in these sourdough cupcakes and am using the discard for moisture and to avoid waste. I use 100% hydration sourdough discard, fed equal weights of flour and water.
- Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder – Using a dark/dutch processed cocoa powder gives these cupcakes a rich chocolate flavor.
- Buttermilk – If you want a light, tender and moist cupcake you’ll want to use real buttermilk – it’s worth it! Promise!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Substitutions
- Cocoa Powder: You can substitute regular cocoa powder if needed.
- Sourdough Discard: If you don’t have discard on hand, sub active, bubbly sourdough starter.
- Buttermilk: These cupcakes really are best with buttermilk, but you can also substitute equal weights of sour cream/milk. Whisk together 120 grams sour cream with 120 grams milk and sub for the buttermilk in this recipe.
- Vegetable Oil: Replace with melted butter or liquid coconut oil.
How to Make Sourdough Cupcakes
Mix The Batter
Step 1: Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together hot water, sourdough discard, and the other wet ingredients until combined.
Step 2: Add the liquids to the flour mixture. Combine with a stand mixer or hand mixer for 1-2 minutes until the ingredients are completely incorporated.
Fill the Cupcake Tins
Step 3: Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners and spray them with cooking spray. Scoop the batter into prepared muffin tins, filling each cupcake liner about 3/4 of the way full.
Step 4: Fill the remainder of the muffin tins. This recipe makes about 24 cupcakes.
Bake and Frost
Step 5: Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes at 350ºF.
Step 6: Once the cupcakes have cooled, whip up the chocolate frosting and pipe on cooled cupcakes.
How to Store Leftovers
If your cupcakes are un-frosted, stick them in an airtight container or ziplock bag and freeze – I often make my cupcakes ahead of time and then frost them when I need them. If cupcakes are frosted, freeze them in an airtight container (but not a bag). Pull them out a few hours before you’re ready to serve them and let them defrost completely. Enjoy!
amy’S Recipe Tip
Spray your muffin liners! With homemade cupcakes you won’t find the same preservatives that you find in a box mix – which keep the cupcakes from sticking. Instead, spray the cupcake liners with a little cooking spray and the cupcakes pop out pretty easily. You can also use a good-quality non-stick muffin tin and skip the liners completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
I love adding sourdough discard to many recipes. Some recipes it enhances the flavor. Some recipes I use it for the moisture and benefits of fermented flour. And some recipes I just want to use up some of my discard and not let it go to waste. For these cupcakes, I love the moisture and depth of flavor it brings.
Yes! Instead of making 24 cupcakes, this batter can be used to make 2 8-inch cakes. Grease your cake pans (line the bottom with parchment). Pour the batter in the pans and bake at 350ºF for about 28-30 minutes until baked through and a toothpick is inserted into the center of the cake and it comes out clean.
You can. Mix 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water. Substitute it for the sourdough discard in this recipe.
Sourdough Dessert Recipes
If you tried these Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes or any other recipe on my website leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Happy Baking!
Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes
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Equipment
- cupcake liners
Ingredients
Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes
- 200 grams all-purpose flour, about 1 1/2 cups
- 300 grams granulated sugar, about 1 1/2 cups
- 85 grams dutched cocoa powder, about 3/4 cup
- 8 grams baking soda, about 2 teaspoons
- 3 grams baking powder, about 3/4 teaspoon
- 6 grams salt, about 1 teaspoon
- 100 grams sourdough discard, scant 1/2 cup
- 180 grams hot water, about 3/4 cup
- 3 large eggs, about 150 grams
- 100 grams vegetable oil, scant 1/2 cup, see recipe notes for substitution
- 8 grams vanilla extract, about 2 teaspoons
- 240 grams buttermilk, about 1 cup
Chocolate Frosting
- 226 grams unsalted butter, softened, about 1 cup
- 175 grams semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, melted and room temperature, about 1 cup
- 180 grams powdered sugar, about 1 1/2 cups
- 5 grams vanilla extract, about 1 teaspoon
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Chocolate Sourdough Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners and spray with cooking spray (optional).
- In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl mix together sourdough discard and hot water. Add the eggs, whisking in between each addition. Then add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined. Lastly add the buttermilk and whisk together.
- Pour the wet ingredients on top of the dry ingredients and mix together with beaters or a hand mixer for one minute, scraping down the sides as needed until the batter is completley incorpoarted.
- Scoop batter into each cupcake liner about ¾ of the way full, doing your best to evenly divide the batter between the cupcake pans. This recipe makes about 24 cupcakes.
- Bake cupcakes for about 20 minutes at 350ºF until baked all the way through. Stick a toothpick into the center of a cupcake to test for doneness (all ovens vary a little in temperature). The toothpick should have a few moist crumbs or be completely clean coming out – no batter.
- Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream
- Add chopped chocolate to a microwave safe bowl. Melt in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool until room temperature.Alternatively you can melt the chocolate over the stovetop.
- In a medium sized bowl add softened butter. Use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to whip the butter together until creamy, about 1 minute. Add cooled melted chocolate and whip together until incorporated and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time and mix until all the powdered sugar is incorporated. Add vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Whip again for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy.
- Pipe buttercream on top of cooled cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles or chocolate shavings if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi ,
May i know why you use hot water? I am living in Singapore where weather is hot ..can i use room temperature water instead? Thanks
The hot water in sourdough discard cupcakes isn’t for fermentation in this recipe. It’s used to help dissolve the cocoa powder and sugars, which deepens the chocolate flavor and improves texture. Room temperature water should still work if it is warm already. Happy baking!
Can you bake this as a cake? If so what do you recommend?
Yes! Instead of making 24 cupcakes, this batter can be used to make 2 8-inch cakes. Grease your cake pans (line the bottom with parchment). Pour the batter in the pans and bake at 350ºF for about 28-30 minutes until baked through and a toothpick is inserted into the center of the cake and it comes out clean.
This is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. I did substitute apple applesauce for the vegetable oil since I was out of oil, but it is perfection.
Yum! So glad you love these cupcakes.
Any chance this batter can be mixed the night before and ferment?
Yes! Cover the just-mixed batter and stick it into the fridge to cold ferment for 24-48 hours. Then portion out into cupcake tins and bake. Add a few minutes to the baking time because the batter is chilled.
Oh my gosh, simply divine!
I was concerned because the batter was thin, but a test bake had my cupcakes right at 20 minutes and were light and fluffy!
The buttercream icing wasn’t too sweet, which I like.
I’m so happy with how these turned out I took a picture! Haha!
Perfect, simply perfect! Thank You!
I’m so glad you loved these Lisa! Thanks for sharing your review.
This looks like a fantastic recipe!I have two questions.
First, what would you think about substituting hot decaf coffee for the water? Using coffee to bring out the flavor of chocolate is something I often do and have a lot of success with it.
Second, could you take this batter and bake it in a loaf pan or other Vessel?
Yes, you can definitely substitute with some coffee to bring out more flavor. And you can bake this in two 8-inch round cake pans instead if desired. I haven’t tried it in a loaf pan, so I’m not sure how much batter to use and what the result would be.