Easy Homemade Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes

Not only is this recipe a hit with our friends and family, but the chocolate mousse is super easy to make and one of our most requested recipes!

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This recipe is practically ingrained in me, a true go-to! The chocolate mousse frosting is a crowd favorite, always topping the list of requested cupcake flavors. Plus, its remarkable stability means it keeps its perfect form, no matter how intricate my piping designs get.

This Easy Homemade Chocolate Mousse Cupcake recipe has been a part of my life for years, and the variety of photos in this post will show you its journey. I originally whipped it up back when I was living at home, and it's been a consistent favorite, making the move from my old kitchen to our new house!

And here's a secret: the chocolate mousse is incredible all on its own. Feeling like something different? You can skip the cocoa powder for a delicious vanilla mousse—just be sure to add an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Get ready to bake the easiest, most delicious chocolate mousse cupcakes you'll ever make!"

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Easy Homemade Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes

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Ingredients

For the Cupcake:

• 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ cup cocoa powder

• 2 eggs

• ½ cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, at room temperature,​ or palm shortening

• 1 cup of cane sugar

• ½ cup milk of choice (we used almond milk)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Chocolate Mousse Frosting:

• 1 ½ cups heavy cream

• ⅓ cup cocoa powder

• ½ cup powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

For the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cupcake pan with cupcake papers and set aside.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and cocoa powder with a whisk. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer or using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, blend the butter/palm shortening until smooth and creamy. Then add in the eggs and sugar. Beat for about 1 to 2 minutes to whip it until it is light and fluffy. This will add air to the mixture.

4. Add in the vanilla and oil and give the wet mixture a quick stir. Once those are incorporated, add in the flour mixture and mix until you have a smooth batter.

5. Divide the batter among the 12 liners in your prepared pan, filling each cup 3/4 of the way.

6. Bake for 22 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test (insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean). Remove from the oven and allow cooling for a few minutes. Then transfer the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack. Let the cupcakes cool fully before decorating!

For the Chocolate Mousse Frosting:

1. Add all the frosting ingredients into a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, and whip until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes at medium-high speed.

2. Fill your piping bag, and pipe from the center, and swirl around the cupcake until covered. For a video tutorial, watch here!