Simple to make and quick to disappear, these moist and flavorful chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting will be your new favorite. For best results, use natural cocoa powder and buttermilk in the cupcake batter. Love chocolate buttercream? You can definitely make the switch!
Have you tried my triple chocolate cake before? This chocolate cupcake recipe was adapted from that super-popular recipe. Like my classic vanilla cupcakes recipe, these chocolate cupcakes hold a sacred spot in my baking repertoire. There’s no reason to find a better version—this is THE chocolate cupcake recipe I use time and time again. I use the same batter to make these cream-filled chocolate cupcakes, too. (Try those next!)
Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting are a birthday party classic, so I want to make sure you have a recipe for just that. They’re the perfect party tray complement to these yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting!
These Chocolate Cupcakes With Vanilla Frosting Are:
- Super moist and deeply chocolatey
- Soft with a spongey, cakey texture
- Based on the recipe for this reader-favorite chocolate cake
- Easy to prepare
- A delicious combination of vanilla + chocolate
- Perfect dessert for celebrations and birthday parties
5 Key Points to Remember
Grab these ingredients:
Expect a thin batter. We don’t want a super thick batter here because that would yield dense cupcakes. That’s great for brownies, but we want spongey, cakey, and rich chocolate cupcakes.
Remember: this recipe makes enough batter for 14 to 16 cupcakes. Don’t try to fit all the batter into 12 muffin cups—you will have a disaster on your hands!
Vanilla Buttercream + Other Options
. A smaller version of this, which produces a similar look, is Wilton 1M piping tip.
Chocolate Cupcakes With Vanilla Frosting Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe yields about 14 to 16 cupcakes, so line a second muffin pan with a few more liners or bake in batches.
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, preferably with a pour spout, whisk the oil, sugar, egg, vanilla, and buttermilk together until combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, add the hot coffee/water, and whisk until the batter is completely combined. Batter is thin.
- Pour the batter into the liners, filling only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. You should have enough batter for 14 to 16 cupcakes.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cupcakes must be completely cooled before decorating.
- With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream/milk, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes. Taste. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. I always add 1/8 teaspoon. Add up to 1/2 cup more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, or more cream/milk—a Tablespoon at a time—if frosting is too thick.
- Frost cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles, if desired. You can swipe the frosting on with an icing knife or use a piping tip such as Ateco 826 or Wilton 1M.
- Store leftover cupcakes covered at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for 3 days.
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