These moist chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting are ready in just 40 minutes! I tested my chocolate cupcake recipe over and over until it was ✨perfect✨. The rich cupcakes are then topped with homemade vanilla bean buttercream and a smattering of rainbow sprinkles! Bring these to any birthday party or potluck and people will love you!
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My toxic trait is that I think a recipe is perfect, and then I go and make slight changes 10 times until it's even more perfect! That's exactly what happened with these chocolate cupcakes with vanilla icing.
This is the same recipe base as my cozy hot cocoa cupcakes and chocolate frosted cupcakes. I tweaked my regular chocolate cupcake recipe by adding just a bit more flour and oil, as well as changing dutch-processed cocoa powder for natural cocoa powder!
You now have the perfect chocolate cupcake! You don't even need a mixer to make them (but alert, you do need one for the frosting!)
If you don't need 14 whole cupcakes (understandable!) you can make my small batch chocolate cupcakes and swap out the chocolate frosting for vanilla bean buttercream.
Grab Your Ingredients
- Cocoa Powder: Make sure you're using natural unsweetened cocoa powder and not Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Sour Cream: Adding sour cream to these cupcakes will keep them moist for days!
- Oil: Use a neutral oil like vegetable oil or canola oil.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: I'm using vanilla bean paste since I wanted to make vanilla bean buttercream, but you can swap it out for vanilla extract!
Let's Make Cupcakes!
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with liners. In a large bowl, whisk all of the dry ingredients together. In another bowl or jug, whisk the wet ingredients (except the hot water!) together until smooth.
Step 2: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until just combined. Slowly pour in the hot water, mixing until smooth.
Step 3: Pour the cupcake batter into the liners so they're ¾ full - don't overfill them! Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes.
Step 4: Once the cupcakes have cooled, make your frosting. Beat butter with confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean paste and salt, then mix again. Add heavy cream until you achieve the desired consistency.
My Cupcake Baking Tips & Notes
- Frosting Choices for Days: Not a vanilla fan? No problemo. Swap it out for simple cream cheese frosting or slightly tart raspberry buttercream!
- Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder: I don't recommend swapping out natural cocoa powder for Dutch-processed. I tested this and you don't have as much rise in the cupcakes!
- Piping Tip: I always use my trusty Wilton 1M piping tip when I frost cupcakes.
- Cooled Cupcakes: Make sure your cupcakes are completely cool before you even think about making the frosting. Warm cupcakes + cold frosting = disaster.
- Storage: Keep the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. If it's warm, you can store them in the fridge. Just let the cupcakes come to room temperature before enjoying.
Made This Recipe?
Make sure to leave a ⭐️ rating and review below! You can tag me on Instagram @alpineella or follow along on Pinterest, Facebook and TikTok!
Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
Moist Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (135 grams) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (42 grams) natural cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup (66 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (113 grams) sour cream room temperature
- ½ cup (118 ml) hot water
Vanilla Frosting
- 2 sticks (226 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups (480 grams) confectioners' sugar
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C and place 14 cupcake liners in your cupcake pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, light brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.1 cup + 2 tablespoons (135 grams) all purpose flour, ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, ½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar, ½ cup (42 grams) natural cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a large jug, whisk the eggs, oil, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.2 large eggs, ⅓ cup (66 ml) vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup (113 grams) sour cream
- Pour the wet mixture into the flour, stirring until it is just about smooth - we don't want to over mix the batter! Then pour in the hot water and mix until smooth.½ cup (118 ml) hot water
- Fill the cupcake liners so they're ¾ full and bake for 18-20 minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool for 15 minutes in the tray, then take them out and place on a cooling rack.
Chocolate Frosting
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand held mixer, combine the room temperature butter with the confectioners' sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.2 sticks (226 grams) unsalted butter, 4 cups (480 grams) confectioners' sugar
- Stop the mixer and add the salt and vanilla bean paste. I sometimes find it helpful to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, to make sure everything is getting mixed evenly.1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- If the frosting isn't as creamy as you would like, add in the heavy cream and beat on medium speed until spreadable.
- Frost your cupcakes and enjoy!
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I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
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