These are the best vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting! This might seriously be the best vanilla cupcake I've ever made (or eaten!). The cupcakes are insanely soft and topped with an easy chocolate frosting!
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These vanilla cupcakes are just so nostalgic to me, this is what I feel I would have brought to class in elementary school when it was my birthday, rainbow sprinkles and all! (Even though my birthday is in the Summer so actually I never got to do that, but still!)
The vanilla cupcakes are crazy soft, they're so much better than a box mix! The frosting is a simple American buttercream, but it isn't overly sweet thanks to the addition of some heavy cream and Dutch-processed cocoa powder. If you want a cake version, make my vanilla layer cake with chocolate frosting! But if you're a chocolate lover like me, then try out my chocolate fudge cupcakes.
If you want a coconut version of these cupcakes, then you need to try my chocolate coconut cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Or if you're a vanilla lover, try my vanilla bean cupcakes with vanilla bean buttercream.
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Why this is my favorite cupcake recipe!
- So Soft: thanks to a mixture of oil and butter, these vanilla cupcakes are SO soft.
- Super Moist: adding a little bit of sour cream to the cupcakes will make them super moist, no dry cupcakes here!
- Birthday Ready: this makes 14 perfect cupcakes, so it's great to make a batch (or two) of these for a birthday party.
Ingredients Needed
- Cake Flour: cake flour makes cupcakes so much softer! If you don't have cake flour you can use regular all-purpose flour but the cupcakes might not be as soft.
- Sour Cream: adding sour cream will make the cupcakes super moist and soft.
- Oil: you'll want to use a neutral oil like canola oil or vegetable oil, not an oil with a strong flavor like olive oil.
- Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder: using dutch-processed cocoa powder instead of natural cocoa powder will make the chocolate frosting super rich and chocolatey.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Different Frostings: swap out the American buttercream for whipped chocolate ganache, Oreo frosting, vanilla bean frosting, soft and creamy raspberry buttercream frosting, or Biscoff frosting.
- Cocoa Powder: you can definitely use natural cocoa powder for the frosting, it just won't be as dark in color or rich in flavor.
- Sour Cream: if you don't have sour cream then you can use full-fat Greek yogurt or creme fraiche in a pinch.
How to make vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°Fahrenheit and line 2 cupcake pans with liner. Whisk the flour with the salt and baking powder.
Step 2: In a large bowl or a stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar and oil until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Then mix in the sour cream.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, then stir in the milk.
Step 4: Fill the cupcake liners with batter so they're ¾ full. Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in pan before removing to a wire cooling rack.
Step 5: In a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, salt and cocoa powder on low speed until combined.
Step 6: Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and increased in volume. Slowly pour in the heavy cream until it's the consistency you want. Frost your cupcakes!
Ella's Tips & Tricks
- Weighing Scale - I always recommend using a weighing scale to measure out your ingredients as it is the most accurate way to bake! Also please note if you do use cup measurements, US and UK cup sizes are different.
- Room Temperature - having the eggs, sour cream and butter at room temperature is going to make it easier for the cupcake batter to mix properly.
- Overfilling & Underfilling - try to stick to filling up the cupcake liners about ¾ full. If you overfill them then the batter will overflow in the oven, but if you underfill them then you're going to have sad, little cupcakes!
Frequently Asked Questions
You may have added too much flour, which is why I always recommend using a kitchen scale! You could have also overbaked them in the oven, or overmixed the cupcake batter.
Keep the cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature or in the fridge for up to a week. If storing in the fridge, I recommend letting the frosted cupcakes come to room temperature before enjoying!
Try these cupcakes next!
Have you made this recipe? Please rate the recipe below! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @alpineella and Pinterest!
Recipe
Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Equipment
- 2 cupcake pans
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups (180 grams) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (56 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 grams) neutral oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (113 grams) whole milk
- ¼ cup (56 grams) sour cream room temperature
Chocolate Frosting
- 2 sticks (226 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups (339 grams) confectioners' sugar
- ½ cup (41 grams) dutch processed cocoa powder
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°Fahrenheit/175°Celsius. Place 14 cupcake liners in 2 cupcake pans.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.1 ½ cups (180 grams) cake flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, combine the butter, oil and sugar for 2-3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.¼ cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (50 grams) neutral oil
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix to combine.2 large eggs, 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Mix in the sour cream.¼ cup (56 grams) sour cream
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combine, then slowly pour in the milk.½ cup (113 grams) whole milk
- Using a spoon or a medium cookie scoop, scoop out the cupcake batter into the liners. You want them to be about ¾ full.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing and letting them cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
- 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, salt, vanilla extract and cocoa powder on low speed.2 sticks (226 grams) unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 3 cups (339 grams) confectioners' sugar, ½ cup (41 grams) dutch processed cocoa powder
- Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- If the frosting isn't as creamy as you would like, add in the heavy cream and beat on medium speed until spreadable.3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
- Frost the cupcakes and enjoy!
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Mishti says
Hi! My family is allergic to egg, can you suggest an alternative?
Ella says
Hi there! I'm so sorry, I haven't tested this recipe with an egg alternative. I know some people use flax eggs but I haven't tested it here.
Sanaya says
Superb texture, a little too sweet for me but maybe I didn't measure it correctly but man these were good. It made regular 6 cupcakes. The vanilla flavour was too damn good and it was a cute, small batch. Will make them again
Ella says
Thanks so much for your review, so glad you liked them!
Brittany says
Do these make 12 or 6 cupcakes? A review said only 6.
Ella says
Hi Brittany! I redid the recipe for this, originally it was for 6 cupcakes but the recipe you see is for 12-14.