Moist Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
Rich chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting that stay moist for days! Sour cream is the secret. Party-ready in just 40 minutes!
Servings: 14 cupcakes
Calories: 453kcal
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup natural cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- ½ cup hot water
Vanilla Frosting
- 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups 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 all purpose flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup 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 vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup 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 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 unsalted butter, 4 cups 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!
Video
Notes
My recipes have been developed and tested in metric grams. I highly recommend using a weighing scale and measuring out your ingredients the metric way. I have provided a conversion to US cups but please note that I haven't tested the recipe with this method.
Ingredients: I make sure that all of my ingredients are at room temperature before I start the recipe, so pull out all of the ingredients before you start baking.
Salt: If you don't have kosher salt, halve the amount of salt called for in the recipe. 1 teaspoon kosher salt = ½ teaspoon fine salt. Please note, I'm using Diamond Crystal kosher salt and not Morton salt which is too salty!
Cocoa Powder: I'm using natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not sure what you have? Check the ingredients. If it says 'acidity regulator' or mentions 'alkali', then it's dutch processed).
Vanilla Bean Paste: Feel free to swap out vanilla bean paste for 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract!
Storage: You can store the cupcakes in the fridge for 3-4 days. I recommend letting it come to room temperature before enjoying!
Nutrition
Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 493IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
