Soft and fluffy Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes. These cupcakes so delicious and they are super easy to make. The vanilla cupcakes have a light and airy texture and the chocolate buttercream is silky smooth!
These Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes are so delicious. They are perfect for birthday parties, family gathering and always disappears so fast. What is great is that the recipe can easily be doubled or triplet.
These cupcakes are quick and easy to make. They have a super soft vanilla cupcake and are topped with a delicious chocolate buttercream. This buttercream is so smooth and made using chocolate ganache.
For more cupcakes recipes, try White Chocolate Cupcakes, Cinnamon Cupcakes and Coffee Cupcakes.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Vanilla cupcakes: These vanilla cupcakes are so delicious and soft with an airy texture.
- Chocolate Buttercream: This chocolate buttercream is so silky smooth and tastes amazing!
- Perfect for celebrations: These cupcakes are perfect to serve for any gathering or celebrations like birthdays, baby showers, family gathering etc.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Eggs: Take them out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Vegetable oil: I recommend using a flavor neutral oil like canola oil. The oil makes for a super soft and tender cupcake.
- Butter: The butter is used two places. In the cupcakes and in the buttercream. Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Sour cream: Sour cream makes for a a super soft and tender cake. I suggest using one with 18% fat. Measure out the sour cream and let it come to room temperature.
- Cocoa powder: I use high quality dutch processed cocoa powder for the best flavor, my favorite is from Valrhona.
- Semi-sweet chocolate: I recommend using semi-sweet chocolate for the buttercream.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - VANILLA CUPCAKES
Here is how to make and bake these Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes. This recipe needs a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer. You will need a 12-cup cupcake pan and cupcake liners.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Before starting preheat the oven to 160ºC/ 320ºF conventional oven. Line a 12-cup cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners.
STEP 1: Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set it aside.
STEP 2: In a mixing bowl, add the butter, and sugar and mix it on medium/high speed for 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time into the mixture and mix on low until combined.
STEP 3: Continue by adding the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Finally add the sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and paste and mix until just combined, make sure not to over mix the cake batter.
STEP 4: Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a gentle fold to make sure all of the ingredients have combined. Divide the cake batter into the 12 cupcake liners and bake them for 20-22 min or until a cake tester comes out clean.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
STEP 1: Melt the dark chocolate and heavy cream together and let it cool down to body temperature. Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
STEP 2: Start by creaming the butter for 4 minutes on medium/high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix 2 minutes more.
STEP 3: Add the vanilla extract and the sifted cocoa powder and powdered sugar in 2 portions, mixing until each addition is fully incorporated. Then, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix for 2 minutes on low/medium speed.
STEP 4: Add the melted dark chocolate and mix it in until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix to make sure it’s fully incorporated. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag with a 2D piping tip. Pipe the buttercream on the cupcakes and sprinkle with sprinkles.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Yes, follow the recipe and bake them for 8-10 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Yes, these cupcakes last well in an airtight container, at room temperature for 1-2 days.
I recommend using a cake tester. Once the time has passed, per the recipe, insert the cake tester in the middle of the one of the cupcakes and once it comes out clean, with no cake batter on it, then they are done.
STORAGE
Store the Chocolate and Vanilla cupcakes in an airtight container, at room temperature. For the best result enjoy them within a 1-2 days.
Other Cupcake Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes
Equipment
- 2D Wilton piping tip or any other piping tip
Ingredients
VANILLA CUPCAKES
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 70 g butter room temperature
- 210 g granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 150 g sour cream 18% room temperature
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil e.g. canola oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
- 100 g dark chocolate
- 75 g heavy cream
- 100 g butter cool room temperature
- 175 g powdered sugar
- 10 g dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
VANILLA CUPCAKES
- Preheat the oven at 160ºC conventional oven and line a 12-cup cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners.
- Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set it aside.200 g all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a mixing bowl, using the paddle attachment add the butter, and sugar and mix it on medium/high speed for 3 minutes.70 g butter, 210 g granulated sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time into the mixture and mix on low until combined.3 large eggs
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue by adding the flour mixture, continuing on low speed, mixing until just combined.
- Finally add the sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and paste and mix until just combined, make sure not to over mix the cake batter.150 g sour cream 18%, 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a gentle fold to make sure all of the ingredients have combined.
- Divide the cake batter into the 12 cupcake liners, filling the cupcake liners ⅔ of the way, and bake them for 20-22 min or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 5 min, gently remove the cupcakes from the cupcake tin and let them cool down completely.
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
- Melt the dark chocolate and heavy cream together over a bain-marie or in the microwave. Let it cool down to body temperature (it’s important that it’s not too hot).100 g dark chocolate, 75 g heavy cream
- Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder.175 g powdered sugar, 10 g dutch processed cocoa powder
- In your stand mixer, use the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter for 4 minutes on medium/high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix 2 minutes more.100 g butter
- On low speed, add the vanilla extract and the sifted cocoa powder and powdered sugar in 2 portions, until each addition is fully incorporated. Then, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix for 2 minutes on low/medium speed.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Finally add the melted dark chocolate and mix it in until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix to make sure it’s fully incorporated.
- Tip: If the buttercream feels too soft, place in the fridge for 10 minutes. Then give it a good mix again before adding it to the piping bag.
- With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, beat it well by hand to make sure to remove the air bubbles in the buttercream.
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag with a Wilton 2D piping tip. Pipe the buttercream on the cupcakes and sprinkle with sprinkles.
- Serve them on the day, but they can also last well for 1-2 days on the kitchen counter, in an airtight container.
Renee
This seems like a very small amount of leavener for so many ingredients. Especially compared to your other cupcake recipes.
Julie Marie
I've tested my cupcakes recipes a lot and the amount of leavener written in the recipes is the amount needed for a perfect crumb 🙂
Latifa
Amazing recipe perfect moist and yummy cupcakes
Monica
Hi is it possible to replace the sour cream with regular yoghurt or does it change the texture? Thks
Julie Marie
Yes absolutely! I suggest using a full-fat greek yogurt 🙂
Alexandra Navarro
Many recipes have not the best frosting ingredients and ends up too liquid or too hard but this… THIS HAS THE BEST FROSTING EVER, the cupcake it’s fluffy and cooks evenly well.
Jenn
As someone who had always struggled with making icing for cupcakes, I was so happy with how this turned out! The icing is rich and the cupcake is very light and spongy. I really like how the step by step recipe includes the measurements, it helped me keep track of my measurements as I went. These are delicious!