Simple to make and even easier to eat, these 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! Or you can even swirl chocolate and vanilla frostings together, which you’ll also see below.
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 richly flavorful
- 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 for celebrations and birthday parties
Overview: How to Make Them
- Combine the dry ingredients: Whisk together all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cocoa powder takes the place of some flour, so that’s why there is so little flour in this recipe. Make sure you’re using natural unsweetened cocoa powder, not dutched cocoa. Why? Here’s the difference between dutch-process vs. natural cocoa powder. And if you are interested, here’s some info on the difference between baking soda vs. baking powder and why I use both in these chocolate cupcakes.
- Combine (most of) the wet ingredients: Whisk oil, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and buttermilk together.
- Combine everything together: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry, add hot coffee/water, then whisk until smooth. Hot liquid enhances the cocoa powder’s flavor. It also encourages it to bloom and dissolve appropriately. If you don’t drink coffee, you can use hot water. For deeper and darker flavor, though, use coffee. (Decaf coffee works!)
- Fill muffin pan: Fill your cupcake liners only 2/3 full. Trust me, you don’t want to fill them any more than that, or they will overflow when baking. This recipe makes enough batter for 15 cupcakes, so line a second muffin pan with 3 liners, or bake in batches.
- Bake: The cupcakes take about 20 minutes in the oven.
- Frost: After they cool, frost the cupcakes with vanilla buttercream or swirl vanilla and chocolate buttercream together like we do for these marble cupcakes!
Expect a thin batter. We don’t want a super thick batter because that would yield dense cupcakes. That’s great for brownies, but we want spongey, cakey, and rich chocolate cupcakes.
Remember: don’t overfill the cupcake liners. This recipe makes enough batter for 15 cupcakes, so line a second muffin pan with 3 liners, or bake in batches. Don’t try to fit all the batter into 12 muffin cups—you will have a disaster on your hands!
Vanilla Frosting OR Swirled Frosting
I love sweet, creamy vanilla buttercream frosting on these chocolate cupcakes. And don’t forget the sprinkles!
If you want to take it a step further, try swirled frosting instead! You can find instructions for the swirled frosting in my marble cupcakes recipe. Basically, you’ll make two bowls of frosting, spoon them side-by-side in your piping bag, then pipe. It’s very easy!
I used Wilton 1M piping tip in these pictured cupcakes.
Baker’s Tip: Place your piping bag in a tall cup. This makes transferring frosting to the piping bag MUCH easier, neater, and quicker.
Chocolate Cupcakes With Vanilla Frosting
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 25 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Made from simple everyday ingredients, these chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting will be your new favorite. For best results, use natural cocoa powder and buttermilk in the cupcake batter.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (42g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk*, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) hot coffee or hot water
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4–5 cups (480–600g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe yields about 15 cupcakes, so line a second muffin pan with 3 cupcake liners or bake in batches.
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk the oil, sugar, egg, vanilla, and buttermilk together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot coffee/water, and whisk until the batter is completely combined. Batter is thin.
- Pour/spoon the batter into the liners, filling only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. You should have enough batter for 15 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.
- Make the frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add 4 and 1/2 cups 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. You can swipe the frosting on with an icing knife or use a piping tip such as Wilton 1M. Leftover cupcakes keep well covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can bake the cupcakes 1 day in advance. Keep cupcakes covered tightly at room temperature and frost the day of serving. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before frosting and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-cup Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Wilton 1M Piping Tip
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY version of buttermilk if needed. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1/2 cup. (In a pinch, lower-fat or nondairy milks can work for this soured milk, but the cupcakes won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe. You could also substitute sour cream.
- Hot Coffee: Hot liquid enhances the cocoa powder’s flavor. It also encourages it to bloom and dissolve appropriately. I promise these cupcakes don’t taste like coffee at all! If you don’t drink coffee, you can use hot water. For deeper and richer flavor, though, use coffee (regular or decaf, but make sure it’s black with no sugar or cream). You can either brew it in a coffee maker or make instant coffee.
- Mini Cupcakes: Fill mini liners only halfway and bake for 10–12 minutes at 350°F (177°C). Yields about 3 dozen.
- Cake: Here’s a chocolate cake that is just as moist and chocolate-y. To make enough vanilla frosting for that 2-layer cake, use the frosting ratios from this white cake recipe.
- Why Room Temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly.
- More Success Tips: Be sure to check out my How to Use Piping Tips post for instructions on how to fill a piping bag, and you can also read my 10 Tips for Baking the BEST Cupcakes.
Hi Sally, what brand of buttermilk can we use? Can we get low fat buttermilk for this recipes because it’s hard to find whole buttermilk!
How much teaspoon coffee do we add to mix for 1/2cup ?
Can you help me out please and thank you.
Hi MM, you can use low fat buttermilk in a pinch, but the cupcakes may not be as moist and rich. You can follow the directions on your instant coffee to make the 1/2 cup required for this recipe. Hope you enjoy it!
Do you mean it’s best to use whole buttermilk?
Do you have any chocolate cupcakes that I don’t use buttermilk. Or we could substitute to use sour cream and milk together! How much should we add if it say 1/2cup? Thank you!
See recipe Notes for details on making your own DIY buttermilk if it is unavailable!
Hello,
My cupcakes came out flat. Any idea why? Nothing was expired. The taste was amazing but I usually prefer a dome on my cupcakes.
Hi Beatriz! These moist chocolate cupcakes do not dome like a vanilla cupcake would.
These were so good! Simple to make but absolutely delicious. great recipe! Everyone couldn’t believe they were homemade.