Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream | Sturbridge Bakery (2024)

These vanilla cupcakes with chocolate buttercream are made with a moist vanilla cake and a delectable, silky smooth chocolate buttercream. They are a staple dessert that's perfect for special occasions, birthdays, get-togethers, or when you are just looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Why you'll love these vanilla cupcakes with chocolate buttercream

• Perfect for any occasion. Any gathering needs cupcakes - and who doesn't love a classic vanilla & chocolate combo? These remind me of those mini cupcakes you would get from the grocery store - only bigger & better because they're homemade!
• Fluffy vanilla cake. These cupcakes are incredibly moist and melt in your mouth with every bite! Plus, they stay soft for days when stored properly and have the best vanilla flavor.
• Silky chocolate buttercream. I could eat this buttercream with a spoon, and I have! It's silky smooth & looks beautiful when piped on top of your cupcakes.

Ingredient notes

• Cake flour:cake flour is very finely milled, giving it that super soft texture. Cake flour makes these cupcakes so soft and fluffy.
• Leavening agents: baking soda & baking powder help the cupcakes rise, which results in a light & airy cupcake.
• Fine sea salt: salt is a flavor enhancer - it is needed in all dessert recipes.
• Milk powder: milk powder adds moisture to a recipe without affecting the liquid portion of the recipe. It's essentially just added flavor and moisture!
• Butter:unsalted butter is preferred so we can control the exact amount of salt in the recipe.
• Vegetable oil: adds moisture to the cupcakes.
• Sugar:granulated sugar is the sweetener of choice for the cake, while powdered sugar is used for the buttercream.
• Eggs: add moisture and richness to the batter, while also binding the ingredients together.
• Vanilla:vanilla bean paste adds a delicious vanilla flavor to the cupcakes & I just love seeing the speckles of vanilla bean in the batter. Good quality vanilla extract also works!
• Milk & sour cream: both of these ingredients add moisture & thin out the batter. Yogurt can also be used in place of sour cream.
• Cocoa powder: dutch processed cocoa powder adds a rich chocolate flavor to the frosting.
• Sprinkles: an optional add-on, but makes the cupcakes look so cute!

See the recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients & their quantities.

Step by step instructions

See the recipe card at the end of this post for thefull ingredient list and recipeinstructions.

STEP 1: Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and milk powder. Set aside.

STEP 2: Mix wet ingredients. Beat the butter, oil, and sugar together until combined. Add the eggs & vanilla and mix well, then add the dry ingredients and beat until almost combined.

STEP 3: Add the yogurt & milk. Add the yogurt and beat until almost completely combined. Then, stream in the milk & beat until a smooth batter forms.

STEP 4: Bake and decorate! Fill a cupcake tin with liners & spoon the batter about half way. Bake for 15 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Once cool, make the chocolate buttercream & frost!

Recipe FAQ

Baking in grams

I rely ongram measurementswhen testing recipes because they offer the highest level of accuracy (and less cleanup!). Unlike volume measurements, which can vary, grams provide a reliable and consistent standard. I carefully test all of my recipes using thiskitchen scale,therefore I cannot guarantee the outcome when using volume measurements. However, volume measurements are available in the recipe card.

Other cake recipes to try

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