These cupcakes are the best of both, moist chocolate cupcakes swirled with a fluffy vanilla frosting. You have to try this recipe for Vanilla and Chocolate Cupcakes!
This is the best chocolate cupcake recipe to make for bake sales, a birthday party, or office celebrations!
I love sharing cupcake recipes, so if you’re in the mood for baking have a look at these Mocha Cupcakes or this Classic Vanilla Cupcake Recipe.
If you are looking for other chocolate recipes try these Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting or this Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
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Ingredients
You will need the ingredient list below to make these chocolate and vanilla cupcakes. Be sure you are using fresh room temperature ingredients.
- Sunflower oil
- Extra-large eggs
- Granulated white sugar
- Self-raising flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Salt
- Whole milk
- Strong brewed coffee
- Pure vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter
- Icing sugar
- Sprinkles, optional
Sunflower oil – sunflower oil is a type of vegetable oil and is great to use in bakes as a substitute for butter. It ensures light and moist cupcakes. All vegetable oils have different properties and therefore taste, so be used to pick sunflower oil when making this cupcake batter.
Self-raising flour – if you don’t have self-raising flour, you can make your own. Sift together one tablespoon of baking powder and 250g of cake flour.
Cocoa powder – choose an unsweetened quality cocoa powder for this recipe.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for chocolate cupcakes
Follow the method below to make the perfect chocolate cupcakes.
STEP 1: Beat oil, eggs, and sugar. Add the eggs, sugar, and oil to a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until well combined—about 2 minutes.
STEP 2: Add the dry ingredients. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, and beat at medium speed until just combined. The mixture will be thick.
STEP 3: Add the wet ingredients. In a jug mix together the milk, brewed coffee, and vanilla. Slowly pour this into the egg and flour mixture, with the mixer’s motor running at low speed. Continually scrape down the sides of the bowl while mixing to ensure a lump-free cupcake batter.
STEP 4: Fill and Bake. Fill each cupcake liner with chocolate batter, about ¾ of the way up the paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C (350F) for about 12 – 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Instructions for vanilla buttercream
Follow the method below to make fluffy vanilla buttercream.
STEP 1: Beat butter and icing sugar. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and icing sugar. Beat until the mixture looks like fine sand.
STEP 2: Add vanilla and milk. Combine the milk and vanilla extract, and with the mixer running at a low speed, add this to the icing sugar mixture one tablespoon at a time.
STEP 3: Beat. Once all of the milk has been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Use to decorate cupcakes.
Hint: for fluffy buttercream frosting, always use room temperature butter, and once all of the ingredients are added, be sure to beat the frosting at medium-high speed for at least 5 minutes.
Substitutions
If you are looking for an egg-free cupcake recipe, try this recipe for Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes.
Equipment
For these chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, you will need 2x 12-hole cupcake trays or muffin tins, 24 cupcake liners, and a stand mixer. A disposable piping bag and decorating nozzle are optional.
Storage
Cupcakes cool quickly so try to frost them the same day that they are baked. This helps prevent them from drying out. If you don’t have time to decorate the cupcakes the same day as baking them, store them in an airtight container or cover the cupcake trays in plastic wrap until the next day.
Once the cupcakes are frosted keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days out of direct sunlight. If the weather is particularly hot, choose to store them in the fridge and bring them to room temperature before eating them.
Top tip
- Use room temperature eggs, butter, and milk
- Test the true temperature of your oven with a thermometer before baking
- Take notes of how long it took to bake the cupcakes in your oven
- Make use of the toothpick test to test whether or not the cupcakes are done baking
- Continually scrape down the sides of the bowl when beating the cupcake batter and the vanilla frosting
- Make sure the frosting is fluffy before decorating
If you are looking for more cupcake tips to help you bake the perfect cupcake, have a look at this post – 9 Cupcake Baking Tips You Need to Know.
I would love for you to let me know what you thought of this easy recipe in the comments below and leave a star rating!
Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
📖 Recipe
Vanilla and Chocolate Cupcakes
Equipment
- 2x 12-hole cupcake pans
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 3 extra-large eggs
- 120 ml sunflower oil
- 250 grams granulated white sugar
- 250 grams self-raising flour
- 50 grams cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 200 ml milk
- 100 ml strong brewed coffee
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 500 grams icing sugar
- 160 grams unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 45 ml milk
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 2 cupcake trays with 24 cupcake papers.
- Add the eggs, sugar, and oil to a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until well combined—about 2 minutes.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, and beat at medium speed until just combined. The mixture will be thick.
- In a jug mix together the milk, brewed coffee, and vanilla. Slowly pour this into the egg and flour mixture, with the mixer’s motor running at low speed. Continually scrape down the sides of the bowl while mixing to ensure a lump-free cupcake batter.
- Fill each cupcake liner with chocolate batter, about ¾ of the way up the paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 12 – 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and icing sugar. Beat until the mixture looks like fine sand.
- Combine the milk and vanilla extract, and with the mixer running add this to the icing sugar mixture one tablespoon at a time.
- Once all of the milk has been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. About 5 to 10 minutes.
- Fill a piping bag with the buttercream and decorate the cooled cupcakes, enjoy!
FAQ
I find that using oil instead of butter in cupcake batter recipes helps ensure a moist and soft cupcake. Also, never leave cupcakes uncovered as they will dry out.
Cupcakes are usually baked at 180C (350F) but it is important to check the true temperature of your oven with an oven thermometer. Often what is on the dial and what the actual temperature is, differs. Cupcakes are small and bake quickly so make sure you know what temperature your oven is set to.
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