These Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting are soft, fluffy, and topped with a rich chocolate buttercream made with melted chocolate. If you love classic flavour combinations, this easy vanilla cupcake recipe is perfect for birthdays, parties, or anytime baking.
These cupcakes are the perfect birthday party treat and would be great served alongside this Vanilla and Chocolate Layer Cake!
Why These Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting Are So Good
- Recipe name: Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
- Ready in: 1 hr 12 minutes
- Serves: 24 cupcakes
- Main ingredients: Flour, sugar, eggs, oil, milk, icing sugar, butter, sour cream, golden syrup, dark and milk chocolate.
- Perfect for: Birthday parties, office bakes, or an easy dessert to feed a crowd.
- Why I love it: These moist vanilla cupcakes are light, fluffy, and incredibly easy to make because they're oil-based.
- Calories: 301kcal
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Cupcakes will forever be my bake of choice, and if you feel the same way, you have to see my collection of Easy Cupcake Recipes from Scratch. Be sure not to miss out on some of my favourites like these Mango Cupcakes, these Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes, or these Pecan Pie Cupcakes.
Jump to:
- Why These Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting Are So Good
- Key Ingredients
- Variations
- How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
- Why Did My Vanilla Cupcakes Shrink
- Storage
- Expert Tips
- Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting FAQs
- More Easy Baking Recipes for Birthday Parties
- Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
- 📖 Recipe
- Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Key Ingredients
- Sunflower oil - This cupcake recipe uses oil instead of butter for extra moistness! Use a neutral-tasting vegetable oil, such as sunflower or canola.
- Self-raising flour - If you can't find self-raising flour, you can use cake flour or all-purpose flour mixed with baking powder.
- Vanilla extract - For a great vanilla flavour, use a high-quality vanilla extract in this recipe. If you can't find any, then vanilla essence will also work.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
These vanilla chocolate cupcakes can be decorated with all sorts of sprinkles to suit the occasion. And you may even want to make them with a surprise filling, this Blackberry Compote or this Raspberry Filling for Cupcakes would be delicious!
Once you master this vanilla cupcake recipe, you won't search for another. So have a look at my collection of Simple Buttercream Frostings for Homemade Cakes and Cupcakes for more flavour inspiration. Be sure not to miss this Nutella Buttercream or this Cherry Frosting!
How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Moist Vanilla Cupcakes
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and line two 12-hole cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners. Add the oil, eggs, and sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Step 2: Sift the salt and flour together, then add the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Beat at low speed until just combined.
- Step 3: Mix the milk and vanilla extract in a jug, then slowly pour it into the cupcake batter while the mixer is running at low speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again, making sure it is lump-free.
- Step 4: Pour the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a jug or ice cream scoop, filling each case two-thirds full. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the centre of the cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in their tins for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a cooling rack.
Chocolate Frosting
- Step 1: In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Set aside to cool slightly, then add the melted chocolate mixture to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the golden syrup and vanilla extract to the chocolate mixture and mix briefly.
- Step 2: Sift half of the icing sugar over the frosting mixture and whisk to combine.
- Step 3: Add the sour cream and beat until the frosting is well combined and homogeneous. At first, the mixture will look lumpy. Continue beating at medium-high speed. Sift over the remaining icing sugar and beat at medium-high speed until the frosting is fluffy.
- Step 4: With the mixer running at medium-high speed, add the cream and salt, and beat until fluffy. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle, then pipe a swirl onto each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, serve, and enjoy!
Why Did My Vanilla Cupcakes Shrink
Cupcakes can be the easiest or hardest bake to get right, because there is very little room to hide! When the cupcakes come out of the oven, you want them to have a smooth, slightly domed top and to hold their shape while cooling, without shrinking or deflating. If this sounds like issues you may be having, you need to check your oven settings. Setting your oven to conventional at 170°C (340°F) and checking the temperature with a thermometer will ensure a perfectly baked cupcake.
Storage
Cupcakes cool quickly and dry out just as quickly, so try to frost them the same day that they are baked. If you don't have time to decorate the cupcakes the same day you bake them, store the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container or cover the cupcake trays with plastic wrap until the next day.
For any leftover frosted cupcakes, store them in an airtight container at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for up to 4 days. On very hot days, store them in the fridge.
Expert Tips
- Use an oven thermometer to check the true temperature of your oven.
- Don't overfill the cupcake cases, as this can lead to misshapen cupcakes.
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature before you make the frosting.
- Ensure the cupcakes have cooled properly before frosting them.
Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting FAQs
Check the temperature of your oven and make sure you haven't overfilled the cupcake cases. Overfilling the cases can result in misshapen cupcakes.
I always recommend using a kitchen scale rather than cups when baking. This way, you can ensure you've measured properly and that your baked goodies come out perfectly.
To freeze these cupcakes, place leftover cupcakes in a freezer-safe air-tight container and freeze them for up to three months. Defrost properly before consuming them.
More Easy Baking Recipes for Birthday Parties
This rich, creamy Chocolate Frosting Made with Melted Chocolate is the perfect topping for these soft, fluffy, moist vanilla cupcakes! And, the best part about this recipe is that it is so simple to make. If you are planning to make these cupcakes as part of a birthday celebration, then don't skip my roundup of Easy Homemade Birthday Cakes. This Bar One Chocolate Caramel Cake is my favourite!
Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
Please leave a star rating and comment below if you tried this recipe! And if you're wondering what to try next, have a look at this Bounty Chocolate Coconut Cake!
📖 Recipe
Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Equipment
- 2x cupcake pans
- 24 cupcake liners
- 1x disposable piping bag
- 1x piping tip
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 120 ml sunflower oil
- 3 eggs extra-large
- 250 g sugar white granulated
- 290 g self-raising flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 270 ml whole milk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Frosting
- 100 g dark chocolate
- 100 g milk chocolate
- 90 g unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon golden syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 450 g powdered sugar sifted
- 90 g sour cream
- 2 tablespoon whipping cream
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and line two 12-hole cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners.
- Add the oil, eggs, and sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Sift together the salt and flour, then add the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Beat at low speed until just combined.
- Mix the milk and vanilla extract in a jug, then slowly pour it into the cupcake batter while the mixer is running at low speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again, making sure it is lump-free.
- Pour the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a jug or ice cream scoop, filling each case two-thirds full.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in their tins for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a cooling rack.
Chocolate Frosting
- In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Add the melted chocolate mixture to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the golden syrup and vanilla extract to the chocolate mixture and mix briefly.
- Sift half of the icing sugar over the frosting mixture and whisk to combine.
- Add the sour cream and beat until the frosting is well combined and homogeneous. At first, the mixture will look lumpy. Continue beating at medium-high speed. Sift over the remaining icing sugar and beat at medium-high speed until the frosting is fluffy.
- With the mixer running at medium-high speed, add the cream and salt, and beat until fluffy. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle. Pipe a swirl of frosting over each cupcake and decorate with sprinkles.
Notes
- For perfect cupcakes, check the oven temperature and make sure it is set to conventional, not the fan setting.
- Do not overfill the cupcake cases.
Alex says
So easy to make and the vanilla cupcakes were delicious