If there’s one dessert that always makes an appearance at any event, it has to be these classic vanilla cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting. They are always just the perfect balance of sweet vanilla and rich chocolate. Behind a good chocolate cake, these definitely rank second of my favorite desserts in the “cake realm”. I love how light and fluffy cupcakes are able to get, and these vanilla cupcakes are no exception. They have almost the texture of angel food cake with all of the deep flavor of a good vanilla. The chocolate frosting is ridiculously creamy. Pairing everything together leads to classic vanilla cupcakes you will find yourself making over and over again.
How do I make my buttercream silky?
Sometimes you’re in a rush to finish baking. We’ve all been there. But when making buttercream, you really need to slow it down. First thing’s first, you absolutely need to start with room temperature, soft to the touch, butter. If you cannot make an indent in the butter with little to no effort, your butter is not soft enough, so you either need to microwave it in 10 second intervals until it reaches a soft consistency, or you need to wait just a bit longer. Once you have the butter softened, this is when the good part can begin.
When I make chocolate frosting, I always add my cocoa powder first. It allows me to address lumps, and stamp them out before they can be a bother. I then add my vanilla and salt before adding my powdered sugar. This allows those two ingredients to evenly distribute throughout the butter before the powdered sugar is added, creating a more homogeneous butter cream. I add my powdered sugar, one cup at a time, tasting after two or three cup additions to see if it needs any extra cocoa, salt, or vanilla. Frosting is something I normally make without a recipe and create entirely to taste. Another hint is if your frosting is too thick, you can thin it a bit with a tablespoon or two of milk. This creates super smooth, easy to pipe frosting that you are sure to enjoy.
What is the secret to fluffy cupcakes?
The only secret to creating the softest, lightest, fluffiest cupcakes is to prevent gluten build up in any way that you can. Gluten is a protein complex that is responsible for making bread chewy and dough stretchy. Though we love gluten for other applications, we do want as little gluten formation as possible in things like cakes and cupcakes. The more gluten, the tougher your cake will be. If you’re curious, you can read more about the intricacies of gluten here on my blog!
To avoid gluten development, you want to mix the batter as little as possible AFTER the flour is added. It makes no difference to gluten development if you whisk the eggs thoroughly with the oil and sugar (as you should). It is only after flour is added and wetted that it becomes susceptible to gluten formation. That being said, for the best, fluffiest cupcakes, mix until the flour is JUST combined into your batter, and then get those babies in the oven!
Classic Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 cup Milk
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 Large Egg
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 3-4 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1-3 Tablespoons milk for thinning the buttercream
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a cupcake pan with liners.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking power, and whisk to combine.
- In a large bowl, add the milk, oil, vanilla, and egg. Whisk together thoroughly, until the egg is mixed throughout, and the oil gets frothy. Add the sugars and whisk to dissolve.
- Add the flour mixture and whisk it in until just combined, there may be a few lumps, and that is okay.
- Evenly divide the batter amongst the cupcake pan, and place in the oven. As soon as you put them in the oven, turn the temperature down to 350°F. Putting them in at an initially hotter temperature will give them better rise, but ultimately we want the oven to be at 350°F for when they finish cooking. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting.
For the Frosting:
- Add the softened, room temperature, butter and cocoa powder to a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer (or the paddle attachment on a stand mixer) until combined, making sure all of the cocoa lumps are gone. Add the salt and vanilla and mix until distributed.
- Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Once you have added 3 cups of powdered sugar, taste the frosting to see if you want it sweeter, more chocolaty, etc.
- If the frosting is too thick for your liking, add 1 tablespoon of milk or heavy whipping cream to thin it out. Continue adding 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Frost the cupcakes and enjoy!
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