Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream
Deep, moist chocolate cupcakes made with hot coffee and topped with a swirl of silky vanilla buttercream. The batter is loose enough to pour, which is exactly right, and the cakes stay tender for two full days.
- Course
- Desserts
- Time
- 1 hr
- Servings
- 12
Cooking Notes
- Measure the flour and cocoa carefully and stop mixing once the batter is smooth. Too much dry ingredient or too much mixing can make chocolate cupcakes noticeably tougher and drier.
- Fill the cupcake wells evenly so every cake finishes at the same time. An ice-cream scoop or measured portion keeps some cupcakes from overflowing while others stay undersized.
- Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting. Even slightly warm cake softens buttercream, causing it to slide, lose definition, or soak into the top of the cupcake.
Recipe Card
Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream
By Gabriella
- Category
- Desserts
- Total Time
- 1 hr
- Difficulty
- Easy
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup hot coffee
- 1/3 cup neutral oil
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp cream
Instructions
- 1
Line a twelve-cup tin and heat the oven to 350°F.
- 2
Whisk the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt together, then add the buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla and whisk smooth.
- 3
Stream in the hot coffee last — the batter will look alarmingly thin, which is what keeps the crumb moist.
- 4
Fill the liners two-thirds full and bake eighteen to twenty minutes, until the tops spring back. Cool completely before frosting.
- 5
Beat the butter until pale, add the powdered sugar, cream, and a pinch of salt, and whip five minutes before piping onto the cupcakes.
