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I have no shortage of cupcake recipes here on the site – everything from chocolate/chocolate to red velvet, margarita, and everything in between… except I’ve been missing one very important classic – yellow cake cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Truth be told, I’ve been on the lookout for a really spectacular basic yellow cupcake recipe for ages, and finally found it when I made the funfetti cupcakes last year.

Since the yellow cupcake and chocolate buttercream frosting combination is a classic one for birthdays, I wanted to save this recipe and share it with you as a celebration of our son’s birth day :) He turned two weeks old yesterday, so let’s talk cupcakes to celebrate!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting - The perfect cupcake for birthdays! | browneyedbaker.com

I love how incredibly moist these cupcakes turn out each and every time I make them, without exception. They are not fussy at all, just the wonderfully fluffy and buttery yellow cupcakes that birthday dreams are made of.

No cupcake dream would be complete, in my opinion, without a fabulous frosting piled high on each cupcake. The chocolate buttercream frosting I used for these cupcakes is one that I have shared before, and remains my ultimate favorite when it comes to an easy, buttery, silky smooth, ultra chocolatey frosting. To make a long story short, it’s amazing, and the perfect complement to vanilla cupcakes.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting - The perfect cupcake for birthdays! | browneyedbaker.com

If you’ve been looking for a classic cupcake/frosting combo, this is THE one to stash in your arsenal.

Whether you know someone with a birthday coming up or are just looking for an excuse to bake cupcakes, this is one recipe that you can’t go wrong with!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting - The perfect cupcake for birthdays! | browneyedbaker.com

Two years ago: Pink Grapefruit Sandwich Cookies
Four years ago: Banana Cupcakes with Vanilla Pastry Cream

Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Classic yellow cupcakes with a buttery chocolate frosting.
4.28 (29 ratings)

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

  • cups (218.75 g) cake flour
  • cups (156.25 g) all-purpose flour
  • cups (350 g) granulated sugar
  • teaspoons (2.5 teaspoons) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup (244 ml) whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Frosting:

  • 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 5 cups (600 g) powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces (226.8 g) semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Instructions 

  • Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt, and mix together on low speed for 1 minute. With the mixer on low, add the butter, a few cubes at a time, continuing until all the butter has been added and the mixture resembles coarse sand.
  • Keeping the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Slowly pour in the milk and vanilla and mix until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, until batter is smooth, scraping the sides of bowl as needed.
  • Fill the liners two-thirds full (about ¼ cup of batter) and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the centers are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
  • Make the Frosting: Using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.
  • Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Add the melted chocolate and whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed to incorporate all of the chocolate. (You can store unused buttercream in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days; let it come to room temperature and then give it a quick whip in the mixer before using.)
  • Frost the cupcakes as desired (I used the Ateco #827 decorating tip) and garnish with sprinkles. Frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

Nutritional values are based on one serving
Calories: 487kcal, Carbohydrates: 56g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 89mg, Sodium: 117mg, Potassium: 142mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 43g, Vitamin A: 770IU, Calcium: 49mg, Iron: 1.2mg

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!