These yellow cupcakes are soft and moist buttery cupcakes, topped with a sweet and simple, creamy, rich, chocolate buttercream! The best cupcake flavor combination!
There is just something about a classic yellow cake (or cupcake) topped with chocolate buttercream. It’s such a classic flavor combination, and was always my go to birthday cake.
Growing up, or even well into my adulthood my cakes and cupcakes were often made with a boxed mix, and maybe even canned frosting, but this homemade version is so simple and delicious I may never go back!
I originally got the recipe for the cupcake part of these Yellow Cupcakes from my Betty Crocker Big Book of Cupcakes. I’ve been afraid before to make yellow cupcakes from scratch, but this recipe is practically fail proof, I promise! Even if you’re nervous, like I have been, the results of these homemade yellow cupcakes topped with the chocolate buttercream you’ll never go back!
Why are these yellow cupcakes the best:
- made with simple pantry ingredients
- moist and buttery
- simple and easy to make
- perfect for any occasion – especially a birthday!
How to make yellow cupcakes?
Preheat the oven and line a muffin pan with paper (or reusable) liners. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar, once they are combined continue to stir them together for another 2 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract, then add the eggs, one at a time, stirring well after you add each of them.
Alternate adding the flour mixer, and then the milk, then flour, then milk, then flour, stirring well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, filling each cupcake spot about 2/3 full.
Bake the cupcakes until the tops are golden brown and you can insert a toothpick into the middle of one and it comes out clean. (Although a few crumbs on the end are okay)
Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
How to make Chocolate Buttercream?
Beat your butter in a large bowl. Then add in the powdered sugar, and cocoa powder (sift both if you want the frosting to be extra smooth). Beat until they’re well mixed, then add in the vanilla, cream, and salt and mix until it’s all smooth.
Turn the mixer up to a high speed, and beat until the frosting is nice and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar, or more cream as needed if the frosting is too thin, or too thick.
Scoop the frosting into a piping bag with a piping tip (I like the 1M tip) and frost the cupcakes as desired. Enjoy immediately, or let the frosting set.
Tips to make Yellow Cupcakes:
- Bring the butter, eggs, and milk to room temperature first before making the cupcakes, this helps the ingredients combine really well together.
- Don’t fill the cupcake liners too full. No more than 3/4 full or the cupcakes will get muffin tops that hang over the sides.
- Wait for the cupcakes to cool completely before topping them with the frosting. Otherwise the frosting will melt off.
- Sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar to get rid of any big lumps and make your frosting extra smooth.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, you can scoop. your frosting into a large ziplock bag and snip off the corner.
These from scratch yellow cupcakes, are moist, buttery, soft, and fluffy and are perfect paired with the rich, creamy chocolate buttercream.
They’re easy enough for any night of the week, but delicious enough for a birthday or other special occasion. You could even top them with some fun sprinkles to make them extra cute!
More cupcake recipes:
- Chocolate Cupcakes for Two
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Funfetti Cupcakes from Life, Love, and Sugar
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Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
For the Yellow Cupcakes:
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup milk
For the Chocolate Buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 4 TBS heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 dash salt
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
For the Yellow Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners, or spray with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, and sugar. Once combined, continue to beat for 2 more minutes.
- Add in the vanilla extract. Then add in the eggs, one at a time, while stirring into the mixture. Mix well after each addition.
- Stirring slowly, or with a mixer on low, alternate adding about 3/4 cup of the flour mixture (1/3 of the trip) then 1/3 cup of milk. Mixing well in between each addition. Then more flour, milk, then ending with flour. Scrape the sides as needed, and mix until everything is blended.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each spot about 2/3 full.
- Bake the cupcakes for about 22 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. (A few soft crumbs are okay)
- Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Chocolate Buttercream:
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until it is smooth.
- Using a mixer or stand mixer on low, add in the powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Beat until they're well mixed together.
- Add in the vanilla extract, heavy cream, and salt and mix until smooth.
- Turn the mixer up to medium high speed, and beat until it is nice and fluffy. (Add more powdered sugar, or more heavy cream as needed to get the frosting the right consistency).
- Scoop your frosting into a piping bag with a piping tip (I like the 1M tip) and frost the cupcakes.
Nutrition
These yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting were first posted on February 13, 2013. The photos and text were updated on April 19, 2021.
Mohini says
Hello, I am making a monkey cake for my daughter’s second birthday and will be using these cupcakes for the ears, hands and feet and tail. For the head and body, I want to modify this recipe to be two 8 inch cakes. Could you please help me with the measurements if I want to convert this cupcake recipe to an 8 inch cake recipe?
Aimee says
That sounds so cute!! You will probably have more batter than you need with this recipe, as it should make enough for two 9inch pans. So I would just make a couple extra cupcakes on the side, or discard the extra batter. I’d fill each cake pan around 2/3 full.
Lauren says
Thanks for the yellow cupcake recipe! I’m excited to try it. You did mention it in your post, but all your frosting needs to allow your decorating to stand up is to just be a little stiffer. If your spatula leans just a little when you stand it up in your frosting, that’s perfect! =)
Aimee Berrett says
Thanks for the tip Lauren. If I remember right I didn’t have a ton of chocolate, so I didn’t want to keep adding more powdered sugar without more chocolate cause I want that flavor to still be there. In the future, I’ll dump on the powdered sugar to get it thicker! 🙂
Jessica says
Do you use regular all purpose flour? What kind of baking chocolate do you use, semi-sweet or unsweet?
aimeeberrett says
Jessica, I almost always use all purpose flour – so definitely all purpose for these. And I believe it was semi sweet baking chocolate. Sorry I didn’t specify in the post!
huntfortheverybest says
you know, with all the crazy cupcakes out there, sometimes you just want a basic cupcake with chocolate frosting!
Amy Tong says
Oh my. Your yellow cake and chocolate is definitely a perfect combination. They look so pretty on the cake stand! Yum!
aimeeberrett says
Thanks Amy, I just got my cake stand and was so excited to use it!
Sally says
Yellow cake + milk chocolate frosting will always be one of my very favorite kinds of cake/cupcake. 🙂 It’s a classic!
Aimee @ ShugarySweets says
Classic recipes are just awesome. I get a lot of food related gifts as well, love it!!!
aimeeberrett says
Thanks, yep sometimes the good old classics are the best! And I don’t mind getting foodie gifts at all 🙂
Nicole says
THE BEST …. yellow cake and chocolate frosting. YUM!!!!!
aimeeberrett says
I know, one of my favorite combos!