Vanilla Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Icing
on Apr 14, 2014, Updated May 18, 2024
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Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes topped with homemade whipped milk chocolate frosting are what dreams are made of. These light, fluffy cupcakes are perfectly sweet and balanced, crowned with creamy, decadent chocolate frosting.
Everyone one needs a vanilla cupcake recipe with chocolate icing in their archives. I’m really just doing you a favor. I love a box of cake mix as much as the next girl, but I don’t love using cake mix for cupcakes. The texture is just too fine and they tend to crumble all over the place. No thank you!
I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect vanilla cupcake recipe for months and I dare say I found it. Top with some homemade whipped milk chocolate frosting and you have a match made in cupcake heaven.
If you are looking for more delicious sweets, check out Cherry Chip Cupcakes, Sweet Tooth Fairy’s VaNIElla Squared Cupcake Copycat Recipe, Classic Chocolate Buttercream Icing for Cupcakes, Pink Lemonade Cupcakes.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for any occasion, from birthdays to casual get-togethers.
- This recipe is simple and straightforward, great for both beginner bakers and experts who want a reliable, delicious treat.
- These cupcakes are a good base for getting creative with toppings and decorations, making them fun to personalize and enjoy.
Recipe Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- Flour
- Sugar
- Butter
- Egg whites
- Plain greek yogurt, or sour cream
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- Butter
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla
- Cocoa powder
- Powdered sugar
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Step #1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step #2. In a large bowl, combine melted butter and sugar, then add egg whites, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir well.
Step #3. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring until combined.
Step #4. Divide batter among the 12 cups and bake for 20 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step #5. In a stand mixer, beat butter and cream on medium, then high for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, cocoa, and 2.5 cups powdered sugar; mix on low until combined, then on medium for 1-2 minutes.
Step #6. Check icing consistency: it should hold a metal teaspoon upright. Adjust with cream if too thick or 1/4 cup powdered sugar if too thin. Transfer to an icing bag with tip M1 and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Recipe FAQs
The constancy of the icing is important if you are going to pile it high on a cupcake. It should be a medium consistency. If you mix the batch of icing with a metal teaspoon (the kind you use for dinner) it should stand up straight in the middle of the bowl when it is in the icing. So, you should be able to stir it with a spoon by hand but it should also be sturdy enough to hold the spoon up.
If the icing is too thick, add a little cream. If it needs to be a little thicker add a 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and whip to combine until it’s sturdy enough.
I like to use tip M1.
Expert Tips
- Stir the batter just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can lead to dense, tough cupcakes.
- Use an ice cream scoop to fill cupcake liners evenly. This ensures all cupcakes bake at the same rate and come out uniformly sized.
- Cupcakes are done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Avoid overbaking to keep them moist.
More Cupcake Recipes To Consider
Cupcakes
Chocolate Cupcakes
Frosting Recipes
Peanut Butter Frosting
Dessert Recipes
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Cupcakes
Birthday Cupcakes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Vanilla Cupcakes with Whipped Milk Chocolate Icing
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt, or sour cream
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
To make the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a whisk to combine.
- In a large bowl add the melted butter and sugar. Stir to combine (the mixture will be gritty still). Add the egg whites, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir well.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until there aren’t any lumps. The batter will be nice and thick. Once it the batter is all wet and well combined, stop stirring. Don’t over mix.
- Divide the batter among the 12 lined cups. Bake for around 20 minutes until the tops spring back with touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting-
- Add the butter and cream to the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on medium speed with the whisk attachment until the butter and cream combine. Increase the speed to high and mix for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides a time or two. Add the vanilla, cocoa, and 2.5 cups of the powdered sugar. Mix on low until combined and then increase speed to medium and whip for 1 to 2 minutes.
- The constancy of the icing is important if you are going to pile it high on a cupcake. It should be a medium consistency. If you mix the batch of icing with a metal teaspoon (the kind you use for dinner) it should stand up straight in the middle of the bowl when it is in the icing. So, you should be able to stir it with a spoon by hand but it should also be sturdy enough to hold the spoon up. If the icing is too thick, add a little cream. If it needs to be a little thicker add a 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and whip to combine until it’s sturdy enough.
- Place in an icing bag and pipe on the cool cupcakes with tip M1.
What to use instead of sour cream or yogurt?
More oil normally works and sometimes even applesauce!
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I made this recipe today with my daughter and immediately made another batch. They are so good, thick and moist and lovely, not crumbly at all. Thank you for the recipe!
I never tried adding sour cream to my vanilla cupcakes before! I definitely have to give it a try this weekend! A stand mixer is definitely a must-have kitchen equipment for me too!
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