What is more classic than a yellow cake with chocolate frosting? This was the cake my brother requested every year for his birthday and I decided to try and recreate a homemade version. Honestly, I can’t knock a boxed cake mix. They’re good. No, they’re better than good. They’re nostalgic. After multiple attempts I can confidently say that this recipe truly lives up to that nostalgic flavor combo. It’s perfect for birthdays, picnics, office parties, or just to treat yourself 🙂
So what is the difference between yellow, white and vanilla cake?
I was always convinced that yellow, vanilla and white cakes tasted different. After starting my baking journey I came to find that ultimately they’re all types of vanilla cake! The coloring comes from the eggs, oils and extracts used, so a ‘white cake’ is simply a vanilla cake that uses egg whites and colorless oils. A yellow cake typically uses butter and whole eggs. Yellow cakes to me tend to taste buttery, more rich and in general have more flavor. I think they hold up well to a chocolate frosting. But don’t get me wrong, I love a good white cake. They tend to be lighter and pair lovely with delicate flavors like raspberry, champagne or any type of fruit. If you’re looking for another vanilla cake recipe that is the best of both worlds, check on this White Chocolate Confetti Cake. If uses whole eggs and egg whites to give the cake a lighter color and texture to allow that white chocolate in the batter to come through!
This fudgy chocolate frosting
This frosting is all about the fudge factor. I first tried this with a chocolate ganache using melted chocolate but the flavor wasn’t right. Delicious, but not right for trying to copycat this childhood memory. It was almost too fancy? To me this is such a humble cake I wanted to keep it as close to the classic as possible. Ultimately I went with a frosting that was heavy handed on the cocoa powder. It’s a spot on match to the box cake and canned frosting I grew up with (but better!)
I really like to use confetti sprinkles on my cakes. They’re so fun + colorful, they don’t bleed their colors onto the frosting, and you can eat them! My other favorites are nonpareils and the classic rainbow sprinkles. I hope you take the time to take a walk down memory lane and make these cupcakes. They’re no fuss and come together in a matter on minutes. The frosting is extra chocolatey and fudgy. These are truly the BEST vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting. For other dessert recipes, check out this link. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
The Best Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- ½ cup salted butter room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
For the frosting:
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3-5 tbsp heavy cream you can use milk as well
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. In the bowl of a stand mixer add the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract as well as the eggs. Mix on low until just combined.
- Add in the buttermilk, vegetable oil, flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Mix on low until everything is evenly distributed, about 30 seconds.
- Line muffin tins with muffin liners and scoop the batter in each to be about ⅔ of the way full. Do not overfill! Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until just baked and golden. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
- In a medium sized bowl or stand mixer add butter and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add in cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract and 3 tbsp of heavy cream. Beat on low until combined. Add in more heavy cream to reach desired consistency. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes and serve! They will last for 3 days if properly stored (in a covered dish or wrapped with saran wrap)
Do you use table salt or kosher salt?
I always use kosher salt when baking
I rarely feel the need to leave a review, but I have to warn others—skip this recipe! This is, without a doubt, the worst cupcake recipe I’ve ever made. I ended up throwing the entire batch away.
The texture and taste are completely off. Instead of a cupcake, it came out more like a cornbread muffin, and to make matters worse, there’s an odd, salty aftertaste—likely due to the excessive amount of cornstarch (2 whole tablespoons!). The flavor was just unbalanced and unpleasant.
With eggs being so expensive, wasting two of them on something inedible was really disappointing. I even had my spouse taste one, and his first reaction was, “Where’s the chili?”—which says a lot.
Bottom line: I should have trusted my instincts when the recipe seemed odd. I gave it a shot, and it was a complete waste of time and ingredients. Learn from my mistake and avoid this one!