Chocolate and Vanilla Swirl Cupcakes are fun, easy quick, and combine the flavors of chocolate and vanilla in a visually appealing swirl pattern. They are PERFECT for parties, birthdays, or simply as an indulgent sweet treat!
Why You'll LOVE This Recipe
Gorgeous: The swirl pattern of chocolate and vanilla in each cupcake creates the most stunning dessert. The contrasting colors and fun pattern make these cupcakes eye-catching for when you want to impress guests!
Flavor Combo: Chocolate and vanilla are classic flavors that complement each other beautifully. You get to enjoy both flavors simultaneously with a combination of rich, indulgent chocolate with the sweet, creamy taste of vanilla!
Fun to Make and Decorate: Creating the swirl pattern in the cupcakes can be a fun and creative process! It allows you to experiment with different techniques and designs!
Ingredients
- Granulated Sugar: White granulated sugar adds to moisture, sweetness, and structure.
- Egg: You'll need one large egg at room temperature. If you forget to leave it out ahead of time, place it in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes before using.
- Vegetable Oil: These cupcakes are made with oil for a super moist cupcake that stays moist. You can use any unflavored oil.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is the star of this recipe and ensures that these cupcakes are light and tender! You can make homemade buttermilk. Read "Expert Tips" below for more information.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract enhances flavor.
- All Purpose Flour: Regular, plain all purpose flour that is measured properly creates light and fluffy cupcakes.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Both of these leavening agents work together to create the gorgeous dome shape and airy texture.
- Salt: Salt enhances sweetness!
- Cocoa Powder + Water: You'll add both cocoa powder and water to half of the plain batter to transform it into chocolate batter!
Step by Step Process
STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a mini muffin tray with liners.
STEP 2: In a large bowl, granulated sugar, a room temperature egg, vegetable oil, room temperature buttermilk, and vanilla extract together until smooth.
STEP 3: Next, add properly-measured all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together only until you see the dry ingredients disappear into the batter. Do not mix past when you see the ingredients combine to avoid dense cupcakes.
STEP 4: Transfer about half of the the mixture to a medium bowl. Stir unsweetened cocoa powder and hot water into the batter to create the chocolate batter.
STEP 5: Add about 1 tablespoon of chocolate batter to each liner. Then, add about 1 tablespoon of vanilla batter on top or to the side of the vanilla batter. Continue the process until the liners are about ¾ full.
STEP 6: Bake the cupcakes for 15-18 minutes or until the tops are shiny and spring back when poked with your pointer finger. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with some moist crumbs.
Chocolate and Vanilla Buttercream
STEP 1: In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and powdered sugar together until smooth.
STEP 2:Add milk to the frosting and beat on high speed for about 3-5 minutes.
STEP 3: Transfer about half of the the mixture to a medium bowl. In the bowl with the mixer, mix unsweetened cocoa powder into the frosting to create the chocolate batter.
STEP 4: Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired and top with desired decorations. For the swirl effect, place chocolate frosting on one side of a piping bag or zippable plastic bag and place vanilla frosting on the other side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Make sure not to just layer your batters when you fill the liners. You'll want to disperse the batter in different places within the liner for a better swirl effect. You can also use a toothpick, skewer, or the back of a spoon to gently swirl the chocolate and vanilla batters together.
Avoid overbaking cupcakes! Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Expert Tips
- Homemade Buttermilk: Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or distilled white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup before filling it to reach the 1 ¼ cup (300g) mark. Mix the two together, then let it sit for 5 minutes before using as buttermilk.
- Measuring Flour: Measure flour correctly by using a kitchen scale to measure 210g exactly. If you don’t have a scale, spoon the flour into your measuring cups before using a knife to level off the top. Overmeasuring flour will lead to dry cupcakes.
- Bake Time: Bake these cupcakes until they are pale in color, domed, slightly shiny, the tops spring back when poked, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with some moist crumbs.
Make Ahead and Storing
After the cupcakes have been frosted, store them tightly covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To freeze the cupcakes after they've been frosted and decorated, place them in the freezer for 30 minutes on a plate or sheet pan before placing in a freezer bag or wrapping in cling wrap. Leave at room temperature or heat in the microwave in 15-second-increments before serving.
To store before decorating, wrap or cover the cupcakes at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze the unfrosted cupcake in a freezer bag or tightly wrapped in cling wrap for up to 4 months. Leave at room temperature or heat in the microwave in 15-second-increments.
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Print
Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Cupcakes, Vanilla, Chocolate
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Chocolate and Vanilla Swirl Cupcakes are fun, easy quick, and combine the flavors of chocolate and vanilla in a visually appealing swirl pattern. They are PERFECT for parties, birthdays, or simply as an indulgent sweet treat!
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- ¾ cup (158g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (66g) vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cup (300g) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (210g) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- for the chocolate cupcakes: ¼ cup (21g) cocoa powder + 2 tablespoons hot water
For the Frosting
- 1 cup (220g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (300g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30g) milk
- for the chocolate frosting: ⅓ cup (27g) cocoa powder
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a mini muffin tray with liners.
- In a large bowl, granulated sugar, a room temperature egg, vegetable oil, room temperature buttermilk, and vanilla extract together until smooth.
- Next, add properly-measured all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together only until you see the dry ingredients disappear into the batter. Do not mix past when you see the ingredients combine to avoid dense cupcakes.
- Transfer about half of the the mixture to a medium bowl. Stir unsweetened cocoa powder and hot water into the batter to create the chocolate batter.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of vanilla batter to each liner. Then, add about 1 tablespoon of chocolate batter on top or to the side of the vanilla batter. Continue the process until the liners are about ¾ full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 15-18 minutes or until the tops are shiny, and spring back when poked with your pointer finger. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with some moist crumbs.
For the Frosting
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and powdered sugar together until smooth. This should be about 2 minutes of mixing.
- Add milk to the frosting and beat on high speed for about 3-5 minutes. This will create air in the frosting, resulting in a smooth, bright, white, and fluffy frosting.
- Transfer about half of the the mixture to a medium bowl.
- In the bowl with the mixer, mix unsweetened cocoa powder into the frosting to create the chocolate batter.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired and top with desired decorations. For the swirl effect, place chocolate frosting on one side of a piping bag or zippable plastic bag and place vanilla frosting on the other side.
- Store the cupcakes tightly covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Notes
Room Temperature Ingredients: Room temperature ingredients will allow the batter to come together more smoothly and results in a lighter cake. Your eggs and buttermilk should all be left out at room temperature for about an hour, or you can place your eggs in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes before using and heat your buttermilk in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
Bake Time: Bake the cupcakes until the tops are domed, slightly shiny, the centers spring back when poked, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with some moist crumbs.
Keywords: Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes, Swirl Cupcakes, Marble Cupcakes
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