Cupcake Recipe
Chocolate / Vanilla / Strawberry / Lemon / Red Velvet
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Ingredients
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Chocolate Cupcakes
Vanilla Cupcakes
Strawberry Cupcakes
Lemon Cupcakes
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Basic Buttercream (for all flavors)
Method
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1
Preheat and prepare pans
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners or prepare as many cups as you plan to bake (this recipe makes about 10–12).
- 2
Dry ingredients
In a bowl, sift or whisk together 1.25 cups flour, 0.75 cups sugar, 0.333 cups cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, 0.5 tsp baking soda, and 0.25 tsp salt until evenly combined.
- 3
- 4
Combine and add hot liquid
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined (do not overmix). Stir in 0.5 cups hot water or hot brewed coffee a little at a time until batter is smooth. The batter will be thin — this is normal and yields a moist cupcake.
- 5
Bake
Divide batter evenly among lined muffin cups, filling about two-thirds full. Bake 17–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate pan halfway through if your oven bakes unevenly.
- 6
Cool
Allow cupcakes to cool in pan for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 7
Preheat and prepare pans
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
- 8
Cream butter and sugar
In a bowl, cream 0.25 cups softened unsalted butter with 0.75 cups sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes with a hand mixer or 4–5 minutes with a stand mixer.
- 9
Add egg and vanilla
Beat in 1 large egg until incorporated, then mix in 1.5 tsp vanilla extract.
- 10
Combine dry and wet
Whisk together 1.25 cups flour, 1.25 tsp baking powder, and 0.25 tsp salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions alternating with 0.5 cups milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
- 11
Bake and cool
Spoon batter into liners filling about two-thirds full. Bake 16–19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Strawberry Cupcakes
- 12
Preheat and prepare pans
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin.
- 13
Prepare strawberry purée
If you haven't already, cook or blend about 6–8 fresh strawberries and strain to remove seeds to yield 0.25 cups purée. Pat purée dry slightly if very watery so it doesn't overly thin batter.
- 14
Cream butter and sugar
Cream 0.25 cups softened unsalted butter with 0.75 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
- 15
Add egg, purée and vanilla
Beat in 1 large egg, then add 0.25 cups strawberry purée and 1 tsp vanilla extract; mix until combined.
- 16
Combine dry and wet
Whisk together 1.25 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 0.25 tsp salt. Add to butter mixture in two or three additions alternating with 0.375 cups milk, mixing until just combined.
- 17
Bake and cool
Fill liners two-thirds full and bake 16–19 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 5–10 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.
Lemon Cupcakes
- 18
Preheat and prepare pans
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line muffin tin.
- 19
Cream butter and sugar
Cream 0.25 cups softened unsalted butter with 0.75 cups sugar until pale and fluffy.
- 20
Add egg, lemon, and milk
Beat in 1 large egg, then stir in 1 tbsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 0.5 tsp vanilla extract.
- 21
Combine dry and wet
Whisk together 1.25 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 0.25 tsp salt. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternating with 0.375 cups milk, mixing until just combined.
- 22
Bake and cool
Fill liners two-thirds full. Bake 16–19 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 5–10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
- 23
Preheat and prepare pans
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line muffin tin.
- 24
Dry ingredients
Whisk together 1.25 cups flour, 0.75 cups sugar, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, 0.5 tsp baking soda, and 0.25 tsp salt.
- 25
Wet ingredients
In another bowl, cream 0.25 cups softened unsalted butter and add 1 large egg. Mix in 0.5 cups buttermilk, 1 tsp white vinegar, 0.5 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp red food coloring until combined.
- 26
Combine and bake
Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined. Fill liners two-thirds full and bake 17–20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 5–10 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely before frosting.
Basic Buttercream (for all flavors)
- 27
Make buttercream
With a mixer, beat 1 cup softened unsalted butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1–2 minutes. Gradually add 3 cups confectioners' sugar, about 1 cup at a time, mixing on low speed to combine. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp heavy cream or milk, and 1/8 tsp salt. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy. Adjust consistency with more cream (to loosen) or more powdered sugar (to thicken).
- 28
Flavor adjustments
For chocolate cupcakes, fold 2–3 tbsp sifted cocoa powder into 1 cup of prepared buttercream for chocolate frosting. For strawberry buttercream, stir in 1–2 tbsp strawberry purée (reduce cream slightly) or use freeze-dried strawberry powder for stronger flavor. For lemon buttercream, add 1–2 tsp lemon zest and 1 tsp lemon juice. For red velvet, use vanilla or cream cheese frosting (substitute 8 oz cream cheese, softened, for half of the butter and omit 1/4 cup powdered sugar; beat until smooth).
- 29