These small batch vanilla cupcakes with dark chocolate frosting are the perfect no-fuss birthday recipe for a small crowd!
This small batch vanilla cupcake recipe makes just 6 perfect soft & moist cupcakes! With just 10 ingredients, you can make this birthday recipe in under an hour. Looking for a cupcake recipe that makes more than 6? Read below on how to double this recipe to make 12 cupcakes. Decorate them with a fudgy dark chocolate frosting and confetti rainbow sprinkles for the ultimate birthday celebration!
For more small batch recipes, try Small Batch Lemon Bars, Small Batch Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins, Small Batch Buttermilk Biscuits, and Small Batch Brownies.
Jump to Recipe
Ingredient Notes
- Cake Flour: Though it's not essential to make these cupcakes, cake flour achieves the softest crumb!
- Sugar: Both the cupcakes and the frosting require granulated sugar.
- Leavener: You'll need just baking powder to give these cupcakes the perfect rise & texture.
- Fat: To make these cupcakes super moist while maintaining that classic buttery flavor, this recipe uses an oil-butter combo.
- Dairy: For optimum flavor and texture, use full fat greek yogurt and milk.
- Egg: The cupcakes need just one egg white, while the frosting needs 3 egg yolks.
- Chocolate: To make the frosting dark chocolate, use bittersweet chocolate. Alternatively, you can use semi-sweet chocolate.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this small batch vanilla cupcakes with dark chocolate frosting recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
STEP 1: Mix. Make the cupcake batter by beating the butter into the dry ingredients, the mixing in the wet ingredients. Fold in the whipped egg white at the end.
STEP 2: Bake. Divide the batter between the 6 cupcake liners and bake.
STEP 3: Cool. Allow the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack.
STEP 4: Mix. Make the chocolate french buttercream.
STEP 5: Frost. Use a cookie scoop to portion the buttercream between the cupcakes.
STEP 6: Sprinkle. Decorate the frosting as desired and top with confetti sprinkles!
Expert Baking Tips
- You can use any oil that has a neutral taste. My go-to is light tasting extra virgin olive oil, but you can also use vegetable or canola oil.
- It is VERY important to wait until the egg yolk, hot sugar mixture has cooled to room temp. If you add the butter before it's cool enough, it will melt and be a soupy mess.
- If you would like to double this recipe, you can either use 2 egg whites and follow the recipe as is, or use 1 whole egg and add it in with the other wet ingredients.
- Store cupcakes in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Recipe FAQs
No. The small scale of this recipe is only possible with one egg white. If you'd prefer to use one egg, read the next question.
Yes! Simply double all of the ingredients and bake as directed. Alternatively, you can use just one whole egg rather than 2 egg whites and add it to the batter with the rest of the wet ingredients.
The reverse creaming method is the process of beating room temperature butter into the dry ingredients. The fat coats the flour and inhibits the gluten from developing. With this method, the cake is sure to bake up flat without becoming too golden around the edges or on top. In contrast, the creaming method involves beating the sugar and butter together, which adds a lot of extra air into the batter. This is a great method for other bakes, but not with a white cake. With the reverse creaming method, the cake will bake up with an ultra fine, velvety crumb.
Store cupcakes in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other birthday recipes you'll love
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📖 Recipe
Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
For the small batch vanilla cupcakes:
- 90 g (¾ cup) cake flour
- 84 g (⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon + 1 tsp) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 38 g (2 ¾ tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
- 32 g (2 ½ tablespoon) tbsp neutral oil*
- 56 g (½ cup) plain whole milk greek yogurt, room temp
- 56 g (½ cup) whole milk, room temp
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg white
For the dark chocolate french buttercream:
- 113 g (4 oz) bittersweet chocolate
- 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, (room temp, but on the cooler side)
- 3 egg yolks
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
- confetti rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
For the small batch vanilla cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees F). Place 6 cupcake liners in a muffin pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut up the butter into small cubes and add to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until it resembles wet sand.
- Add the oil, yogurt, milk, and vanilla, and mix until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whip the egg white to stiff peaks. Gently fold it into the batter with a rubber spatula until just combined.
- Fill the cupcake liners about ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool completely before frosting.
For the dark chocolate french buttercream:
- In a medium heat proof bowl, melt the chocolate over a double boiler (or in the microwave in 20 second intervals) until smooth. Set aside to cool.
- Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until thick and foamy while you heat the sugar and water.
- Heat the granulated sugar and water in a small frying pan over low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium and bring to boil, or until it reaches 240 degrees F. Do not let it get any hotter.
- While the egg yolks are still whisking, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the bowl. Continue beating until the mixture has cooled down to room temperature.*
- Add the butter to the mixture a few cubes at a time, allowing them to fully incorporate before adding more.
- Add the cooled melted chocolate, vanilla, and salt.
- Switch to a paddle attachment and continue beating on low speed until the buttercream is completely smooth.
For assembly:
- Frost the cupcakes as desired and top with confetti rainbow sprinkles. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use any oil that has a neutral taste. My go-to is light tasting extra virgin olive oil, but you can also use vegetable or canola oil.
- It is VERY important to wait until the egg yolk, hot sugar mixture has cooled to room temp. If you add the butter before it's cool enough, it will melt and be a soupy mess.
- If you would like to double this recipe, you can either use 2 egg whites and follow the recipe as is, or use 1 whole egg and add it in with the other wet ingredients.
- Store cupcakes in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Victoria Kim says
The chocolate buttercream is to die for! Worth the effort.
I used vanilla Greek yogurt instead of plain and you can definitely taste it in the cupcake lol. Next time I’ll use plain for a more neutral flavor.
Matt says
These are phenomenal and my new go-to recipe.
Cristina says
These cupcakes are so good!! Love that the recipe only makes 6!