Super Moist Yellow Cake Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Buttercream

Super Moist Yellow Cake Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Okay, I have to say these are the end-game of most delicious yellow-cake cupcakes. I'm obsessed with how these turn out. It's the buttery goodness of yellow cake, which is richer than regular vanilla cupcakes. The secret here is cake flour. Cake flour is light and what we're doing here is sort of 'weighing' it down with the rich wet ingredients. That is what creates the ultra moist and soft spongy texture that we're looking for here. You can absolutely use all-purpose flour and it'll be great. But I find that the cake flour creates that crumb that makes people say "whoa". Don't forget the milk chocolate buttercream recipe at the end. This is truly a classic pairing that we all know and love. Everything must be room temperature. I can't stress that enough. I just leave everything out on the counter for at least 3-4 hours before I plan on working with it.

Yield: 24 standard cupcakes

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

- 2 ½ cups (315g) of Cake Flour

- 2 ½ tsp baking powder

- ½ tsp baking soda

- ½ tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:

- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

- 4 large eggs, room temperature

- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

- ¾ cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature

- ¾ cup whole milk, room temperature

Instructions

1. Preheat & Prep:

   Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.

2. Mix Dry Ingredients:

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Cream Butter & Sugar:

   In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until light and fluffy.

4. Add Eggs & Vanilla:

   Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.

5. Add Sour Cream:

   Mix in the sour cream until smooth.

6. Alternate Dry Ingredients and Milk:

   Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk in two parts (begin and end with the dry mix). Mix until just combined=no need to mix longer.

7. Fill the Cupcake Liners:

   Divide the batter evenly among the 24 liners, filling each about ⅔ full.

8. Bake:

   Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the edges are ever so slightly golden and the tops spring back when touched.

9. Cool:

   Allow cupcakes to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

 Tips for Perfect Cupcakes:

-To get a nice round top, make sure your oven is HOT when you put them in. Cupcakes need the extra heat to bump up and not create a sink hole in the middle.

-Cupcakes will fall a bit when they're cooling, that is normal.

-Go for a cupcake baking pan that conducts heat well. Personally the cheap aluminum pans work so well for me. Just make sure it's a pan you trust, haha!

-Fill the tins about 3/4 of the way. This recipe is "heavy", in other words, they don't rise super high when baking. If you fill to just the 3/4 line of the tin, you'll have a perfect shape.

Tips for Extra Moisture:

- Sour cream adds richness and moisture without making the batter too runny.

- Make sure all ingredients are room temperature to ensure smooth mixing.

- Do not overbake—check early! I always touch the tops of the cupcakes to make sure they spring back. If they feel a little wet on top, add 3 minutes and re-check.

Milk Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (for 24 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

- 1 ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temp

- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted

- 8 oz (225g) milk chocolate, finely chopped or chips

- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream (plus 1–2 extra tablespoons if needed)

- 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

- 1/4 tsp salt (optional but balances the sweetness)

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Instructions:

1. Melt the chocolate:

   In a heatproof bowl, melt the milk chocolate using a microwave (in 20–30 second bursts, stirring between) or a double boiler. Once smooth, let it cool to room temperature—but not so cool that it hardens.

2. Beat the butter:

   In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter on medium-high for 3–5 minutes until pale, creamy, and fluffy.

3. Add powdered sugar gradually:

   Reduce the speed to low and add the sifted powdered sugar in 3–4 batches. Once it’s mostly combined, increase to medium-high and beat for 1–2 minutes to fluff it up.

4. Pour in the melted milk chocolate:

   Make sure it’s still smooth and slightly warm (not hot!). Add it to the buttercream and beat on medium until well combined.

5. Add cream, vanilla, and salt:

   Pour in the cream, vanilla extract, and salt (if using). Beat again on medium-high until the buttercream is smooth and silky. If it’s too thick, add a little more cream (1 tsp at a time).

Tips:

- This recipe is great for piping—use a large star tip or round tip for pretty swirls.

- If you're decorating in warm weather, refrigerate the buttercream for 10 minutes before piping.