Yellow Cupcake Recipe
Looking to recreate your favorite yellow cake mix from scratch? This Yellow Cupcake recipe with homemade chocolate frosting is soft, moist, and buttery with notes of vanilla. Make them for birthdays, celebrations, and more!
Do you remember when the world went crazy for cupcakes? So much that a bunch of cupcake-only bakeries opened up.
I also went through the cupcake phase. I had a huge ceramic cupcake collection and a cupcake ornament Christmas tree. I even had plans to get a cupcake tattoo, but I never went through with it.
For a few years, I lived about 2 hours away from Washington D.C. so I visited a lot of cupcakeries there. I wonder how many of them are still operating today?
Now my ceramic cupcake collection is down to only a few favorites. I still have most of my cupcake ornaments, but I tidied the generic ones and expanded to include other non-cupcake ornaments I love.
Still no cupcake tattoo and probably never will at this point. I have other tattoos but not food related.
As I’m building up my small batch cupcake recipe list to match my 6 inch cake recipes list, it got me thinking.
My small yellow cake is so popular, I decided to turn the recipe into homemade Yellow Cupcakes.
They’re fluffy, buttery small batch yellow cupcakes made 100 percent from scratch. Not a trace of cake mix to be found.
And of course when I think of this yellow cupcake recipe, I think of yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting and lots of rainbow sprinkles.
After all what’s a yellow cupcake without sprinkles?
What is yellow cake?
Yellow cake gets its name from using butter and whole eggs, which helps with the cake’s yellow color (compared to white cake where you use only egg whites).
It uses more butter than small vanilla cake, which is why it’s more yellow in color.
Ingredients For Yellow Cupcakes
Here’s what you need to make this yellow cake cupcake recipe:
- All-Purpose Flour: Instead of cake four, I used a combination of all purpose flour and cornstarch since that’s what most bakers have on hand.
- Cornstarch: Since we’re not using cake flour, cornstarch makes up for the gluten difference. If you’re using cake flour, swap this for more cake flour.
- Baking powder and soda: Leavening agents so your cake rises. Make sure it’s not expired.
- Salt: Seasons the batter so you don’t have bland cake!
- Butter: Butter helps the cake rise as well as adds flavor. When it melts it forms steam, trapping carbon dioxide in the batter as it bakes. This creates a tender crumb texture.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake.
- Egg: Adds structure so the cake rises properly
- Vanilla: Use high quality vanilla and not imitation extract.
- Buttermilk: Not only does it add moistness, the acidity reacts with the baking soda, ensuring it rises properly
How To Substitute For Buttermilk
My store sells a pint of buttermilk, so I didn’t have to worry about wasting it.
However, if you do find yourself with a quart, check out my leftover buttermilk recipes.
But if you really don’t want to buy buttermilk, you can substitute 1/3 cup whole milk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes or until the milk looks curdled.
How To Make Yellow Cupcakes
Here’s how to make your yellow cupcake recipe:
- Sift together flour and cornstarch then stir in baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Cream together butter and sugar.
- Beat in egg and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the flour in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions (begin and end with dry ingredients).
- Fill paper liners with batter.
- Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean then cool completely.
- Frost as desired.
If using buttercream, store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
If using cream cheese frosting, store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Let sit at room temperature for about 15-30 minutes before serving to get rid of the chill.
How To Decorate Yellow Cupcakes
In my mind, the perfect pairing for yellow cake cupcakes is my chocolate frosting because they complement each other well without being too rich.
You can also use my chocolate cream cheese frosting or cream cheese frosting to balance the richness with some tang.
However, if you’re not a chocolate person you can use my small batch buttercream frosting.
Or make them pretty in pink with strawberry cream cheese frosting or strawberry buttercream.
More Small Batch Cupcake Recipes
Love to bake cupcakes? Here are more small batch cupcake recipes including:
Yellow Cupcake Recipe
Looking to recreate your favorite yellow cake mix from scratch? This Yellow Cupcake recipe with homemade chocolate frosting is soft, moist, and buttery with notes of vanilla. Make them for birthdays, celebrations, and more!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup whole buttermilk, room temperature (or substitute whole milk + 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar)
Frosting Options (Pick One)
- Chocolate Buttercream (get recipe here)
- Vanilla Buttercream (get recipe here)
- Strawberry Buttercream (get recipe here)
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting (get recipe here)
- Cream Cheese Frosting (get recipe here)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cupcake pan with 8 paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and cornstarch then stir in baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- In a large mixing bowl on medium-high speed (with paddle attachment if using stand mixer), beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Scrape down the bowl then beat in the egg and vanilla (it will look curdled).
- Turn the speed down to low then gradually add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, adding the flour in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions (begin and end with dry ingredients).
- Transfer the batter to the cupcake liners, filling them halfway full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs (no wet batter). Cool for about 15 minutes then transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Once cool, decorate with frosting of choice.
If using buttercream, store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
If using cream cheese frosting, store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Let sit at room temperature for about 15-30 minutes before serving to get rid of the chill.
Notes
- Enjoyed this recipe? Check out my full list of Small Batch Cupcake Recipes, including chocolate, vanilla, and more.
- Don't want to make cupcakes? Check out my Small Yellow Cake.
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It was perfect the first time. I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
Oh wonderful! Happy to hear that.
So good! Made the cupcakes with the suggested chocolate frosting, and used buttermilk frosting to write my notes. they were so Soft and moist with just the right amount of sweetness. Thank you for this recipe. Its in my recipe binder now.❤
Wonderful! Happy to hear you enjoyed the cupcakes.
Hi, I know this sounds funny but I’ll say it anyway.
I tried this recipe of yours like four times now and I can’t try other recipes anymore. This is really my go-to. Now, my mom’s craving for some mocha cupcakes, and I can’t find any recipe for a small batch. Will this one works if I put like a teaspoon of coffee and cocoa powder? I would really appreciate it if you notice this. Thanks very much!
I’m really happy to hear you love the cupcakes so much! As for mocha cupcakes, I would direct you to use my small batch chocolate cupcakes to start. There is coffee in it, but you won’t actually taste it. I would bump up the espresso powder to 1 teaspoon at a minimum. Leave the hot coffee amount alone because it’ll mess with the dry to liquid ratio. Then you can frost it with a mocha buttercream. Use coffee instead of the heavy cream. Maybe even add a touch of espresso powder. The recipes: https://www.chocolatemoosey.com/2020/05/08/small-batch-chocolate-cupcakes/ and https://www.chocolatemoosey.com/2018/04/02/small-batch-chocolate-frosting/
I was actually thinking the same thing with the chocolate cupcakes but too scared to mess up the recipe. Thank you so much for the advice, I’ll try it out tomorrow. Hope everything goes well. Thanks again!
Let me know how it goes!
Hi Carla! My husband and I love your yellow cake recipe. He’s requested it for his birthday and I need to make it enough for a 13 x 9 pan. Do you have any advice on conversions for ingredients and baking time?
I haven’t made this recipe as a 13×9 cake, but typically 24 cupcakes = 13×9 cake. Likely you’ll have to triple this recipe. I’d bake for 20 minutes then test it with a toothpick until done.
Wow! Light the fluffy and very tasty. An hour ago I wanted cake and now I have 6 delicious cupcakes. Ummm… make that 4.
I used cake flour, and didn’t have buttermilk, so used the milk/lemon juice trick.
Instead of frosting, I dusted them with confectioner’s sugar.
Happy you enjoyed the recipe! Love the idea of dusting them with powdered sugar.
These were so delicious & so easy to make. Perfect amount since it’s just my husband & me. Loved the frosting although I did end up putting 3 tablespoons of heavy cream since I love a very light texture. Next I’ll try the small batch chocolate cupcakes & will do the peanut butter frosting. Thank you so much for this easy but delicious recipe.
Happy to hear you enjoyed the cupcakes!
Thank you! I wanted a little treat for the family and put the batter on a small brownie pan. Perfect t amount and delicious cake. I will make again.
Glad you enjoyed it!