Mini cupcakes make a wonderful, bite-sized treat for any occasion. This recipe uses cocoa powder as well as vanilla for a well-rounded chocolate flavor. They’re easy to make and you can have fun decorating.
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If you’re in a baking mood, you have to consider this simple recipe. The mini cupcakes are so cute and everyone in the house will be wondering about that incredible aroma coming from the kitchen!
The hardest thing about this recipe is waiting for them to cool down before you can frost them and take a bite! This is my current favorite cupcake recipe, although these strawberry filled cupcakes and almond flour cupcakes definitely deserve a mention!
Whether or not you’ve made mini cupcakes or the regular size before, I just know you’re going to want to make these. Preparing them is simply a question of combining the ingredients to make the batter and then baking them in the oven and adding the frosting.
These are literally just as good if not better than anything you can get at the local bakery. I’m sure you already have all, or at least most, of the ingredients to make them.
Main Ingredients
Let’s take a closer look at the main ingredients used to make these cute little mini cupcakes:
- All-purpose flour: The key ingredient in the batter. You don’t need anything fancy like cake flour to prepare these little treats. Regular all-purpose flour is perfect since the recipe also uses baking powder and baking soda to get them to rise.
- Cocoa powder: Gives a chocolate taste. Make sure you are using 100% cocoa powder and not something sweetened like hot chocolate powder. You can use any brand you want.
- Vanilla: Complements the chocolate flavor. Use real vanilla extract, not the synthetic kind. I love how a touch of vanilla goes so well with the chocolate and really brings out the amazing flavor of these mini cupcakes.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Sweetens the frosting. Other names for this ingredient include powdered sugar and icing sugar. The fine, powdery texture of confectioners’ sugar means it blends with the other ingredients to create a smooth frosting. Regular white sugar would make it grainy.
- Sour cream: For consistency. You might be curious why cupcakes call for sour cream, but it’s a great ingredient to use because it adds moisture without making the batter thinner. This means the finished mini cupcakes will have a very fine, tender crumb. So if you thought sour cream was just for Tex-Mex dishes, nope! It’s also amazing in cakes such as this cranberry coffee cake recipe.
Instructions Overview
Whisk the flour with the cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl. Mix the oil with the sugar, eggs, and vanilla in another bowl and then you can mix in the milk and sour cream.
Combine both mixtures and then add the batter to paper liners in a pair of mini muffin tins. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. This should take around 12 minutes depending on your oven. Let them cool completely.
To make the frosting, beat the butter, and then you can mix in the cocoa and vanilla. Add a cup of confectioners’ sugar at a time, alternating with the milk until the consistency is right. Pipe the frosting onto the mini cupcakes and then optionally decorate with sprinkles!
Common Questions
These bite-sized treats are about 1¼-inch tall and ¾-inch wide at the base. The great thing about them is you can make two different kinds and then enjoy one of each. Their diminutive size also means you can indulge in a sweet treat pretty much guilt-free!
These will be good for 2 or 3 days. It’s best to keep them in an airtight container. Since the frosting is made with dairy products, keep them refrigerated.
Although not every recipe is the same, mini versions typically take about two-thirds of the time that full-sized cupcakes do.
Chopnotch Tips
- Don’t fill the cupcake liners more than half or, at most, two-thirds full, or else they are going to either overflow or sink in the middle (or both!)
- Sprinkles are pretty as a decoration, but you can use any toppings you want, such as maraschino cherries or any edible decoration.
- You can freeze them unfrosted as long as they’re in an airtight container. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and then you can frost them when you’re ready.
These chocolate and vanilla mini cupcakes are simple to prepare and they taste incredible. The soft, sweet frosting is just as amazing as the yummy moist cupcakes.
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Recipe
How to Make
Mini Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
For the frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 4 tablespoons milk
Instructions
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two mini muffin tins with paper liners.
- Gently whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl until the mixture is well combined.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, beat together the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined, and then whisk in the sour cream and milk.
- Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well combined and then spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins filling each liner about ½ of the way full.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean from the center. Be careful not to over-bake as they dry out much faster than normal-sized cupcakes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
To make the frosting:
- Meanwhile, beat the butter in a large mixing bowl until there are no lumps and then mix in the cocoa powder and vanilla extract.
- Mix in the confectioners’ sugar about 1 cup at a time while alternating with the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Transfer the frosting into a piping bag and frost the cooled cupcakes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t fill the cupcake liners more than half or, at most, two-thirds full, or else they are going to either overflow or sink in the middle (or both!)
- Sprinkles are pretty as a decoration, but you can use any toppings you want, such as maraschino cherries or any edible decoration.
- You can freeze them unfrosted as long as they’re in an airtight container. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and then you can frost them when you’re ready.
