Paula Deen Chocolate Birthday Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

Paula Deen chocolate birthday cupcakes with vanilla frosting need 40 minutes, cocoa, shortening and confectioner's sugar to make a dozen soft chocolate cupcakes. Try this easy birthday cupcake recipe for a potluck or holiday table, since it's kid-friendly and the buttercream tints any color.

Mix the milk and white vinegar first and let it sit while you measure everything else, because that soured milk gives the cupcakes their tender crumb. Skip it and the batter turns out flatter and drier.

Paula stirs the cocoa into hot water before anything else goes in, which blooms it into a deeper chocolate flavor than dry cocoa gives you. She also uses shortening in the batter, so the cupcakes stay moist for days and don't dry out on the party table.

Paula Deen Chocolate Birthday Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

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Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

18

minutes

Calories

520

kcal

Cocoa blooms in hot water, then the batter comes together fast for a soft, moist chocolate crumb. A thick, fluffy vanilla buttercream tinted any color you like goes on once they cool.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
  

• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  

• 1/2 cup hot water
  

• 1 cup granulated sugar
  

• 1/2 cup shortening
  

• 4 teaspoons plus 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  

• 2 eggs
  

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  

• 8 cups confectioner's sugar
  

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
  

• food coloring optional
  

• sprinkles optional
  

Directions

• Sour the milk: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Stir 1/2 cup milk and 1 teaspoon white vinegar together in a measuring cup and set it aside to sour.
• Bloom the cocoa: Add 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 1/2 cup hot water to a large bowl, then mix with an electric hand mixer until smooth. This gives the batter a richer chocolate base.
• Mix the batter: Add the soured milk, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup shortening, 4 teaspoons vanilla extract and 2 eggs, then mix together. Next, add 1 1/2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon baking soda and mix until everything is incorporated.
• Fill the pan: Place cupcake liners in a cupcake pan and fill each one halfway with batter. Filling them only halfway keeps the cupcakes from spilling over as they rise.
• Bake and cool: Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Then cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Whip the frosting: Whip 4 cups confectioner's sugar, 2 sticks unsalted butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract with an electric hand mixer until smooth. While it mixes, slowly add 2 tablespoons milk.
• Color the frosting: Add food coloring until you reach the shade you want, then mix in the remaining 4 cups confectioner's sugar. Keep mixing until the frosting is thick and fluffy.
• Frost and decorate: Frost the cooled cupcakes and top them with sprinkles. Do it once they are completely cool so the frosting holds its swirl.

Tools for this recipe

• USA Pan 12-cup muffin pan (set of 2), KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer, Checkered Chef cooling racks, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use butter instead of shortening in the cupcakes?

You can swap in the same amount of softened butter, and the flavor will be a little richer. The cupcakes may come out slightly less moist and a bit more crumbly, since shortening holds moisture longer.

How do I store frosted chocolate cupcakes?

Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Because the frosting is buttercream, move them to the fridge if your kitchen is warm, and let them sit out for about 20 minutes before serving.

Can I make these cupcakes ahead of time?

Bake the cupcakes a day ahead and keep them unfrosted in an airtight container. Make the frosting the day of the party, so it stays fluffy and holds its swirl.

Can I use a regular mixer instead of a hand mixer?

A stand mixer works just as well, so use whichever you have. Mix on low speed after the flour goes in, since overmixing the batter can make the cupcakes tough.

Why did my cupcakes sink in the middle?

Opening the oven door early is the usual cause, since the cold air collapses the rising batter. Overfilling the liners can do it too, so keep them at halfway and wait until the last few minutes to check.