Simple Vanilla and Chocolate Cupcakes with Decadent Icing

Last year for Wren's birthday, I made her cupcakes with vanilla and chocolate icing. I remember people were asking me about the recipe, and I am happy to say I finally remembered/found the time to post it!

Simple Vanilla or Chocolate Cupcakes- where I got the recipe is a mystery to me now. (makes 12)


2/3 c cake flour
2/3 c white sugar
3/4 c softened butter
3 eggs room temp.
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
Optional: sprinkle on shredded coconut on top of icing when finished.
(for chocolate cupcakes, add 2 tbsp cocoa powder with the flour)

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Place butter and sugar into a bowl and cream with electric mixer for about 2 min.
Add in lightly beaten eggs to the mix a little at a time, beating on slow for 15 sec between each addition. Add vanilla, then sift flour and baking powder in and mix for a further minute.
(I literally did sift the dry ingredients into the batter with a sieve and it too forever so I think I dumped it all in. If you have patience to sift it all, good for you. By the way, I think beating everything with the electric mixer is the secret here, not sure, but I have a hunch.)

Spoon batter into muffin pan and place on middle rack in oven. Bake for about 18-20 min or until a toothpick comes out clean. After a couple of minutes, place cupcakes on a wire rack to cool.

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Now you need some delicious icing for these cupcakes. Again, I have no idea where I found the recipes for both the recipes below. I suggest you double the recipes though...there were a few jokes around how little icing was on these cupcakes, although they tasted great! People like their icing piled on, note Flirt Cupcake's success ;)

Butter Cream Icing


3/4 c softened butter
1 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Beat all ingredients together with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Smack the fingers that try to reach in for a little sampling. Your own fingers dipping in occasionally is fine though.

If you are a chocolate lover...keep reading...

Sour Cream Chocolate Icing


1 c semi- sweet chocolate (not chocolate chips. come.on.now.)
1/4 c butter
1/2 c sour cream (not low fat either...this isn't a time for healthy choices).
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 salt
2 3/4 c icing sugar


Melt chocolate, take care not to burn it. Beat all ingredients together until light and fluffy.

When cupcakes are fully cooled, spread on the icing and eat!

(Cupcake baking cups and bird decorations came as a set from Urban Outfitters last year.)