There's no need to choose between chocolate and vanilla with these Marble Swirl Cupcakes! A delicious combination between chocolate and vanilla swirled into one cupcake! It's basically like having two cupcakes at once!
Cocoa Powder
Let’s talk cocoa powder!
Cocoa powder is crucial for getting rich, chocolate cakes that we all know and love! There’s a lot of different kinds at the store and I admit it can be a little confusing on which one to buy.
Not to mention some say cacao and some say cocoa, it’s a very confusing item to buy, so let me break it down for you.
Cacao is the unprocessed version of cocoa. Cacao is slightly healthier than cocoa because it’s able to retain more minerals and antioxidants since it’s not been processed. However, because of that, it can end up being slightly more bitter. You’ll see cacao more in the health foods section where granola might be as well!
Cacao and cocoa powder can be interchanged but you do have to be aware it can affect the taste. It’s slightly bitter which we don’t always want in our cakes. If you use cacao, you might have to adjust the sugar content!
While the two powders are interchangeable cacao nibs and chocolate chips are two totally different items that I do not recommend using interchangeably.
I like to use 100% unsweetened cocoa powder. To me, it gives the richest chocolate flavor with the perfect amount of sweetness!
Buttercream Swirls
I’m obsessed with these buttercream swirls! They’re a total show stopper dessert!
I have a few tips and tricks for getting these piping swirls! First things first, I like to use a star tip with the prongs out! If you have a star tip with the prongs curling in, that’s fine too! The shapes are pretty similar!
In order to get the swirl throughout, we need to get the vanilla and chocolate buttercream into the same piping bag. To do that, I like to lay out a piece of plastic wrap. Then, I pipe a line of chocolate buttercream about 5 inches long. I pipe a second line of vanilla buttercream right by the chocolate buttercream. Then, I wrap the plastic wrap together and gently press on the buttercream to make sure there isn’t any air bubbles. I cut one side of the plastic wrap right were the frosting begins. Place the plastic wrap frosting into a piping bag with a star tip on.
Now, you’re ready to pipe! To get the beautiful mountain swirls, I start by piping in the middle first and then gently dragging the frosting around the edge of the cupcake. Then I continue going around the top of the frosting until I get to the top. I gently pul the piping bag to get the perfect tip at the top!
It honestly sounds more complicated than it it, I promise!
But you don’t need to do all that! You can also just use a butter-knife to spread the frosting on the cupcake as well!
Ingredient List
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Pinch of salt
- Oil
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Milk
- Cocoa Powder
I know this seems like a jam-packed recipe and it kind of is... But I promise you, it's worth it! The chocolate and vanilla swirls are so fun to see, make, and eat! It's a win all around!
Once you have one of these Marble Swirl Cupcakes, you won't want to go back to plain ole' vanilla and chocolate cupcakes!
Cheers!
-Holly Michelle
Marble Swirl Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups Flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup Oil
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Milk plus 1 tablespoon set aside
- ¼ cup Cocoa Powder
Vanilla Buttercream:
- 1 stick Butter room temperature
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Heavy Cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Buttercream:
- 1 stick Butter room temperature
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Heavy Cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Cocoa Powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and add cupcake liners to a cupcake pan.
- Add sugar and oil to a large bowl and whisk together.
- Add in eggs and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together.
- Add ⅓ of the dry mixture to the oil mixture, then add in ¼ cup of milk. Continue this pattern until all the ingredients are gone, you should finish with the flour.
- Take ⅔s of the batter and add in 1 tablespoon of milk and the cocoa powder.
- Alternate adding in the vanilla batter with the chocolate batter until this cupcakes are ⅔s of the way full.
- Take a toothpick to swirl around the frosting on the top.
- Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool.
Making Vanilla Buttercream:
- Add butter to a mixing bowl with the powdered sugar and whip for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in heavy cream and vanilla extract. Mix for about 4-5 minutes.
- Add to a piping bag.
Making Chocolate Buttercream:
- Add butter to a mixing bowl with the powdered sugar and whip for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in cocoa powder, heavy cream and vanilla extract. Mix for about 4-5 minutes.
- Add to a piping bag.
Assembly:
- To make one large piping bag, lay out a piece of plastic wrap. On one side of the plastic wrap, pipe a line of chocolate buttercream. Then pipe a line of vanilla buttercream beside it.
- Wrap the plastic wrap together, then insert into a piping bag with a star tip.
- Start by piping a star in the middle of the cupcake and then going around to the edges then pull the frosting up to create a swirled top.
- Enjoy!
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