High altitude marble cupcakes made with chocolate and vanilla cake batter swirled together, frosted with fluffy vanilla buttercream and a dusting of cocoa powder.
You might also love these high altitude recipes for marble cake with chocolate ganache drip, and chocolate vanilla marble cookies.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Chocolate + Vanilla . There’s no need to choose between chocolate cupcakes or vanilla cupcakes when you combine both into marble cupcakes. And the cupcakes look so pretty with the swirls of chocolate and vanilla cake.
Only One Cake Batter. You’ll be making a simple vanilla cake batter, then adding a mixture of cocoa powder and hot water to a small portion of the vanilla batter to make a chocolate batter. The whole process is quick, easy and fuss free!
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line your muffin pan/s with 16 paper liners.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth. Set aside.
- In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder, then whisk until everything is well distributed.
- Separately, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and whisk just until combined.
- Measure 1/2 cup of the vanilla batter into the cocoa mixture, and stir until combined.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of vanilla batter into each of the paper liners. Then spoon 1 teaspoon of chocolate batter on top of the vanilla batter. Repeat again with 1 tablespoon of vanilla batter, 1 teaspoon of chocolate batter, then finish with 1 tablespoon of vanilla batter. As you alternate the vanilla and chocolate batter, it will spread out and create “rings” for a marbled effect.
- Bake the cupcakes on the center oven rack for about 18 minutes, until the centers of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched, or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pans for several minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder and salt. With the mixer running on low, add the powdered sugar mixture by spoonfuls to the butter, mixing just until combined. The buttercream will be clumpy at this point.
- Add the vanilla, and increase the speed to medium. Whip the buttercream for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl several times, until very light and fluffy, adding the milk only as needed for desired consistency.
- Fit a 16-inch disposable piping bag with tip 8B, or a large open star tip, and fill with buttercream. Pipe swirls of buttercream on top of the cupcakes.
- Just before serving, dust with cocoa powder.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
For a swirled chocolate and vanilla buttercream, see my s’mores cupcakes (photo below).
You Might Also Like
Please check out my Amazon Shop for a curated collection of some of my favorite cake pans from trusted brands, baking tools, ingredients, pretty things and fashion finds. I recommend products that I buy and use every day!
Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!
High Altitude Marble Cupcakes (Chocolate Vanilla Swirl)
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Standard-Sized Muffin Pan
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
- 16-inch Piping Bag (plus tip 8B, or a large open star tip)
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 ½ tbsp unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 ½ – 2 tbsp hot water
- 1 ¾ cups cake flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Buttercream
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ tbsp meringue powder (optional)
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 tbsp milk or cream, only if needed
- 1 tbsp unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line your muffin pan/s with 16 paper liners.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth. Set aside.
- In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder, then whisk until everything is well distributed.
- Separately, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and whisk just until combined.
- Measure 1/2 cup of the vanilla batter into the cocoa mixture, and stir until combined.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of vanilla batter into each of the paper liners. Then spoon 1 teaspoon of chocolate batter on top of the vanilla batter. Repeat again with 1 tablespoon of vanilla batter, 1 teaspoon of chocolate batter, then finish with 1 tablespoon of vanilla batter. As you alternate the vanilla and chocolate batter, it will spread out and create "rings" for a marbled effect.
- Bake the cupcakes on the center oven rack for about 18 minutes, until the centers of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched, or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pans for several minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder and salt. With the mixer running on low, add the powdered sugar mixture by spoonfuls to the butter, mixing just until combined. The buttercream will be clumpy at this point.
- Add the vanilla, and increase the speed to medium. Whip the buttercream for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl several times, until very light and fluffy, adding the milk only as needed for desired consistency.
- Fit a 16-inch disposable piping bag with tip 8B, or a large open star tip, and fill with buttercream. Pipe swirls of buttercream on top of the cupcakes.
- Just before serving, dust with cocoa powder.
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