Best High Altitude Birthday Cupcakes
These birthday cupcakes combine two favorite flavors, with soft vanilla cupcakes and fluffy chocolate buttercream, topped with colorful sprinkles.
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
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 cups cake flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 10 minutes
- ½ cup whole milk, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch processed)
- 1 tsp meringue powder (optional)
- ⅛ tsp coarse Kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- sprinkles
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line standard-sized muffin/cupcake pans with 18 paper liners.
- In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Separately, whisk together the melted butter, milk, sour cream, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and whisk just until smooth and combined.
- Divide the batter between the paper liners, filling them 2/3 full.
- Bake the cupcakes for about 18-22 minutes, until the tops spring back when gently touched.
- Cool in the pan for several minutes, then gently transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute, until smooth.
- In a bowl, combine the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, meringue powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients by spoonfuls. Add the vanilla extract.
- Increase the speed to medium, and whip for 4-5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl down several times, until very light and fluffy. Turn the speed down to "stir" and mix for one more minute.
- Use piping tip 1M to pipe swirls of buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes, and top with sprinkles.
Notes
Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/