I published a yellow cupcake recipe in 2014, a cupcake I found delicious at the time. Fast forward a few years and the recipe is still good, but the cupcakes often taste bland and dry out quickly. The reviews are mixed– bakers report either great results or disappointing results. I knew I could revamp this recipe because yellow birthday cupcakes deserve more than mediocre results. After playing around with the recipe, I produced an even better version that promises consistent results. In a taste comparison, my taste testers heavily preferred this newer recipe. They’re buttery, moist, and taste even better than they look! They’re the perfect party-tray complement to these chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting!
Recipe Fix: Yellow Cupcakes
Old Yellow Cupcakes Recipe:
Loose & airy crumb Too much flour weighed them down Too much sugar diluted the flavor Beaten egg whites made them fluffy, but dried them out Not enough flavor
The original cupcakes were overly sweet, which overpowered the buttery flavor. When compared to the newer version, the originals were pretty squishy and crumbly—often falling apart in the cupcake wrapper after one bite. Simply put, the cupcakes were underwhelming. It wasn’t a recipe I was proud of anymore, so I made a few notable changes. As soon as I took the first bite, I knew the new yellow cupcakes would be much better than the originals. Here’s a list of everything I did differently.
New Yellow Birthday Cupcakes Recipe:
Cake flour instead of all-purpose flour Reduced the sugar 2 full eggs – no need to separate Sour cream for moisture
Cake flour produces that bakery-style cakey structure, while sour cream adds plenty of creamy moisture. The yellow birthday cupcakes have a tight crumb like pound cake, but taste super soft with a bouncy light texture. They’re more flavorful than the originals, using more butter and vanilla per ounce of flour. We also skip whipping the egg whites separately—this is something I do with my red velvet cake and even my layered yellow cake too. Why? Well, it helps produce an extra fluffy texture in layer cakes that can otherwise become dense from being squished down. I don’t find that added step necessary for these cupcakes. The cupcake batter is creamy, silky, and velvet rich. Steal a taste because this batter is divine. You know you’re on the right track even before the cupcakes go into the oven! Tip: To avoid overflowing, only fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
These Yellow Birthday Cupcakes Are:
Made with basic baking ingredients Moist and buttery like my yellow cake Soft with a tight crumb Cakey & creamy Very simple and straightforward Better than the original!
But there’s one thing I’d never change: my favorite chocolate buttercream. The room temperature butter for the pictured frosting was super soft, so I added a little extra cocoa powder to avoid a greasy situation. As a result, the color and flavor were a little deeper but the frosting was just as silky and decadent as the recipe states. This is the perfect chocolate frosting—it literally tastes like a piece of creamy chocolate fudge. I used the big Ateco 849 piping tip for the pictured cupcakes. You can watch me use it in the video tutorial for my confetti cupcakes—very easy. Start in the center of the cupcake and swirl upward. It’s super simple, even if you’re a piping tip beginner. Never celebrate another birthday without a batch!
More Birthday Recipes
Confetti Cupcakes Vanilla Cake Yellow Sheet Cake and Layered Yellow Cake Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies 1-Layer Sprinkle Cake Piñata Cupcakes and Piñata Cake
