Chocolate Cupcakes with Pink Buttercream

🧁 These Chocolate Cupcakes with Pink Buttercream pair a tender, cocoa‑rich crumb with fluffy, rosy swirls of vanilla buttercream. The batter mixes quickly by whisk, relying on hot water or hot coffee to thin and bloom the cocoa for a deep chocolate flavour. The cupcakes bake up moist with a delicate dome, then cool completely before they’re crowned with light, pipeable buttercream tinted the perfect shade of pink.

To keep the texture soft and the rise even, whisk the dry ingredients thoroughly, combine the wet ingredients just until smooth, and add the hot liquid slowly so the batter stays silky without overworking the flour. For the frosting, start with truly softened butter, add the powdered sugar gradually on low speed, and whip in just enough cream to achieve a smooth, airy finish that pipes cleanly.

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (45g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk (or milk + 1/2 tsp vinegar)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120ml) hot water or hot coffee

For the Pink Buttercream

• 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 1/2 cups (450g) powdered sugar
• 2–3 tbsp heavy cream or milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pink food coloring (gel preferred)

Decoration