These high altitude yellow cupcakes have been adjusted for baking above 4,500 feet so you get fluffy, pretty cupcakes every time! They’re flavored with lots of vanilla and topped with fudgy chocolate buttercream for a classic birthday cake situation.

A closeup side image of a marble and wood board topped with high altitude yellow cupcakes with chocolate buttercream on a grey table next to a glass of milk, grey bowl of frosting, and grey vase with dried eucalyptus leaves.

This post is dedicated to my lovely Grammy Gail. Back in 2016, a few days after she passed, I created this recipe to honor her memory. I have some amazing memories of my grandma, growing up visiting her ranch out in Washoe, Nevada and riding horses.

My grandma loved Native American history and traveled around Nevada for archaeological digs. She had a huge passion for animals, particularly horses and dogs, and she loved making large comforting meals for us all. True story, one time my aunt had a friend over and truly couldn’t believe that the two roasted chickens resting peacefully on the counter were for my grandma’s gang of greyhounds and other such mutts.

But, that was my grandma. She was quiet but so funny. She had a ton of sass which she (luckily) passed on to me. Gail taught me to never take no for an answer.

And this dessert was her absolute favorite. So today, in honor of my Gram, I’m sharing my favorite recipe for yellow cupcakes that I originally created when I was in pastry school. And like many of my mini cupcake recipes or mini cookie recipes, this one has been adjusted for high altitude baking.

The ingredient list

A variety of white and grey bowls filled with baking ingredients like flour, butter, sugar, eggs, cocoa powder, sour cream, and milk on a grey speckled counter.

Luckily, the ingredient list is ridiculously simple. Make sure you have all purpose flour, cornstarch, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, whole milk, baking soda, baking powder, and Kosher salt. For the buttercream, you’ll need more butter, Dutch process cocoa powder, powdered sugar, milk, and salt.

Bake the cupcakes

A silver bowl of creamed butter and sugar on a marble counter.
Beat the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
A silver bowl of butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
Next, add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
A silver bowl of butter, sugar, eggs, and sour cream on a marble table.
Add the sour cream. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl for well-mixed batter!
A silver bowl of batter and flour on a white counter.
Then, add the flour mixture and milk in two batches.
A silver bowl of batter for high altitude yellow cupcakes.
Don’t over-mix the batter or the cupcakes will come out dense!
Rows of high altitude yellow cupcakes on a wire rack.
Divide the batter between the liners & bake.

Chocolate buttercream

A silver bowl of butter and powdered sugar on a white counter.
Beat the butter & powdered sugar until it’s light & fluffy.
A silver bowl of frosting & cocoa powder.
Add the cocoa powder, cream, and a pinch of salt.
A hand holding a whipping attachment covered in chocolate buttercream.
Whip on high until it’s fluffy and then frost the cupcakes.
A side image of a marble and wood tray of high altitude yellow cupcakes with chocolate buttercream on a grey table next to a grey bowl of frosting, white bowl of cacao nibs, white vase with brown blossoms, and cup of milk.

Storing + freezing cupcakes

To store leftover cupcakes, place them in an airtight container. Then, just let them sit at room temperature for up to 3 days. To freeze the cupcakes, place the unfrosted cupcakes in a freezer-safe container. Separate layers with sheets of parchment paper if you need to stack them. Then, freeze the cupcakes for up to 1 month. Defrost them for 1 hour before frosting!

Layer cake instructions

You can also make a 3-layer 6-inch cake with this recipe!

  1. Grease the cake pans well and line the bottoms with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
  2. Then, divide the batter equally between the cake pans.
  3. Lastly, bake at 375°F for 18-21 minutes. Cool completely before releasing the cakes from the pan.
A closeup side image of high altitude yellow cupcakes with chocolate buttercream on a marble and wood cake stand next to a grey vase with blossoms, a glass of milk, a grey bowl of frosting, and a white bowl of cacao nibs with a grey background.

If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

A very closeup image of high altitude yellow cupcakes with chocolate buttercream on a marble cake stand with a grey background.
5 from 4 votes

High Altitude Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

Yield: 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Inspired by the go-to birthday cake, these high altitude yellow cupcakes have been adjusted for 4,500 feet of elevation so that they always come out fluffy, soft, and pretty! Then, they're topped with fluffy, fudgy chocolate buttercream for a delicious, classic treat. They're just the best!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients

High Altitude Yellow Cupcakes

  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup whole milk

Chocolate Buttercream

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons whole milk or cream, plus more as needed
  • Cacao nibs, sprinkles, etc., for decorating (optional)

Instructions 

High Altitude Yellow Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two cupcake pans with paper cupcake wrappers.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Then, mix in the vanilla extract and sour cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Stir in half of the flour mixture followed by half of the milk. Repeat with the remaining flour mix and milk, stirring just until combined. Don't overmix!
  • Divide the batter evenly between the 24 cupcake wrappers, until the cups are about 2/3 full each. Bake the cupcakes for 12-14 minutes, just until an inserted toothpick has a few moist crumbs.
  • Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream

  • In a large bowl, beat the butter for a couple of minutes until it is fluffy. Next, add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until the frosting comes together.
  • Mix in the cocoa powder until the frosting is thick. Then, add a pinch of salt and the whole milk or heavy cream 1 Tablespoon at a time until the frosting is smooth and reaches your desired texture.
  • Whip the buttercream for 5-6 minutes until it is light and fluffy. Pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes with a piping bag and tip. Or, use a butter knife or offset spatula to spread the frosting onto the cupcakes. Decorate as desired. Enjoy!

Notes

To measure the flour, first fluff it with a whisk. Then, spoon the fluffed flour into a measuring cup and level it off without packing it in.
Do not overmix the batter. I know this is true for all cakes but especially at high altitude! Overmixing adds extra air bubbles which will cause the cake to rise quicker. Since this is already an issue at high elevation, you always want to make sure to mix the batter just until it’s incorporated.
Avoid opening the oven whenever possible. Especially during the rising process because the cold air can prevent the cupcakes from rising. This is true even at sea level but for some reason, I’ve noticed it’s extra sensitive at high altitude.
Bake the cupcakes until they’re just done. Since it’s easy to dry out cake at high altitudes, you want to be extra careful! I like to take them out when an inserted toothpick has just a few moist crumbs. The cupcakes will continue baking in the pan.
If you’re still having troubles with the high altitude yellow cupcakes sinking in the middle, this recipe may need to be adjusted more for even higher elevations. Reduce the baking powder and soda by 1/8 teaspoon as needed.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Sara Lynn Hunt Broka
Serving: 1cupcake, Calories: 289kcal, Carbohydrates: 41.7g, Protein: 2.5g, Fat: 13.1g, Saturated Fat: 8.1g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 114mg, Potassium: 106mg, Fiber: 0.9g, Sugar: 30.7g, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @sundaytable.co on Instagram!