High Altitude Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
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!
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.
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
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