Swirled Cupcakes – Perfect Marble Cupcakes

If you are torn between vanilla chocolate cupcakes decision, make these moist swirled cupcakes that are best of the world – chocolate and vanilla with just perfect swirl of chocolate and vanilla icing. These visually stunning cupcakes are not only a treat for the eyes but also for the tastebuds.

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Why you will love this recipe?

When a cake or cupcake has oil and butter both along with some form of dairy like milk, yogurt or sour cream, I can guess it will be a winner.

It is simple and quick to make and yields a delicious, not so sweet, tender crumb.

If you wish you can skip the frosting and serve it as muffins.

Ingredients at a glance

For the Cupcakes

Butter – unsalted, melted butter, can be warm but not hot

Oil – use any neutral flavored oil like canola, corn etc.

Egg – room temperature egg is important to make a nice smooth batter and to avoid curdling

Sugar – use castor or grinded sugar that can be made at home easily

Vanilla essence – use any form of vanilla available, essence, extract or even seeds from the bean

Milk – room temperature, full fat milk

Yogurt – room temperature full fat yogurt

Flour – regular all purpose flour

Baking powder – always check for expiry of it

Cocoa Powder – the best quality you can get

For the Buttercream

Butter – soft unsalted butter

Salt – a generous pinch

Icing/Powdered/Confectioner’s sugar – please sift if it has lumps, commercially available, homemade not recommended

Whipping/Heavy cream – use cold if summers, use room temperature or slightly warm if winters

How to make swirled marble cupcakes?

For the Cupcakes

This is a very simple recipe and doesn’t require hand mixer. Just a whisk to mix all the wet ingredients and then add in all the sifted dry ingredients.

Step 1 – Whisk melted butter, oil and sugar really well.

Step 2 – Add in egg and vanilla and whisk.

Step 3 – Add in milk and yogurt and whisk.

Step 4 – Lightly whisk in sifted dry ingredients – flour and baking powder.

Step 5 – Separate 1/3 of the batter and add in cocoa powder, whisk.

Step 6 – Pour the mixture dividing into 12 lined muffin pan. You can weigh each muffin batter or estimate it (2 tablespoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon chocolate batter approximately)

Step 7 – Swirl with a skewer and bake.

For the Buttercream

Step 1 – Sift the icing sugar if lumpy

Step 2 – Cream butter and salt really well for approximately 3-5 minutes using a hand beater or stand mixer

Step 3 – Add in icing sugar and 1/2 of the cream, mix well. Beat again with the mixer.

Step 4 – Check for the consistency before adding more cream.

Step 5 – Divide the buttercream in half and add 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and beat well.

Step 6 – Place the buttercream separately in plastic wraps and then in a large piping bag fitted with large open star tip.

Related Recipes

If you love making these sweet little versatile treats then you might enjoy making these ultimate moist vanilla cupcakes and these decadent chocolate fudge cupcakes.

You can also head over and check my cupcake and muffin collection here.

Variations and Substitutions

1. If you are not planning to frost these marble cupcakes, you can add some chocolate chips on top.
2. You can use sour cream in place of yogurt.

Storage

1. For short term – refrigerate the frosted cupcakes or if no frosting you can keep them at room temperature in an air tight box for upto 3 days.
2. For long term – You can totally freeze the unfrosted cupcakes and frosting separately in an airtight box up to a month. Thaw them overnight in fridge covered, bring them to room temperature and then frost as usual.

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