Marble Cupcakes

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Struggling to choose between vanilla and chocolate? You don’t have to! These moist and fluffy Marble Cupcakes combine both flavors into one drool-worthy dessert and are topped with a swirl of chocolate and vanilla buttercream!

These Cupcakes Are the Best of Both Worlds!

Chocolate and vanilla are two iconic flavors that couldn’t possibly get old. Some people swear by one or the other, and some people love them both. No matter which category you fall under, you’re sure to enjoy these tasty cupcakes.

With chocolate and vanilla swirled into the frosting as well as the cake part, every bite is a beautiful medley of sweet and rich. The cupcakes are light, soft and moist while the buttercream is smooth and velvety. They’re essentially a mini version of my marble cake recipe, but with marble frosting added to boot! Bring a batch of these cupcakes to any event and watch people compete for the last one.

The Right Ingredients for the Best Cupcakes

The ingredients in these cupcakes are fairly straightforward. Each works towards the perfect taste and texture in these cupcakes.

For the Marble Cupcakes

• All-Purpose Flour: Either use the spoon and level method or a food scale to ensure accurate measurements. Read more about measuring flour accurately here.
• Baking Powder: These cupcakes use baking powder for the ideal rise and texture.
• Salt: Always be sure to add salt for flavor.
• Unsalted Butter: Be sure to bring this to room temperature so that it combined properly.
• Sugar
• Large Eggs
• Sour Cream: This keeps the batter nice and thick so the chocolate and vanilla versions don’t blend into one another. If you really don’t want to use it or it’s not available, you could try using plain greek yogurt. I do think sour cream gives better flavor and moisture though.
• Vanilla Extract
• Bittersweet Chocolate: I recommend at least 60% cacao for the best flavor. Anything less won’t produce as strong of a chocolate flavor and it will kind of get lost.

For the Vanilla Buttercream

• Unsalted Butter: Brought to room temperature.
• Powdered Sugar: Gives the frosting its volume and consistency.
• Vanilla Extract
• Cream: For that silky smooth texture.
• Pinch of Salt: The salt can really enhance the flavor of the buttercream, but you won’t want to go overboard.

For the Chocolate Buttercream

• Unsalted Butter: Room temperature.
• Powdered Sugar
• Cocoa Powder: Stick with natural and unsweetened cocoa powder so that the color of the buttercream matches the marble in the cake.
• Vanilla Extract
• Cream
• Pinch of Salt

How to Make Marble Cupcakes

Once your ingredients are assembled, you’re ready to work on the cupcake batter, which starts off as a single mixture before it’s separated and chocolate is added to half. After the cupcakes bake and cool completely, it’s frosting time!

Make the Cupcakes

1. Prep for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a cupcake pan with nonstick liners.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set the mixture aside.
3. Combine Wet Ingredients: Add the butter and sugar to a large mixer bowl and beat until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until the wet ingredients are well combined after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well incorporated.
4. Start Adding Dry Ingredients: Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until combined.
5. Add Sour Cream & Vanilla: Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
6. Finish Adding Dry Ingredients: Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, being careful not to over-mix the batter.
7. Divide Batter Evenly & Add Chocolate to Half: Divide the batter in half and move one of the halves to a separate bowl. Add the melted chocolate to one of the bowls and fold it into the batter until combined.
8. Fill Liners: Drop alternating spoonfuls of chocolate and vanilla batter into the cupcake liners. You’ll need about 3 1/2 to 4 tablespoons of cake batter per cupcake.
9. Bake and Cool: Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove the marble cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for about 2-3 minutes, then transfer them to cooling racks to cool completely.

Make the Frostings & Assemble

1. Beat Butter for Vanilla Frosting: Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until it’s nice and smooth.
2. Start Adding Powdered Sugar: Add about half of the powdered sugar to the beaten butter and mix until smooth and well combined.
3. Add Vanilla, Salt & Some Cream: Add the vanilla extract, the salt and 1-2 tablespoons of the cream to the frosting, mixing until well combined.
4. Finish Adding Powdered Sugar: Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
5. Adjust Consistency: Add additional cream as needed to get the right consistency, then set the frosting aside.
6. Start On Chocolate Frosting: Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
7. Add Cocoa & Half of Powdered Sugar: Add the cocoa powder and about half of the powdered sugar. Mix until the frosting is smooth and well combined.
8. Add Vanilla, Salt & Some Cream: Add the vanilla extract, the salt and 1-2 tablespoons of the cream, mixing until well combined.
9. Add Remaining Powdered Sugar & Adjust Consistency: Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Stir in additional cream as needed to get the right consistency.
10. Transfer Frosting to Piping Bags: To create the swirl frosting, add the vanilla and chocolate buttercream to two separate 12-inch piping bags without piping tips. You’ll then add both of the bags to a 16-inch piping bag fitted with your piping tip (I use Ateco tip 847). The two smaller piping bags containing the frostings should be side by side in the larger bag.
11. Add to Cupcakes: Gently squeeze the top of the large piping bag to push the two frostings down into the piping tip, squeezing some out until you see both colors. Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes and enjoy!

Tips for Success

Put the following tips into action for the best results.

• Use Room Temperature Butter: Cold butter doesn’t beat well, so it’s important to bring it to room temperature before you use it. This goes for the batter and both of the frostings.
• Stick With Bittersweet Chocolate: I don’t recommend using milk or semisweet chocolate in your cupcake batter. You need something a bit stronger so the chocolate flavor doesn’t get lost – I find that 60% cacao is perfect. If you’re a fan of dark chocolate, feel free to up that percentage even more.
• Don’t Skimp on the Creaming Time: Continue to cream your butter and sugar until the mixture fluffs up and lightens in color. This will be an obvious change, so be on the lookout. You also don’t want to over-cream.
• Divide the Batter Evenly: I like to weigh out my cupcake batter with a food scale to make sure I’m splitting it into two even halves. If you have access to a food scale, I suggest doing the same.
• Adjust the Consistency of the Frosting as Needed: Not sure how thick or thin your buttercream should be? Check out this helpful tutorial for How to Get the Right Frosting Consistency.

Storage Instructions

Store any extra marble cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours. After that, they should be transferred to the fridge, where they’ll last for 2-3 additional days. I like to bring my cupcakes to room temperature before I dig in.

Can I Freeze These?

Yes – you can either freeze the cooled cupcakes before you add the frosting or store the finished, frosted cupcakes in the freezer. To freeze the cupcakes by themselves, simply wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap and freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw them out before you add the frosting.

If you’d like to freeze the frosted cupcakes, you’ll have to place them onto a cookie sheet and flash-freeze them for 1-2 hours, or until they’re frozen solid. Wrap each frozen cupcake in a tight layer of plastic wrap and freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Unwrap and thaw them out before enjoying.

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More Crowd-Pleasing Treats to Try

• Fudgy Cookies and Cream Brownies
• Red Velvet Cheesecake Pops
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Classic Shortbread Cookies