These easy sunflower cupcakes bring a little bit of summer to any get-together no matter the time of year. Rich chocolate cake is topped with delicious buttercream frosting colored to look just like sunflowers! They're as fun as they are delicious.
Cupcakes are delicious, right? Right. I make them all the time, but I got bored with just swirling frosting on top. That's why I decided to go with something a little more fun and whimsical.
Buttercream Sunflower Cupcakes
This was inspired by another cupcake recipe on this site. I figure if a few swirls and a little color could make my Christmas cupcakes pop, then the same could be done with these sunflower cupcakes! These buttercream sunflower cupcakes are SO easy to make!
Ingredients
It only takes a few ingredients to make these delicious cupcakes. Most of the ingredients are kitchen staples, so you'll have no trouble gathering them all up.
For the Cupcakes
- Butter, softened
- White sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Salt
For the Frosting
- Milk
- Powdered sugar
- Yellow, orange, and brown food coloring
See the recipe card at the end of the post for amounts and cooking times.
Instructions
Making these cupcakes is just as easy as gathering up the ingredients for them. This is a simple chocolate cupcake recipe along with an equally simple buttercream frosting recipe. The color is what does all the heavy lifting here.
Step 1: Cream Butter and Sugar
Beat butter and sugar together until creamy.
Step 2: Add Eggs and Vanilla
Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat again.
Step 3: Add the Remaining Ingredients
Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and milk. Then, beat until the batter is uniform.
Step 4: Bake the Cupcakes
Fill cupcake tin with liners about ¾ full and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Step 5: Make the Frosting
While the cupcakes are baking, beat powdered sugar, butter, and milk, adding the milk one tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.
Step 6: Color the Frosting
Separate the frosting, coloring ¼ of it brown and the remaining ¾ with a mix of yellow and orange to achieve the desired color.
Step 7: Finish the Cupcakes
Cool the cupcakes completely, and then frost them. Make a circle of brown frosting in the center, and then surround it with the orange and yellow frosting until the cupcakes are colored.
Hint: You can make the frosting as simple or as fancy as you like!
Substitutions
Don't have the correct ingredients on hand or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this sunflower cupcakes recipe.
- Cream - If you don't have milk, you can use cream for both the batter and the frosting.
- Black Food Coloring - If you don't have brown food coloring, black will also work for the center frosting.
- Boxed Cake Mix - If you're pressed for time, forego the homemade cupcakes and use a mix.
Variations
Want to personalize this easy sunflower cupcakes recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.
- Mini Morsels - Add mini morsels to the center frosting to create a seed look for your cupcakes.
- Red Food Coloring - You can add red food coloring to your sunflower petal mixture for a deeper color effect.
- Yellow Cake - Make the cupcakes with yellow cake for an extra pop of color.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy these cream cheese stuffed cupcakes.
Equipment
This is such an easy recipe that uses basic ingredients and baking tools. It doesn't take much to make it!
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Mixing bowl
- Mixer
- Piping bag and tips
Storage
This recipe will keep well in the refrigerator for three to four days. You can't freeze these cupcakes.
Tips
A recipe this simple is hard to get wrong, but there are some tips here to help take the recipe from good to great. These are simple, so be sure to give them a look.
- Fully soften your butter to ensure that your cupcakes and frosting come out perfectly.
- If you aren't confident in your frosting capabilities, simply snip a corner off of your piping bag and do a simple frosting layer. You'll still get the impression of a sunflower.
More Cupcake Recipes
Do you like cupcakes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try
- Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
- Andes Mint Cupcakes with Irish Buttercream Frosting
- Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes
FAQ
Do you have questions about sunflower cupcakes? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about these easy sunflower cupcakes.
These cupcakes will last for three to four days in the refrigerator.
Yes. These are made with buttercream frosting, which uses both milk and butter, both of which must be refrigerated.
No. Buttercream frosting doesn't defrost well.
You can be as fancy or as simple as you like. Use a frosting tip to make petals or simply cut a corner out of the piping bag to do simple frosting using the colors to suggest a sunflower.
Easy Sunflower Cupcakes
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Homemade Chocolate Sunflower Cupcakes
Equipment
- Piping bag and tip or resealable bags
Ingredients
- 13 tablespoons butter softened and divided
- 1 ¼ cups white sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract divided
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk divided
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- food coloring yellow, orange, and brown food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat 10 tablespoons and sugar together until creamy.
- Add eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat again.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and ¾ cup milk.
- Beat just until batter is uniform.
- Fill cupcake liners ¾ full.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While cupcakes are baking, prepare frosting.
- Beat powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, and remaining milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until frosting forms the desired consistency.
- Separate frosting, coloring ¼ of it with brown food coloring and ¾ of it with
- yellow and orange food coloring until you reach the desired color.
- When cupcakes are baked and cooled, transfer frosting to two separate resealable bags.
- Depending on your decorating skills, you may choose to use tips to apply the frosting. Another option is to simply pipe the frosting on by cutting a corner of the bag off and then use a toothpick to create a sunflower look.
Notes
- Fully soften your butter to ensure that your cupcakes and frosting come out perfectly.
- If you aren't confident in your frosting capabilities, simply snip a corner off of your piping bag and do a simple frosting layer. You'll still get the impression of a sunflower.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
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