The only things I love more than cupcakes are bite-sized mini cupcakes! I've included recipes for both mini vanilla cupcakes and mini chocolate cupcakes, as well as my classic vanilla and chocolate buttercream!
You don't have to make both flavors, you can easily do just one or the other!
Mini Vanilla Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 24 cup mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar until smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla bean paste and whisk until fully incorporated.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then add in the milk. Once incorporated, add in the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter should be thick.*
Fill each cupcake liner about ¾ full (about 1 tablespoon of batter).
Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack. Let the mini vanilla cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Vanilla Buttercream
In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
Add in the vanilla bean paste and beat the frosting on high for 4-5 minutes until lightly and fluffy.
If needed, add in cream 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
Frost the mini vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and garnish with rainbow sprinkles if desired!
Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 24 cup mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake liners.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and sugar. Then whisk in the egg until fully combined and smooth.
Gently mix in half the dry ingredients. Then add in the milk and the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter will be thin.*
Fill each cupcake liner about ¾ full (about 1 tablespoon of batter).
Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack. Let the mini chocolate cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream
Melt the dark chocolate and let cool almost to room temperature. It should be melted but cool to the touch. I prefer to melt the chocolate in the microwave in intervals of 20 seconds, stirring each time.
In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
Add in the cocoa powder and mix until fully combined.
Set the mixer to low speed and slowly drizzle in the melted chocolate until it's fully incorporated into the buttercream. Beat the frosting on high for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
If the frosting in too thick, add in 1 tablespoon of cream at a time to thin it out a bit.
Frost the mini cupcakes with chocolate buttercream and garnish with chocolate sprinkles if desired!
Notes
The mini cupcakes are best the same day, but will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days! However, they taste best when served at room temperature! I like to let them sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving.*The vanilla cupcake batter should be thicker than the chocolate cupcake batter, this is normal due to slight differences in the recipes.