Moist, fluffy yellow cake topped with a heap of creamy, decadent chocolate buttercream.

So my husband and I were going to wait to announce the gender of our precious baby until I shared this blog post and recipe; but, we got caught up in all the excitement and couldn’t wait to tell you all the good news! In case you missed the Insta post/ blast we are expecting a lil’ lady! My husband and I are in complete shock and awe (our expressions are priceless!).

My husband and I (along with our families) were completely convinced we were having a boy. My dad is one of 5 boys and my father-in-law is one of 4 boys. There just aren’t many females on either side. I didn’t even let myself hope for a girl because I thought there was no point. Thus, we only had boy names picked out (oops!). So if you have any sweet girl name ideas feel free to send ‘em our way!

Yesterday I had my 20 week anatomy scan ultrasound. Originally my husband and I were just going to find out the gender and then do a little party to surprise our families and close friends. However, after seeing a gender reveal photo that captured some friends’ reactions I couldn’t resist. But because I also really wanted to share a recipe with you for the reveal (and I’m just a control freak), I baked my own cupcakes.

Here’s how I did it:

I filled two cupcakes with blue buttercream and two with pink, labeled them, and prayed I didn’t mix them up. We had our ultrasound tech write down the gender in an envelope which she licked and sealed for extra protection. Good thing she did because I think that’s the only thing that kept us from sneaking a peek!

Once all of our family and friends had arrived, we sent one person into the other room with the cupcakes and the envelope and they brought us out the two filled with the correct color. When I was making the cupcakes I was joking with my husband that I shouldn’t even bother making the pink filling. Good thing I did! I had non-filled cupcakes on deck for everyone else to enjoy!

Okay, okay enough about our little girl (I’m sure you will be hearing LOTS about her in the months/years to come). These cupcakes are pretty rockin’ too. I have so much love for a good classic yellow cupcake. There is just something about them that is so fun and reminiscent of parties from my childhood. But not just any yellow cupcakes, they HAVE to be topped with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. The absolute best.

Literally this is the best recipe. The cupcakes are incredibly tender, moist, and of course yellow! The frosting is absolutely divine as well; it’s made with both chocolate and cocoa powder. They are finished off with rainbow jimmies in true celebration style.

These mini cakes were perfect for our gender reveal party but they would also be great for birthday parties, the holidays (just use red and green jimmies!), or any other occasion. Because life’s a party right? Let’s celebrate.

The Recipe

*Yields 18-20 cupcakes

2 1/2 cups (250 g) cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups (266 g) granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 4 minutes).

4. Add in eggs, one at a time, followed by egg yolks, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla until just combined.

5. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with buttermilk (1/2 of mixture), mixing each until just incorporated.

6. Pour batter into prepared cupcake pans. Filling between 1/2 and 2/3 of the way full.

7. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Let cool in pan for a few minutes before transferring to wire wrack to cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 oz chocolate (I used 60% cacao), melted and cooled
1/3 cup + 2 2/3 tablespoons (58.5 g) cocoa powder, sifted
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2-3 teaspoons milk

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter for 3 minutes until creamy.

2. Mix in cooled, melted chocolate until fully incorporated.

3. Add cocoa powderer and mix until combined.

4. Gradually add in powdered sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

5. Add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until frosting reaches desired consistency.