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image of football cupcakes decorated with buttercream for the superbowl
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5 from 1 rating

Football Cupcakes

Want to make some adorable football cupcakes? These moist chocolate cupcakes are decorated with fun and easy designs that are perfect for any big game!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Additional Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 3 minutes
Course: Cupcakes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 458kcal
Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 3/4 cup water, hot 180g
  • 1 1/2 tsp instant espresso or coffee 3g
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips, melted 57g
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 32g
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 98g
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda 3g
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt 2g
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature 114g
  • 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil 73g
  • 1 tsp white vinegar 4g
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g

Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt 2g
  • 3 cups powdered sugar 375g
  • 3 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature 45g
  • Green gel food coloring
  • 2 Tbsp milk or dark chocolate, melted and cooled 30g
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened baking cocoa, sifted 12g

Additional Tools / Equipment

Instructions

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

  • Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Place 12 cupcake liners in baking pans.
  • Add 3/4 cup of (VERY) hot water into a large bowl. Mix in 1 1/2 tsp of coffee or espresso powder and stir lightly until dissolved.
  • Carefully pour in 1/3 cup melted chocolate chips and 1/3 cup cocoa powder. Whisk until smooth.
  • Sift the dry ingredients (3/4 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt) into chocolate espresso mixture and stir until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a spatula.
  • Mix in 2 eggs, one at a time.
  • Add 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp vinegar, and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix until the batter is smooth - it will be thin!
  • Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  • Let the cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack to finish cooling. If you're in a rush (or impatient like me), you can place them in the freezer for 15 minutes to accelerate the cooling process.

Vanilla and Chocolate Buttercream

  • Beat 1 cup of room temperature butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth.
  • Add in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix on a medium-low speed until combined.
  • Slowly mix in 3 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Halfway through add in 3 Tbsp of heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
  • Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
  • If the frosting is too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add in another 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.
  • Stir by hand with a rubber spatula to get the frosting SUPER smooth.
  • Place 1/4 cup of vanilla buttercream into a small piping bag fit with a small round piping tip (like a Wilton 3) and set aside.
  • Place 1 cup of vanilla frosting in a separate bowl and color green with food coloring. Place into a small piping bag fit with a small grass piping tip and set aside.
  • Mix 2 Tbsp sifted cocoa and 2 Tbsp melted and cooled chocolate into the remaining vanilla frosting. Mix on low until the frosting is smooth and no clumps remain. Place in a small piping bag fit with a small French piping tip.
  • Decorate the cooled cupcake with different football designs based on the instructions in the post above and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Making Mini Football Cupcakes

If you want to make mini football cupcakes, this recipe can be baked in mini muffin tins! It makes about 40 mini cupcakes, and they only need to bake for 9-10 minutes at 350 F / 175 C.

Tips for Making the Best Football Cupcakes

  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Be sure you set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
  • Mix your cupcake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cupcakes are tender and fluffy.
  • Use a large cookie scoop to easily fill your cupcake liners. It also makes sure your cupcakes end up being the same height.
  • Seal off the top of each of your piping bags with a rubber band to prevent any frosting from seeping out the top of the bag and make the piping bags easier to use.
  • Use gel food coloring to color your green buttercream! It allows you to get a vibrant color without throwing off the consistency of the frosting.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 218mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g