Hydrangea Cupcakes tutorial, plus a recipe for incredible, moist chocolate cupcakes! How to make beautiful hydrangea cupcakes - it's easier than you think! | natashaskitchen.com

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Big thank you to Sub-Zero and Wolf for sponsoring this recipe. Each of these hydrangea cupcakes is unique and beautiful, just like you. Did you know that March is Women’s History Month?

That’s why this post is dedicated to all of you moms, wives, sisters, daughters, and girlfriends–you’re awesome. I’ll take any excuse to celebrate, especially when I’m celebrating YOU. I hope you have a sweet and super blessed day. P.S. Make sure to enter the great giveaway at the end of this post!

Can I tell you a story? I worked as a realtor for 4 years while I was getting my first degree in business (what haven’t I tried?). Can’t imagine me as a realtor? Yeah… I’m much better at making food ;). Anyway, on the days my hubby wasn’t working, we toured gorgeous homes (our idea of fun).

I’ve seen hundreds of incredible homes and you know what they all seem to have in common? A quality range–a Wolf range. I’m pretty sure I touched every single one of them. They are hard to resist. Some people are obsessed with socks, but ranges really do it for me.

Quality equipment, like Wolf, matters in delivering the performance that you need for achieving delicious dishes. I don’t own a Wolf range yet, but I will and when I do, I’ll share a picture of myself hugging it on Instagram and tell you all about it.

Hydrangea Cupcakes tutorial + recipe for incredible, moist chocolate cupcakes!! @NatashasKitchen

TIPS FOR SUCCESS:

Now, I’ve always said, “If you can read, (a well-written, well-photographed, tested recipe) you can cook!” So let’s talk about what you’ll need to be successful with this recipe.

#1: a great cupcake base. I love the contrast of the chocolate cupcake and it kind of looks like the dirt in a flower pot ;). This chocolate cake base is a tried and true recipe that I’ve used before for my chocolate cupcakes with prague frosting (originally adapted from Simply Recipes). Why re-invent the wheel, right?

#2: a frosting that is color friendly. i.e. something that will still keep it’s form when food coloring is added. This frosting is just right and holds up beautifully. It also keeps its form once it’s piped onto the cupcakes.

#3: The right cooking tools: Gel food colors, a Wilton 2D tip (a large, drop flower decorating tip) and piping bags (preferably one-time use bags to save washing time if you want to use different colors).

#4: A reliable range. For the recipes I post, I generally use the regular baking setting (since not everyone has convection), but when I’m in a pickle (and I love pickles, but not this kind!), I turn to my convection setting. Wolf offers dual convection – two fans and four heating elements producing a more uniform heating than most ovens with a single convection fan.

You’ll have greater consistency with food (no more browning on one side or half-cooked cupcakes!) and you can put foods on multiple racks with perfect results. Imagine: multiple racks of cookies perfectly browned, without even rotating the trays.

Click here to learn more about the Wolf range’s features (prepare to be dazzled). I like that Wolf knows moms put great care into the food they provide their families, and they make appliances that help us all do just that. I served these cupcakes to all the women in my family – after my husband and son took their 10% cut. I guess they’re entitled ;). On to the recipe!

Ingredients for 12 chocolate cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour *measured correctly
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm coffee (freshly brewed)
1 Tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup olive oil

Hydrangea Cupcakes tutorial + recipe for incredible, moist chocolate cupcakes!! @NatashasKitchen

Frosting Ingredients:

1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened to room temp
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
8 oz (1 stick) cream cheese, softened to room temp and cut into 8 pieces
Blue, Red, Green food coloring gel (whatever colors you want)

Hydrangea Cupcakes-17

How to Make Hydrangea Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Brew your coffee.

2. In a large bowl combine your dry ingredients: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, sift in 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt and whisk together until there are no more cocoa lumps.

Hydrangea Cupcakes Recipe - 1

3. In a separate bowl, mix together your wet ingredients: 1 cup coffee, 1 Tbsp vinegar, 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/3 cup olive oil.

Hydrangea Cupcakes Recipe - 2
Hydrangea Cupcakes-10

4. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until they come together. Your batter will still be a little lumpy.

Hydrangea Cupcakes Recipe - 3

5. Use an ice cream scoop to pour your batter into the lined cupcake pan. They should be about 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 minutes on the center rack or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack.

Hydrangea Cupcakes Recipe - 4

 

Making Hydrangea Cupcakes Frosting:

1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the 1 stick of softened butter with 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and salt on low speed or until combined, scraping as necessary ~ 1 min.

Don’t start on high speed or you will be surrounded in a cloud of powdered sugar (lessons learned). Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy (2-3 min).

Hydrangea Cupcakes-18

2. Add cream cheese 1-piece at a time and mix until combined. (I waited maybe 3 seconds in between each piece; just one after another). Once all of the cream cheese is incorporated, continue to beat 1 more minute until fluffy, scraping down the bowl as necessary.

You need your frosting to be super smooth without any globs of cream cheese or they will get stuck in the piping star, so if you see globs, keep mixing.

Hydrangea Cupcakes Recipe - 5

3. Separate frosting into as many bowls as you want different colors. I had ramekins for: white, pink, light blue, lavender and green). If you don’t like food coloring or just don’t have any, feel free to make beautiful pure white hydrangeas.

How to Make a Hydrangea Frosting Flowers: 

1. Start with placing a Wilton 2D tip into a piping bag. Place the prepared bag into a tall glass and fold the bag over the glass. Blend food coloring into the frosting to get your desired colors. For purple, I used 2 parts red and 1 part blue, for blue I used 3 parts blue and 1 part red to tone it down a little.

Hydrangea Cupcakes-21

2. Add one color on the left side of the bag and a second color on the right side of the bag.

Hydrangea Cupcakes Recipe - 6

3. Pipe a little into a plate until you see both colors coming through. Start by piping the border of the cupcake and work your way in.

Place the tip right over the cupcake, pull directly away from the cupcake about 1/3″ and release creating a petal-like design. Work all the way around keeping the petals close together so you don’t see the cupcake through the flowers.

Hydrangea Cupcakes Recipe - 7

Tip for success:

Your hands will cause the frosting to warm up as you pipe, so try not to handle it too much between cupcakes. If the petals start to soften and aren’t holding their form, place the piping bag into the fridge to firm up for 5 minutes or so, then continue.

Hydrangea Cupcakes tutorial + recipe for incredible, moist chocolate cupcakes!! @NatashasKitchen

P.S. If you are doing a variety of colors, disposable frosting bags would be a good idea. It was a little tedious to wash it over and over… and over. But you must know, I did it for you! Happy Women’s History Month! I’d pass one of these to you if I could.

Here’s the Print-Friendly Recipe 😉

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Easy and Delicious Hydrangea Cupcakes

4.75 from 76 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Hydrangea Cupcakes tutorial, plus a recipe for incredible, moist chocolate cupcakes! How to make beautiful hydrangea cupcakes - it's easier than you think! | natashaskitchen.com
The chocolate cupcakes don't have eggs or butter but still have that craving inducing richness. They're wonderful. The cream cheese frosting is perfect for coloring and piping making it the ideal hydrangea cupcake combo!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes Ingredients:

Frosting Ingredients:

  • 1 stick, 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temp
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
  • 8 oz 1 stick cream cheese, softened to room temp and cut into 8 pieces
  • Blue, Red, Green food coloring gel (whatever colors you want)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Brew your coffee.
  • In a large bowl combine your dry ingredients: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, sift in 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt and whisk together until there are no more cocoa lumps.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together your wet ingredients: 1 cup coffee, 1 Tbsp vinegar, 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/3 cup olive oil.
  • Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until they come together. Your batter will still be a little lumpy.
  • Use an ice cream scoop to pour your batter into the lined cupcake pan; They should be about 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 minutes on the center rack or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack.

Making the Frosting:

  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the 1 stick of softened butter with 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and salt on low speed or until combined, scraping as necessary ~ 1 min. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy (2-3 min).
  • Add cream cheese 1-piece at a time and mix until combined. Once all of the cream cheese is incorporated, continue to beat 1 more minute until fluffy, scraping down the bowl as necessary. You need your frosting to be super smooth without any globs of cream cheese or they will get stuck in the piping star, so if you see globs, keep mixing.
  • Separate frosting into as many bowls as you want different colors. I had ramekins for: white, pink, light blue, lavender and green. If you don't like food coloring or just don't have any, feel free to make beautiful pure white hydrangeas.

How to Make a Hydrangea Cupcake Topping:

  • Start with placing a Wilton 2D tip (a large, drop flower decorating tip) into a piping bag. Place the prepared bag into a tall glass and fold the bag over the glass. Blend food coloring into the frosting to get your desired colors. For purple, I used 2 parts red and 1 part blue, for blue I used 3 parts blue and 1 part red to tone it down a little.
  • Add one color of frosting on the left side of the bag and a second color on the right side of the bag.
  • Pipe a little into a plate until you see both colors coming through. Start by piping the border of the cupcake and work your way in. Place the tip right over the cupcake, pull directly away from the cupcake about 1/3" and release creating a petal-like design. Work all the way around keeping the petals close together so you don't see the cupcake through the flowers. Your hands will cause the frosting to warm up as you pipe, so try not to handle it too much between cupcakes. If the petals start to soften and aren't holding their form, place the piping bag into the fridge to firm up for 5 minutes or so, then continue.

Notes

P.S. If you are doing a variety of colors, disposable frosting bags would be a good idea. It was a little tedious to wash it over and over... and over.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Hydrangea Cupcakes
Skill Level: Easy/Medium
Cost to Make: $

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Hydrangea Cupcakes tutorial + recipe for incredible, moist chocolate cupcakes!! @NatashasKitchen

For amazing kitchen design and cooking inspiration, hop on over to the Sub-Zero and Wolf website and Facebook page.

 

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Comments

  • Maria B Rugolo
    April 3, 2022

    This cupcake recipe was a fail. The cake sticks terribly to the cupcakes like liner. The cake is very dense. Natasha has an excellent chocolate cupcake recipe on this site, Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipe. If I could rate the frosting recipe separately, i’d give it a 4 – follow her directions to ensure a lump-free frosting.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      April 4, 2022

      Hi Maria, it sounds like maybe the batter was overmixed? Also, make sure you are measuring ingredients correctly and not adding too much flour. Lastly, make sure your leavening is still active and not expired which can affect the rise. If you find that cupcakes stick too much, one product that I really love is parchment paper cupcake liners – they come off really easily.

      Reply

  • Armin
    June 14, 2020

    hi Natasha, Can u please tell a sub for cream cheese because here in Pakistan in most of the places here, cream cheese is not available
    thank you

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 15, 2020

      Hi Armin, I haven’t tried any other substitute for cream cheese to advise. You can try plain greek yogurt but I haven’t tested it yet to recommend if it would work!

      Reply

  • Inessa Dyakov
    May 9, 2020

    made this with my kids and we loved it we love everything on natasha’s kitchen

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 9, 2020

      Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m all smiles

      Reply

  • kath
    September 21, 2019

    im so impressed, about this cupcake so moist, and colorful frosting. Frist time for me to baked without using egg and Im so please the outcome flavor.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 21, 2019

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!

      Reply

  • anna
    June 13, 2019

    Hi! I haven’t the cup for measure the ingredients. Can you tell me how much (approximately) are the ingredients in grams, please?

    ciao! io non ho le tazze per misurare gli ingredienti. potresti dirmi quanto misurano (più o meno) gli ingradienti in grammi in grammi, perfavore? (in italian because i’m not sure the english version is right)

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 13, 2019

      Hi Anna, we are slowly working through all of our recipes to add nutrition info but it is a time-consuming process as they have to be added one at a time. Thank you for being patient!

      Reply

  • Jami
    June 9, 2019

    Hi, can I replace the cocoa with flour and use regular water to make a vanilla cake? This is super easy and I prefer egg free.
    Thanks!.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      June 10, 2019

      Hi Jami, in theory, it could work but I haven’t tested it to say for sure. I have turned this into a 9″ chocolate cake but have not tried making it into a vanilla cake. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes.

      Reply

  • Tetiana
    September 12, 2018

    Hello, Natasha!
    In the recipe no eggs, right?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 12, 2018

      Hi Tetiana! That is correct! This recipe has no eggs!

      Reply

  • Jen
    March 30, 2018

    Hi Natasha,
    Do I have to put coffee in there or is it required.?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 30, 2018

      Hi Jen, coffee amplifies the chocolate flavor but I think it would still work with water.

      Reply

  • Cathy
    January 17, 2018

    Thank you for your detailed blog! Can I use your swiss meringue recipe to pipe the hydrangea flowers?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 17, 2018

      Hi Cathy, I think that would work really well. I love that idea!

      Reply

  • Afreen
    October 1, 2017

    Nice recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 2, 2017

      Thank you!

      Reply

  • Romanie
    March 30, 2017

    Hi Natasha
    Can the cupcake recipe be doubled or should I make separate batches of 12 cupcakes? These are a great hit with my daughter’s school as they prefer eggless cakes for their events.
    Thanks much
    Romanie

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 30, 2017

      Hi Romanie, you could double the recipe if you have double the cupcake pans and can bake at the same time since you don’t want to have half of the batter sitting too long before it is baked, otherwise, I would do 2 separate batches.

      Reply

  • Darya
    May 15, 2016

    Hello Natasha!

    I love your recipes – I’m excited to try this one here. Listen, I was wondering if you used to have a blue/green dessert recipe on your site that you possibly removed? It was for the Seahawks, and it looked delicious (that’s why primarily intrigued me, I’m not a big sports fan lol). I think they were cupcakes…? I have a faint memory of seeing it on your site – can you tell me if you do and where I can find it? I really hope I’m making sense. 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 15, 2016

      Hi Darya, I’ve never had anything like what you are describing, sorry! You might scroll through my dessert category to double check but I don’t recall anything like that.

      Reply

      • Darya
        May 15, 2016

        No worries, I might just be thinking about something else and imagining it differently. I might have seen a super bowl dessert somewhere and thought it was you. 🙂 I’m sorry for the confusion.

        Reply

  • Prathitha
    March 8, 2016

    Hi Natasha!

    Can i use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar and get the same result? And do you think I can increase the amount of coffee in the recipe to make the cupcakes a little more moist?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 8, 2016

      I’m not sure how apple cider vinegar would work in this recipe or if the flavor would be off from using it. Without testing it myself, I can’t say for sure. I haven’t tested different amounts of coffee either so it will have to be an experiment, but coffee doesn’t usually affect how moist they are – it acts to amplify the flavor of the cocoa. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply

  • Anna
    March 3, 2016

    hi natasha! would i be able to not use cupcake liners but just spray the form with pam?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 3, 2016

      I haven’t tried it that way, but I think it should work with the amount of oil in these cupcakes. Definitely use a non-stick cupcake pan.

      Reply

  • Laiyan B
    January 24, 2016

    I just made these today and they were amazing!!! The cream cheese frosting compliments the cupcakes so beautifully because the cupcake itself isn’t so sweet! I love it and it definitely will be in my top 5 cupcake recipes! I will be referring this page on my blog! Thanks Natasha!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 25, 2016

      Thank you so much for such a wonderful complement!

      Reply

  • Juana
    May 13, 2015

    I just can’t wait to try out this recipe! the cupcakes look simply perfect! but I have a couple of questions how can I make sure that the cupcakes are perfectly baked because I always have problems when it comes to baking and the second one what type of food coloring do you use? can I use Wilton food gel instead?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 13, 2015

      Yes Wilton food gel will work fine.

      Reply

  • Alina
    March 27, 2015

    Would love to have a Kitchen Aid mixer to help me make these wonderful cupcakes!

    Reply

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