Eye of the Tiger Cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla paste (or extract)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, at room temperature

vanilla chocolate swirl frosting
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line a 12 wells in a cupcake tin. Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, sour cream and vanilla paste/extract and beat until fluffy. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour, mixing well with each addition. Pour out half the cupcake batter into a separate bowl and whisk in the cocoa powder. Add a tablespoon of chocolate batter to each well, carefully smoothing it to all sides, top with a tablespoon of vanilla batter again smoothing it to all sides. Repeat until all of the batter is gone. Depending on how evenly you divided the batter some may have 3 layers while others may have 4.

cupcakes!

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the center cupcake comes back mostly clean.

cupcakes!

Cool completely on a wire rack, then ice with vanilla chocolate swirl frosting.

sneak peek

My thoughts:

cupcakes!

It has been years since I’ve participated in a Sugar High Friday event but since this one involved cupcakes and a cute flamingo logo, I couldn’t resist. Tiger (cup)cakes (very similar to marble cakes but with more of a striped/layered effect than swirls because you don’t run a knife though the layers) are equally hard to resist. The chocolate layer is super chocolatey and both are perfectly moist. I love how each cupcake is slightly different.

inside of cupcake

Some have 3 stripes, some have four and they are are all delicious.

cupcakes!

And while they look difficult and certainly are impressive to bite into, they really only take a few extra minutes to make than regular, single layer cupcakes.

19 Comments

  1. As soon as I read the title of this post/recipe the song popped into my head. Ahhhh!

  2. That was my cousin’s wedding song, and as someone with a Sylvester Stallone-inspired tattoo I must say I love the name of these cupcakes. They look delicious, too!

  3. Caviar and Codfish

    Love how everyone is different too! Could really amaze some little kid’s class if he brought in these cupcakes. Actually, I’m sure it would amaze my co-workers… Thanks!

  4. These look fantastic. I just posted a cupcake recipe too…

  5. I’ve only seen this technique used on full cakes before, but the cupcakes are beautiful!

  6. love the name of these cupcakes! and they’re so eye-catching too 🙂 brilliant.

  7. How luscious those cupcakes look! Absolutely yummy and I can imagine biting into them!

  8. Beautiful! Love the idea. The recipe looks great the the photos are really pretty!

  9. ive never seen anything like that! that’s great!

  10. Mmmm, yum. Loving the sour cream addition. Delish!

  11. Do you think this would work using yoghurt instead of sour cream?

  12. Sarah- It is worth a try!

  13. I was drawn in by the name, but the recipe and photos kept me going! It looks delicious.

  14. These look great! now I’m craving cupcakes………..

  15. I love the title of these!!! The frosting is calling my name!

  16. Love the swirls. I’ve done the same with a matcha cream and the results are quite nice.

  17. Oh my word! I made these yesterday and simply cannot believe how fabulous they are! Thank you for sharing the recipe!!!!

  18. those look so delicious… mmm i think cupcakes are on the menu tomorrow. Why cook dinner when I can bake dessert?!?!

  19. I stumbled across these while looking for cupcake recipes to inspire me and I decided to make them last night and I just wanted to let you know, they're DELICIOUS!!!!