Football Cupcakes

Football Cupcakes

Football season is here and even though I love watching my team (Go Packers Go!) my favorite part of any gathering is definitely the food. Whether it’s a Super Bowl Party or just a football party, these adorable football cupcakes are a fun and festive way to celebrate a big game.

The cute part about these game day cupcakes is the chocolate buttercream frosting in the shape of a football with laces made of white frosting. They are so easy to decorate and my favorite one-bowl chocolate cupcakes pair perfectly. Football fans or not, these are a wonderful addition to your game day spread.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients needed for Chocolate Football Cupcakes:

  • Cocoa Powder
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Sugar
  • Baking Powder
  • Baking Soda
  • Eggs
  • Buttermilk
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Unsalted Butter
  • Chocolate Chips
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Milk

Chocolate Buttercream

Supplies needed for Football Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes

The Process:

For the chocolate cupcakes, combine all the dry ingredients into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. Divide into a lined muffin tin, heat oven, and bake.

When the cupcakes have come to room temperature, fill a piping bag with chocolate buttercream and using a small star tip pipe a football shape on top of each cupcake. Fill pastry bag with vanilla buttercream and pipe laces on top of the chocolate frosting footballs.

Want to make these extra festive? Use your favorite team colors for cupcake liners, or use a green cupcake liner for the field!

Football CupcakesFAQ

Can I use a cake mix for these cupcakes?

Honestly, use any cupcake you like! With the football frosting they will be festive, I just love this easy chocolate cupcake recipe.

Is there a sub for buttermilk in the cupcakes?

You can use yogurt or sour cream

Do I have to use homemade buttercream?

I say yes, but if you don’t I’ll never know!

Can I fill these cupcakes with anything?

Sure! You could go super chocolate-y and fill with chocolate ganache, do jam, whipped cream, or caramel sauce!

Football Cupcakes

Other Favorite Cupcake Recipes:

Football Cupcakes

Football Cupcakes

Yield: 20 cupcakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 48 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

  • 8 oz. (2 cups) chocolate chips
  • 3-4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 6 Tbs. milk, plus more, if needed
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.
  2. Whisk together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.
  3. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
  4. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.
  5. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 18-20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed.
  6. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

For the Frosting:

  1. Melt the chocolate chips by microwaving for 30 seconds at a time and stirring in between. Don't heat for more than 30 seconds at a time or the chocolate will scorch
  2. In a large bowl combine the powdered' sugar, butter, the 6 Tbs. milk, the vanilla and salt and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, then reduce the speed to low.
  3. Reserve about a 1/2 cup of the vanilla frosting at this point to make the laces
  4. Add the chocolate gradually and beat until combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute more.
  5. If the frosting is dry, add more milk, 1 tsp. at a time, until it is creamy but still holds peaks.

To Decorate:

  1. Using a small star tip in a pastry bag, zig-zag the chocolate frosting in a diamond shape on the cooled cupcakes. Then put the reserved vanilla frosting into a bag with a small round tip and pipe on the laces.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

 
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89 Comments

  1. Oh my goodness those or so stinking cute and awesome! I am a college football fanatic myself but I do watch pro from time to time.

  2. Love how you did the footballs on top. They look great!

  3. Whoa-these gems may get to be a little distracting from watching the NFL games! If your friends are indulging in these chocoholic goodies and miss the winning touch down-all I can say is run away as fast as you can! Great post.

  4. How cute! You decorated these beautifully. What a great idea!

  5. How cute are these!! I always see brownies cut in the shape of footballs with the white laces, but these cupcakes are such a great idea!

  6. I love this!! We are definitely a football family so these would be perfect for tail-gating!! LOVE!

  7. Oh my goodness, these are so adorable. I used to watch football all the time. Haven’t in quite some time though. This would be the perfect addition to any game party.

  8. Fantastic looking cupcakes..got to make some for my boys..they would be so surprised!Thanks for sharing these wonderful photos and recipe!

  9. Audra, these are so cute and creative! I think even my husband who’s not a big sweets guy would really love these. What a delicious and decadent flavor with the double chocolate, too… mmm! Thanks for sharing this. :)

  10. These look so cute I will totally have to make them. I love football season and watch more than my fair share of games on the tv some times I am worse than my husband!

  11. I was lead here from foodbuzz when I saw your cinnamon roll pancakes (which I must make) but now here I love your site! And these chocolate cupcakes look so delicious!

  12. So cute! I need to make these for tailgaiting sometime!

  13. I just followed your recipe for these football cupcakes and made them for my 2 yr old sons football birthday party and they came out great! They tasted yummy and also was so easy to make. Thank you Thank you. I am going to check out your other recipes as I am sure they must be equally good.

  14. hjhargett says:

    Did the 2 sticks butter make the frosting too runny? It may be where I live but I always have to cut my butter in half or I end up having to add double the amount of powdered sugar.

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    a lot.

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  18. These cupcakes are adorable, I discovered them on pinterst and hope to make them on game day. While exploring your blog I discovered that you are from the Midwest and married in Milwaukee. I spent a great majority of my life in Milwaukee and am actually visiting there as I type this.

    Congratulations on your beautiful baby and thank you for creating beautiful recipes and photos.

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  20. There are a lot of delicious foods that I know now.
    Thanks for sharing
    These cakes are very suitable for Valentine’s Day.

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  22. I will share this great recipe to my wife and perfect for a treat after watching a game.

  23. For the frosting, do you melt or soften the butter? I don’t want to mess it up

  24. Delicious AND good looking! Can’t wait to try!

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