
Everyone loves cupcakes right?! And I’m pretty sure everyone loves it when it looks like you’ve done way more work than you actually have! That’s why I love this simple one batter cupcake recipe. You can split it 3 ways and achieve 3 totally different flavours, making you look like a star!! The recipe makes lots and lots of cupcakes too, making this the perfect party pleaser treat!
With all the summer and cottage festivities right around the corner, I promise this is a recipe you will want to keep on hand. Cupcakes are an easy dessert and when you give your guests more options of flavours you’re sure to cover everyone’s tastes and all you had to do was one recipe!


One Batter Cupcakes, 3 Flavours Tips
The only real trick that you need to keep in mind when making the 3 flavours out of one batter is to make sure you don’t overmix your batter. The more you mix the batter the denser it will become, so keep that in mind when you’re splitting up your batter and working in your favourite flavours.
Cupcake Flavours
For the 3 flavours I chose to do white chocolate raspberry, chocolate marble, and lemon. I’ve got the chocolate part covered, the sweet fruit, and the tangy tartness all done with one batter! You don’t have to use the exact same flavours that I did. You can use your favourite cupcake recipe as a guideline and add your own flavours to the batter, although I think you’d be more than happy with the flavours I’ve chosen. My favourite is the marble cupcakes, aren’t they so cute?! Here are some other ideas:
- Chocolate Chip
- Strawberry
- Mint Chocolate
- Red Velvet
- Mocha
- Chocolate
- Vanilla
- Blueberry

Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Full milk
- Lemon juice and lemon rind
- Frozen raspberries
- Cocoa powder
- Dark chocolate and white chocolate

One Batter Cupcake, 3 Flavours!
One batter cupcakes, 3 flavours! Here’s a simple cupcake recipe where you split the batter into 3 to achieve 3 totally different flavours, making you look like a baking star!
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 5 dozen 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- lemon rind – 1-2 teaspoons
- 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, broken into small pieces
- 2 Tablespoons sifted cocoa powder
Instructions
- Allow eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line mini cupcake pans with liners and set aside.
- Beat butter until smooth, gradually add sugar beating on medium-high until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs beating well after each one. Beat in vanilla.
- Alternate flour mixture with milk to butter mixture, beating on low just until combined (don’t overmix, if anything undermix). Divide your batter evenly into 3 separate bowls. In one bowl fold lemon rind into the batter. Using a mini ice cream scoop, scoop batter into mini cupcake liners, set aside.
- In another bowl gently fold frozen raspberries into the batter. Using a mini ice cream scoop, scoop batter into mini cupcake liners, set aside.
- In the third bowl take out 1/3 of the batter and place into a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of cocoa and 1 1/2 tablespoons of water. Mix well. Now in each cupcake liner spoon a small amount of chocolate batter, then a spoon of vanilla batter, and top with another scoop of chocolate batter, making 3 layers, alternating chocolate, vanilla, and chocolate.
- Bake mini cupcakes for 12- 15 minutes. Cool on the cooling rack, when cooled ice with icing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plain cupcake
- Calories: 68
- Sugar: 6.1g
- Sodium: 34mg
- Fat: 2.7g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 10.2g
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Keywords: mini cupcakes, dessert, cake, cupcakes
Icing for : One Batter Cupcake, 3 Flavours!
Fluffy buttercream icing to pair with one batter cupcakes, 3 flavours. The recipe includes directions for marble, lemon, and raspberry mini cupcakes.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons whipping cream (or full milk)
- 3 oz. white chocolate, melted
- 2 oz. dark chocolate ,melted
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl beat butter and icing sugar and whipping cream until light and fluffy.
- Divide icing evenly into 3 separate bowls.
- In bowl one, add melted white chocolate and beat until fluffy, set aside.
- In bowl two, add melted dark chocolate and beat until light and fluffy, set aside.
- In bowl three, add lemon juice and beat until light and fluffy, set aside.
- Pipe icing onto mini cupcakes: white chocolate with raspberry cupcakes, chocolate with marble cupcakes, and lemon with lemon cupcakes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Tbsp Plain Icing
- Calories: 40
- Sugar: 6.4g
- Sodium: 10mg
- Fat: 1.6g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 6.5g
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 0
- Cholesterol: 4mg
Keywords: icing, cupcakes. buttercream
FAQ’s
Mini cupcakes typically dry out faster than regular sized cupcakes. The are best enjoyed the same day but can last up to 2 days.
Mini cupcakes freeze beautifully and it is the best way to keep their shelf life longer. Freeze cupcakes in an airtight container for up to two months. Let cupcakes come to room temperature before serving.
Mini cupcakes tend to go stale quicker than regular sized cupcakes. The fridge will dry out cupcakes quicker. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. It’s best to enjoy mini cupcakes the same day. But if you need to make them ahead you can freeze baked (undressed) cupcakes in an airtight container. Once ready to serve let cupcakes come to room temperature and pipe fresh icing on top.
You may also like:

I need strawberry chocolate and vanilla how would i do this same thing but with those flavors any help would be greatly appreciated
Hi Jessica. Sure no problem, follow the same steps except for the chocolate cupcakes add 1/4 cup sifted cocoa powder and 1-2 Tablespoons milk. For the strawberry cupcakes I’d add small cut up pieces of strawberries to the batter and then add a strawberry icing on top. Or just leave the cupcake plain vanilla with strawberry icing. You can either add crushed strawberries to your buttercream (I find defrosted frozen strawberries work best for icing) or you can use my strawberry meringue icing https://bakingforfriends.com/chocolate-cupcakes-with-strawberry-swiss-meringue/
Hope this is helpful, if you have any other questions please feel free to ask. Happy baking.
I tried the recipe, and the cupcakes came out amazing! Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear Tina!! My pleasure and happy baking!
Hi, how many cupcakes will this makes – says 5 dozen above . 60 cakes ?? is that correct thanks
Hi Angela, yes that is correct, 5 dozen mini cupcakes.
I made these and they were perfect!
I need to make 5 dozen full size cupcakes for an event. Would it be as simple as doubling the recipe? Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi Tiffany, yes you can defiantly double this recipe and just up the size to full cupcakes. Your baking time will be longer though, around 18-22 minutes so keep that in mind. Hope that helps 🙂
Thank you so much for your response 😊
Hi! I am loving this idea so much! I was wondering about having German Chocolate cupcakes and Banana Split cupcakes. Thanks!
★★★★★
Hi Christy, yes it’s a fun way to create lots of options, glad you like them. You can definitely change up the flavours and topping as you please. This is a basic vanilla cupcake recipe for your starting point, so you’ll want to stick with flavours that match and work within that. Enjoy!
Hello!
If I used the recipe as it is, would it easily make enough for 24 normal size cupcakes?
Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi Jess, yes you should get 24 regular cupcakes from the recipe. Let me know how they turn out 🙂 happy baking!
The recipe and instructions are all explained nicely but when you make the marble cakes, if you’re using two tablespoons of chocolate batter to one of vanilla batter for each cake, it stands to reason you must make 2/3 of the batter into chocolate and leave 1/3 vanilla ; (from the bowl set aside containing 1/3 portion of the basic batter to make the marble ratio as described.)
Anyone else agree?
Yes the chocolate batter will be slightly increased by the additional cocoa, but not enough for the 2:1 chocolate/ vanilla batter ratio per marble cupcake.
Hi Kathryn, thanks for taking the time to write. Did you make the mini cupcakes and did you have an issue? I’ve never had a problem with the marble batter. If you feel you need to make your own adjustments to better suit you your needs please let me know how it goes.
I’m planning on making these for a baby shower. It sounds like these freeze well (without the frosting of course) and that is really helpful. How far in advance of the event can I frost them? The night before? Thank you so much, these sound amazing.
★★★★★
Hi Robyne, Ohhh, I hope the baby shower goes well and everyone loves the cupcakes! I’d wait to take the frozen cupcakes out of the freezer on the day and then ice them the same day. You can definitely get away with the night before but the freshest will be the same day. Let me know how it goes and happy baking.
How long would I bake for regular size cupcakes? And should I double the recipe in order to make 2 dozen? Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi Spence, the recipe as is will make 24 regular sized cupcakes and you should bake them for 18-22 minutes. Keep an eye on them at the 18 minute mark and add time as you need; being careful not to overbake them. Hope that helps and happy baking.
Hi, I plan on making these mini cupcakes next week, half for my son’s daycare for his birthday and then 2 days later to celebrate his birthday with family. Can I put the unbaked cupcake dough in the refrigerator or do you suggest baking them all and freezing undressed the other half I want to use 2 days later? Thank you! Can’t wait to make these. Btw, I’m making vanilla, marble, and chocolate chip.
★★★★★
Hi Jessica, I would recommend freezing the undressed cupcakes, this is also the easiest for this particular recipe of splitting the batter into three. Just make sure the cupcakes have cooled to room temperature before freezing them. I hope everyone loves them and happy birthday to your son :). xo alie