Tender, perfectly moist and sweet, this Vanilla cupcakes recipe is perfect for every occasion!
I can’t even begin to tell you how many cupcakes I’ve baked in my lifetime. I’m talking about hundreds and hundreds of little tender cakes adorned with creamy, sweet frosting. But no matter how many times I’ve made them, I never get tired of it!
These Vanilla Cupcakes are one of the first cupcakes I perfected. They may seem a little boring, but I think it’s important to have one recipe in your collection that can be used over and over again. Cupcakes have the incredible ability to be customized, then savored in just a couple swift bites.
I know there are million and one cupcake recipes out there but I was on a mission to make the BEST one, and I did just that.
Perks and Highlights of the Best Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe
Cuisine Inspiration: Classic American
These aren’t just any cupcakes; they’re the classic American treat that takes you back to the golden days of childhood parties and joyful celebrations. It’s nostalgia and comfort packed into a petite, perfect package.
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Preheat those ovens, because these little rays of sunshine are baked to pillowy perfection. And remember, it’s not just about the destination; baking these beauties is half the fun!
Dietary Info: Vegetarian, Contains Gluten and Dairy
Friendly for our vegetarian pals but a heads-up for those with dietary restrictions: these cupcakes do their dance with both gluten and dairy. But oh, what a delightful dance it is!
Key Flavor: Vanilla Bliss
These cupcakes are a tribute to the simple, yet ever-so-seductive flavor of vanilla. They’re pure, they’re sweet, and they’re everything nice – an ode to the understated elegance that vanilla brings to the table.
Skill Level: Easy
Whether you’re a kitchen newbie or a whisk-wielding wizard, this recipe is your jam. Simple steps, common ingredients, and a whole lot of fun – that’s the cupcake way!
Special Perks:
- Fluffy Perfection: Say goodbye to dry, crumbly cupcakes. These are the moistest, fluffiest little wonders you’ll ever bake. It’s like biting into a cloud!
- Versatile Base: Think of these as your canvas; they’re splendid as-is, but oh-so-ready to be dressed up with your favorite frostings or fillings.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Need a dessert that’s sure to win hearts? These vanilla darlings are universally loved – perfect for any and all gatherings.
- Bake & Share Joy: Cupcakes are happiness with icing on top, literally. And what’s better than making them? Sharing with friends and family!
- Endless Creativity: Unleash your inner artist with decorations, or even play around with flavor add-ins. This recipe is a playground for culinary creativity.
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes are incredibly simple but simple recipes call for important ingredient choices. To achieve well-balanced, tender, and flavorful cupcakes, we need to understand our ingredients and use them properly.
Here’s what we’re using today:
- Vegetable Oil– Using vegetable oil in cake is known to give the moistest results; the reason is that vegetable oil remains liquid at room temperature, while butter turns solid. Other than giving you a moister cake, using oil will also yield a tender cake that falls apart in your mouth as you bite into it.
- Unsalted Butter- When you cream butter and sugar together, it creates an aerated mixture that provides lift before, during, and after baking.
- Granulated Sugar- The fine crystals in granulated sugar don’t cake together, which makes it easier to work it. Vanilla cupcakes require quite a bit of sugar to achieve the desired sweetness.
- Eggs- Eggs add structure, leavening, and color to our cupcakes. It’s the balance between eggs and flour that help provide the height and texture we’re looking for.
- Flour- Flour is the base to our cake. For the best results, be sure to properly measure and sift it.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda- Both ingredients are chemical leavening agents that cause batters to rise when baked. If either of these ingredients is over a year old, I’d recommend testing their reactivity and replacing them if needed.
- Salt– Salt enhances flavor and perks up the depth and complexity of all the other ingredients.
- Sour Cream- Adding sour cream to cake gives more moisture and flavor. The acid in sour cream produces a very fine crumb because it tenderizes the gluten in the flour.
- Whole Milk- The protein content, fat, sugar, and overall creaminess of whole milk is ideal for creating delicious, moist cakes.
- Vanilla- If you can get the paste, DO IT! Vanilla also works as a flavor enhancer here! Without it, cakes and cookies tend to be bland.
How to Bake Vanilla Cupcakes
- Set the Stage: Kick things off by preheating your trusty oven to a cool 325°F. While it’s getting all warm and toasty, line your 12-cup muffin pans with those cute paper liners. You’ll need 16 in total, but hey, you can line the extra 4 after the first batch bakes to perfection.
- Mix It Up: Now, let’s get that mixer all revved up! Combine your oil and butter in the bowl, and let ’em mingle on high speed for about 2 minutes. Then, it’s time to make it rain sugar, slowly adding it while the mixer goes full throttle for another 4-5 minutes until what you’ve got is a beautiful, fluffy, pale yellow concoction.
- Eggs, Please! Introduce the eggs one at a time, giving each enough attention (read: mixing well) before bringing in the next. Don’t forget to scrape down those sides; every bit of this batter promises to be cupcake gold!
- Slow It Down: Time to take it easy. Set your mixer to low speed, and gradually welcome the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda to the party, mixing them in two batches. This ain’t a race; we want everything just right, no overbeating here!
- The Final Countdown: With the stage almost set, it’s time for the sour cream, milk, and the star of the show – vanilla extract – to make their entrance. Give the sides one final scrape, a gentle mix, and then kill the power. Your perfect batter’s ready!
- Scoop & Bake: With your liners eager and waiting, fill ’em up 3/4 full of your glorious batter. Pop them into the oven for a sweet 16-19 minute ride (18’s the magic number for me!) or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean when inserted in the center. We want them set, not wobbly!
- Cool & Frost: Patience, cupcake connoisseurs! Let them cool down to room temp before you unleash your frosting prowess. They deserve to look as fabulous as they taste!
Tips for Cupcake Baking
These cupcakes couldn’t be easier to make! Seriously, all you need is one bowl, a cupcake tin, and about 30 minutes.
To make it even simpler, here are a few of my BEST cupcake making tips:
- Measure the Flour Correctly! The most common mistake made in cupcake baking is adding too much flour. Use the spoon and level method for consistent, exact results. Fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- Use Good Vanilla. You can use cheap flour, sour cream, milk, and even butter but you just have to use good vanilla for this recipe. Good quality vanilla is fresher, more aromatic and flavorful. Bonus points if you use vanilla bean paste!
- Don’t Forget the Cupcake Liners. I hate when cupcakes stick to the pan! To avoid that, I choose to use cupcake liners. If that’s not your jam, be sure to thoroughly grease and flour the pan.
- Completely Cool Before Frosting. If you try to frost your cupcakes while they’re still warm, the frosting will melt and you’ll have a soupy-sticky mess. Allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature before smothering them with frosting.
Best Frosting to Use
You should view these Vanilla Cupcakes as an open canvas: a base for your own personal masterpiece! Coat each cupcake in the spread of your choice. Anything from chocolate ganache to brown butter butter creams will work here.
To get you thinking, here are my favorite smear choices:
AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM: Sweet and Easy
American Buttercream Frosting is the easiest to make out of all frosting recipes out there. If you are familiar with Swiss Meringue or Italian meringue frostings, you know they require more steps and preparation.
However, with American buttercream frosting recipes, butter and sugar get creamed to perfection and are the base of something incredible. Check out my American Buttercream post for useful tips, tricks, and a step-by-step guide! You can even turn this cupcake recipe into an ombre cake for a little fun.
SWISS BUTTERCREAM: Smooth, Light and Less Sweet
Swiss Meringue Buttercream is a frosting made by combining granulated sugar and egg whites, warming them together over a water bath, then whipping them until stiff. The result is an incredibly airy yet decadent topping used for cakes, cupcakes, macarons and so much more!
Though I love a classic, sugar laden spread, this buttercream is one I love to trot out when I’m looking to elevate a dessert! Follow my Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe for the ultimate cupcake topping!
How long do these cupcakes last?
Vanilla Cupcakes will keep overnight, if left covered. Use an overturned bowl or a cupcake keeper to ensure they’re safe from dirt, bacteria, and whatever else is lurking around. You can refrigerate them for up to 3 days but they should come to room temperature again before serving. Butter based cakes need to warm up a bit.
If unfrosted, you can wrap and freeze these cupcakes for up to 2 months.
Best Cupcake Recipes
Grandbaby Cakes is the best place to find unique, flavorful cupcakes by the dozen! After you’ve had a couple of these vanilla cupcakes try out a few more of my absolute FAVORITES:
Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/4 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1/3 cup whole milk or another milk of your choice
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste for a deep vanilla flavor
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 325°F then place paper liners in 2 12-cup muffin pans. You will need 4 more so you can wait until a batch of cupcakes bake before lining with the remaining ones.
- In your mixer bowl, add oil and butter and beat for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add in sugar and beat on high speed for an additional 4-5 minutes until very pale yellow and fluffy. Next, add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed.
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into batter in two increments then add baking powder, salt and baking soda. Be careful not to over beat.
- Lastly, add sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract, scrape down sides and mix until just combined and turn off mixer.
- Scoop batter into liners 3/4s full and bake for 16-19 minutes (mine bake in about 18 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. They should be completely set in the center.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature before frosting.
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Thank you for the recipe! Do you think it would be ok to adapt this recipe into a cake?
Hi Charlotte, great question! You can. I actually have a yellow cake recipe you can follow for easier conversion.