Vanilla Cupcakes
This post may contain affiliate links.
This vanilla cupcakes recipe makes moist and fluffy cupcakes perfect any celebration. How good are they? They won 1st place in Utah’s cupcake competition 2 years in a row! Make bakery-worthy cupcakes that last for days with this easy recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe
These vanilla cupcakes are bursting with soft vanilla sweetness and a bouncy crumb that’s hard to beat. This really is the ultimate vanilla cupcake recipe!
- Beginner-friendly. Bakery style vanilla cupcakes are easier to make than you’d think. It all comes down to the ingredients and how you mix them. This recipe is perfect if you’re just getting into cupcake making.
- Flavorful. Vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract in the cupcake batter give the finished cupcakes rich vanilla flavor.
- Flexible. You can use pretty much any frosting flavor with these cupcakes. Chocolate, vanilla, coconut, you name it.
- Can be made ahead. Most homemade cupcakes last a day or two in storage if you’re lucky. By contrast, these cupcakes are soft and moist on the counter even after 4 days!
- Freezer-friendly. Make these easy cupcakes in advance and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need to make these cupcakes along with my notes. Scroll to the recipe card after the post for a printable ingredients list.
- Vanilla: Vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract for the utmost flavor. Make sure to use high-quality, real vanilla and not imitation. You’ll find both paste and extract in the baking aisle at most grocery stores.
- Butter: Room-temperature salted or unsalted butter will work here. If you’re using salted butter, consider reducing the salt that’s included in the dry ingredients later on.
- Milk and Eggs: These should be brought to room temperature before you start. Room temperature ingredients are easier to blend.
- Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt adds moisture to the batter and results in softer cupcakes. You can also substitute vanilla yogurt or sour cream with equally delicious results.
- Oil: The next secret to super-moist cupcakes? The combination of butter AND oil. You’ll want to use a mild-flavored oil like vegetable oil, canola, or coconut oil.
- Dry Ingredients: Flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Check the dates on the labels to make sure that the leavening you’re using is fresh and not expired.
- Cornstarch: Adding a little cornstarch turns the all-purpose flour in this recipe into an easy cake flour substitute. This little baking trick helps to create a super fluffy finished cake.
- Frosting: I include the recipe for my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting, but these cupcakes pair well with just about any topping.
How to Make the Best Vanilla Cupcakes
If you’re new to baking, make these vanilla cupcakes! I’ll start you off with an easy step-by-step. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Cream together sugar with vanilla paste, and then gradually add in cubes of butter, mixing until the mixture is fluffy. Next, you’ll add in your eggs, yogurt, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients. Whisk together the dry ingredients separately. Slowly add them to the wet batter along with the milk, being careful to not overmix.
- Fill the pan. Divide the cupcake batter between two lined cupcake tins. For perfectly-shaped cupcakes, fill each liner about ½ of the way full.
- Bake. Bake the cupcakes at 350ºF for 14 minutes. Afterward, you’ll have to wait for the cupcakes to cool before you frost them (it’s honestly the hardest part about this recipe).
- Make the frosting. To make a simple buttercream frosting, beat butter in a clean bowl. Add powdered sugar, followed by vanilla extract and heavy cream. Give everything a good whip for 5 minutes.
- Frost the cupcakes. Spread or pipe your vanilla frosting over your cooled cupcakes. See the section below for more decorating ideas.
Helpful Tools for Making Cupcakes
These are my must-have baking tools when making homemade vanilla cupcakes with frosting to match.
- Cupcake or Muffin Tins: (affiliate) This recipe makes enough batter for 18 cupcakes. Two standard-sized 12-well muffin tins do the trick. I recommend lighter metal pans as cupcakes and muffins tend to brown more quickly in darker pans.
- Mixing Bowls: (affiliate) You don’t have to be too fancy here, but you’ll need two large, sturdy mixing bowls to combine the wet and dry ingredients separately.
- Rubber Spatula: (affiliate)For scraping down the bowl after every step so that the batter combines nicely.
- Hand or Stand Mixer: (affiliate) It makes whipping the frosting that much easier.
Tips for Success
Baking cupcakes doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some tips for perfect vanilla cupcakes, every time:
- Use quality ingredients. This includes the vanilla bean paste, extract, and especially the butter.
- Get the ingredients to room temperature. Take fridge-cold ingredients like butter, eggs, milk, and yogurt out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead of baking. The ingredients will combine more evenly if they’re all at the same temperature.
- Don’t overmix your batter. I like to keep my mixer on low/medium speed. While you should cream the sugar and butter thoroughly, once you add the dry ingredients, it’s important to mix only until the batter is just combined.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake liners. Aim to fill each liner approximately ½ to ⅔ full, and not more than that. Overfilling can cause the batter to spill over as it bakes. It’s better to underfill than overfill! See my next tip about using a scoop for even portioning.
- Portion the batter evenly. An ice cream scoop makes it so much easier to portion the batter into the pan and ensures even-sized cupcakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you ask me, the answer is both. The combination of butter and oil in this recipe is the secret to moist, fluffy cupcakes that stay soft.
Overmixing leads to cupcakes that are dense instead of fluffy. To avoid this, make sure to use room-temperature ingredients and mix slowly, as the batter will combine more smoothly.
If your ingredients aren’t measured correctly, this could be why your cupcakes turned out dry, rather than soft and moist. Use a kitchen scale if you have one. Otherwise, spoon the dry ingredients into your measuring cups (never scoop!), and level off the top with a knife.
In addition to quality ingredients, another key to keeping cupcakes moist is proper storage. You’ll want to keep these vanilla cupcakes airtight and at room temperature (see the section further on for details).
Frosting and Decorating Ideas
Frost these with classic vanilla frosting or choose your favorite. I love this vanilla cupcake recipe topped with easy strawberry whipped cream, too, or this sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting. Once your cupcakes are frosted, here are more easy ways to decorate:
- Fresh fruit. Top the frosted cupcakes with lemon slices, whole fresh strawberries, or raspberries. These chocolate covered strawberries make a great garnish for Valentine’s Day cupcakes.
- Sprinkles. Nothing says “Happy Birthday!” like a frosted vanilla cupcake showered with rainbow sprinkles. Use different colored sprinkles depending on the holiday or occasion.
- Chocolate. Fill your vanilla cupcakes with some dreamy homemade chocolate ganache or strawberry jam for a sweet surprise. See my tutorial on how to fill a cupcake for tips.
- Caramel. Top these cupcakes with salted caramel buttercream and a drizzle of caramel sauce (also see my caramel apple cupcakes).
- Whipped cream. For a lighter option, give each cupcake a swirl of airy, fluffy homemade whipped cream.
How to Store Vanilla Cupcakes
- Unfrosted cupcakes: Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, then store in an air tight container for up to 4 days at room temperature. Don’t store them in the fridge as that will dry out your cupcakes.
- Frosted cupcakes: Cover your cupcakes with a glass top or another cover that won’t smush the frosting. Frosted cupcakes should be enjoyed within 2 days.
- Freeze. I recommend freezing the cupcakes before they’re frosted. Cool the cupcakes, store them airtight, and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw the frozen cupcakes on the counter before frosting.
More Easy Cupcake Recipes
Still Hungry? Follow One Sweet Appetite on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 cup butter (softened)
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups flour
- 3½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup milk
Frosting:
- 1 cup butter
- 2½ to 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line two muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.
- Combine the sugar and vanilla paste in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Mix at low speed until the paste combines with the sugar and is fragrant, about one minute.
- Add the butter in small pieces, about 1 tablespoon, and continue to mix at a low speed until fully incorporated and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Slowly stir in the eggs, yogurt, oil, and extract. Mix for 1 minute, scraping the sides halfway through to ensure even mixing.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Slowly stir into the wet ingredients along with the milk, making sure to keep the mixer at low speed and scraping the sides of the bowl 1 to 2 times.
- Fill the paper liners until they are filled halfway.
- Bake for 14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:
- Add the butter to a clean mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Beat on low/medium speed for 1 minute, or until fluffy.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well between each addition.
- Stir in the vanilla and cream.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium and mix for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Equipment
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
If I use vanilla extract vs paste, is the quantity the same?
You can substitute the two for each other. I’d add just a smidge more vanilla extract.
This may sound silly but .. do you typically use the same recipe when doing cakes and cupcakes? I wanted to do a cake.
Thanks 🙃
Hi Ashley, this is such a great question! I don’t see any issue with making this into a cake. Depending on the size, you may need to double the recipe. I would also increase the baking time until a toothpick comes out clean or the center of the cake bounces back when touched.
Hi dear,
-is the above vanilla frosting suitable for icing the sugar cookies that you were able to do water color decoration on?
-also can i use this vanilla frosting like butter cream? between cake layers and for all over the cake? I basically want a good buttercream for holding cake layers and decoration but i don’t like too sweet. Thanks.
I have used this for icing sugar cookies, yes. I have also used this for layer cakes. I suggest using a white food coloring if you want a true white color on your decorated cookies and cakes. The yellow in the butter does give just the slightest hint of color.
Hi! This vanilla cupcakes recipe sounds amazing. Me and my mom are hosting a tea party and she wanted to make some mini cupcakes, how can i transform this recipe into a mini cupcakes one?
Would take a dried up old vanilla cupcake over a fresh chocolate cupcake any day. Unless the chocolate cupcake tasted like brownie.
I don’t think I can pick – I do love me some chocolate, but I love vanilla too. I think I like them both equally. There’s just something about a soft and fluffy and moist cupcake that just makes me swoon!