Most Everyone loves a cupcake! This is the only vanilla cupcake recipe you will need. They are super easy to make and the texture is light, fluffy, and melt-in-your-mouth good.
We love these with our Cupcake Frosting because a cupcake isn’t a cupcake without frosting.
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These cupcakes are perfect for birthday parties and baby showers and they always disappear fast which is why I always make a double batch for gatherings. They are quick and easy to make and homemade cupcakes taste way better than boxed cupcake mix.
Why is This Recipe So Good?
Everyone’s opinion of what a vanilla cupcake should be is very different. Readers love this recipe because it’s truly moist, a little dense, and not too sweet. They stay fresh for several days after baking.
Two of the biggest complaints I hear about cupcakes are that they’re dry or don’t have any flavor. This classic vanilla cupcake recipe solves that problem. The right ratio of room-temperature butter, sugar, and egg to flour produces moist cupcakes that stay soft.
Ingredients for Vanilla Cupcakes:
This recipe makes exactly 12 cupcakes and requires simple ingredients: all-purpose flour, butter, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, baking powder, salt and vanilla. The combination of softened butter and buttermilk creates an amazingly soft cupcake crumb that just melts in your mouth.
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C unsalted butter softened
3/4 C sugar
2 large eggs, room temp.
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 C buttermilk, room temp.
How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes:
These cupcakes are easy to master and you will be making bakery-quality cupcakes in no time.
In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a second bowl (or bowl of your stand mixer), beat together softened butter and sugar on medium-high speed 5 minutes until thick and fluffy.
Beat in eggs 1 at a time, mixing to incorporate with each egg then blend in vanilla and scrape down the bowl. make sure to scrape down the bowl as needed.
Reduce mixer to medium speed and add the flour in thirds, alternating with adding the 1/2 cup buttermilk and beating well between additions.
Pour batter into 12 lined muffin tins, filling 2/3 full. Bake in the center of the oven at 350˚F for 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for the BEST Cupcakes:
Room Temperature Ingredients – eggs, buttermilk and butter must be at room temperature to keep your batter an even consistency.
Alternate Adding Flour and Buttermilk – this keeps the mixture uniform and well blended. If you add in all of the flour or buttermilk at once, it can saturate the creamed butter and cause the mixture to separate. Mix well between each addition.
Measure Correctly – be sure to use the proper measuring cups for wet and dry ingredients. Watch our video on measuring ingredients to ensure great results every time.
Don’t Overfill – Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full or they will overflow and cause a muffin top. If you divide evenly between 12 cupcakes, you should have exactly enough batter. A trigger release Ice Cream Scoop makes portioning easier.
How to Decorate Cupcakes:
Once your cupcakes are cooled to room temperature, it’s time to decorate. This is a great vanilla cupcake base for just about any kind of frosting and toppings. We pipe frosting on with a pastry bag and our favorite wilton tip. We have so many frosting options so pick your craving:
**This is my favorite Easy Buttercream Frosting Recipe!!
Common Questions:
Can I Make Cupcakes Ahead? Once cupcakes are at room temperature, cover and keep at room temperature overnight or refrigerate if storing for longer. After cupcakes are frosted, refrigerate until ready to serve. Cupcakes are great served chilled or at room temperature because they don’t harden with refrigeration.
Can I Use This Batter to Make a Cake? We’ve had great results turning it into a Vanilla Cake. You would need to double the recipe for two 9-inch cake layers.
Can I Substitute the Buttermilk? Plain kefir will also work well instead of buttermilk. You can also make your own buttermilk at a ratio of 1 cup whole milk to 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice. Combine and let it sit 10 minutes to curdle then stir and use.
How Long to Bake Cupcakes? Bake until the tops are springy and a toothpick inserted int the center comes out clean. These were perfectly baked at 350˚F for 22 minutes in a conventional oven.
A few of my favorite products that help me with this recipe:
KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer 4.5 Quart Stainless Steel Bowl to mix up to 8 dozen cookies* in a single batch. Dishwasher safe. *Using the flat beater; 28g dough each. You can easily add ingredients with the tilt-head design, because you'll have better access to the bowl - lock the head in place while mixing.
I Like the hand held one when I do not feel like cleaning up more bowls. KitchenAid 9-Speed Digital Hand Mixer with Turbo Beater II Accessories and Pro Whisk , it has 9 Speeds, and can combine ingredients at speed one for slowly stirring in chunky ingredients, speed six for mixing bread batter and creaming butter and sugar, then speed nine for whipping meringue.
My favorite pans are definitely the Wilton Cupcake Pan, 12 Cup Non-Stick Carbon Steel Cupcake Mold, cupcake Pan . This pan fits most basic cupcake liners.
Pyrex Glass, 3-Piece, 3 PC Mixing Bowl Set are my favorite bowls. They are the perfect size for the amount of baking that I do.
Ateco Disposable Decorating Bags, 18-Inch, Pack of 100 are my go to bags for decorating cakes or cookies and piping sweet or savory foods in professional and home kitchens alike. They are very versatile.
The Wilton 1M tip is a pretty basic tip for cupcake decorating and great for beginners.
