These vanilla cupcakes are perfectly moist and fluffy and flavored with pure vanilla extract. Swirled with vanilla buttercream frosting, this is the best vanilla cupcake recipe!
Ingredients for Vanilla Cupcakes
Vanilla cupcakes
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder – Leavening agent to help the cupcakes rise.
- Salt – Enhances the flavor of the cupcakes and contrasts the sweetness.
- Milk – Room temperature.
- Egg – Room temperature.
- Sour cream – Room temperature. Adds moisture to the cupcakes.
- Vegetable oil – You can also use canola oil or another neutral baking oil.
- Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
Vanilla buttercream frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature. You can use salted – just omit additional salt.
- Powdered sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar.
- Salt – A pinch of salt contrasts the sweetness of the buttercream.
- Vanilla extract – Use a good quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Heavy cream – Helps the buttercream to become smooth and creamy.
Tools & Supplies for Making Vanilla Cupcakes
How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes
- Prep and preheat: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F & line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Make the cupcake batter: Whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add in the milk, egg, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract to the flour mixture. Whisk the dry and wet ingredients together until combined and smooth. Do not overmix.
- Bake the cupcakes: Portion the cupcake batter into cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop, about 3/4 full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the vanilla buttercream: Use an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to whip the butter on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Add in the vanilla extract and salt. While mixing on low, drizzle in the heavy cream. Whip the buttercream for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Frost the cupcakes: Use a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip to create an “ice cream swirl” style of buttercream. Sprinkle the cupcakes with white nonpareil sprinkles.
Recipe Tips
- Check out my baking tips blog post on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cupcakes for easy tips and tricks for baking the best cupcakes.
- Because vanilla is the star of the show, I recommend using a good quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for amazing vanilla flavor.
- To keep the tops of the cupcakes perfectly pale, place the cupcake pan in the center of the oven.
- I recommend using a large cookie scoop to portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners for even, uniform cupcakes.
- Store the frosted vanilla cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve the cupcakes at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Vanilla Cupcakes
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup milk room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp sour cream room temperature
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
Additional Ingredients
- 1 tbsp white nonpareil sprinkles
Instructions
Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add in the milk, vegetable oil, sour cream, egg, and vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Whisk until well combined with the dry ingredients. Do not overmix.
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop, about ¾ full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back slightly when touched.
- Remove the cupcake pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the unsalted butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes until it is light, pale, and creamy.
- Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Add the vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste and salt. While mixing on low speed, drizzle in the heavy cream.
- Turn the speed on the mixer to medium and whip the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally, until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
Frosting the Cupcakes
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the vanilla buttercream frosting. Pipe an "ice cream" style swirl onto the cupcakes and decorate with white nonpareil sprinkles.
Notes
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Comments & Reviews
Brianna says
How many cupcakes does on Batch make?
Courtney says
Hi Brianna! This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.
TK says
Hi, I love your recipes! Is there a non dairy alternative I can use instead of sour cream? Thank you!
Courtney says
Hi there! Thank you! Perhaps coconut yogurt? I haven’t specifically tested that, so I can’t say for sure how it would work, but if I can to make an educated guess on a substitution, that is what I would consider!
Elaina says
I made these a couple times now, they are wonderful!! But I don’t get a full dozen out the batter
Courtney says
Hi Elaina! So glad you enjoy the cupcakes! How much batter are you putting into the cupcake liners? For this recipe, I use a large cookie scoop which holds about 3 tablespoons and should make 12 cupcakes.
Eri Suzuki says
Can this be made with cake flour?
Courtney says
Hi Eri! I haven’t tested this recipe with cake flour, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
Brenda says
These literally took 10 minutes to whip together. I added red food colouring for Valentines. Best recipe ever. Tender and moist. My new favourite!
Courtney says
Hi Brenda! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! Super thrilled to hear it was a hit!
Gabriela says
Hi! Can I make the frosting the night before and frost the cupcakes in the morning?
Thank you!
Courtney says
Hi Gabriela! Yes you can. If you chill the frosting, bring it to room temperature and rewhip it. You could keep it at room temperature overnight in a sealed container. I would also give it a quick whip to remove all the air bubbles and smooth it out!
Em says
I used this cupcake recipe for my tiramisu cupcakes and they were so delicious! I will definitely be using this recipe again.
Courtney says
Tiramisu cupcakes sound delicious! I’m happy to hear that these cupcakes worked out for that recipe for yoU! Thanks for trying it!
Phoenix Shipman says
I really like these cupcakes! Do you have a recipe for chocolate cupcakes?
Courtney says
Hi Phoenix! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! I do have a chocolate cupcake recipe! https://cakemehometonight.com/moist-fudgy-chocolate-cupcakes/
Keisha says
I absolutely love making your cupcakes so moist and delicious! My husband wants this recipe but in a cake could I used the same recipe? Should I double or triple the recipe for a 3 layer 8in? I’m lost thanks in advance for any help!
Courtney says
Hi Keisha! So thrilled to hear you are loving this recipe! This recipe doesn’t translate super well into a cake, but you are more than welcome to give it a try and see how you like it! If you do want to experiment, I would double the recipe and you could do 2 or 3 8-inch cake pans (3 pans would make thinner layers). Let me know if you give it a try! If not, I have a great vanilla cake recipe! https://cakemehometonight.com/classic-vanilla-cake/
DEBRA says
Delicious so soft and moist. This is now my new cupcake recipe.
Courtney says
Hi Debra! I’m thrilled to hear that you loved this recipe and it is your new go-to for vanilla cupcakes. Thank you for the comment and the positive review!
Kel says
These are so so sweet. A little too sweet. Is that right, a cup of sugar? I’ll eat them, but I won’t make them again.
Courtney says
Hi there! I’m sorry these were too sweet for your taste. Sweet is subjective, so it is certainly difficult to make everyone happy. 1 cup of sugar is the correct measurement for this recipe, yes.
Anonymous says
These cupcake cakes where moist soft and just delicious I’ll make these on Christmas Eve
Courtney says
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Brenda says
These cupcakes were delicious my grandson was helping me make them ❤️ memories ❤️ thank you for sharing
Courtney says
Love it! It’s a great recipe to make with kids because it is so easy! Happy to hear you enjoyed it and made some great memories with your grandson!
LAURA says
HI, IS THERE A SUBSTITUTE FOR SOUR CREAM?
Courtney says
Hi Laura! You could also use greek yogurt!
Anonymous says
am i able to freeze these?
Courtney says
I usually don’t recommend freezing cupcakes. I, personally, have had problems with the liners peeling off when they are thawed. The cupcakes can stay in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Liv says
Made the cupcakes and loved them! I now want to use this recipe for a cake. I was thinking to double it.. a batch for each cake layer? How can I adjust bake time? Thanks!
Courtney says
Hi Liv! So glad you loved the recipe! I haven’t specifically tested this batter as a cake so it is difficult to say how long the bake time would be. I usually formulate my cake and cupcake recipes a little differently, but if you are willing to experiment, I would love to hear how it goes! I also have a great vanilla cake recipe that you could also try 🙂
Anonymous says
Cupcake and frosting was delicious. My cupcakes were also a little dense. Should I. Have used baking soda instead of powder?
Courtney says
Hi there! No, baking powder is the way to go in this recipe. Baking soda is activated by acid and will also cause the tops of the cupcakes to brown. They should absolutely not be dense. It’s hard to say exactly why that may have happened. Often times, it can be due to the baking powder being too old.
Stephanie says
I made these cupcakes the other day and they came dense. Any suggestions as to why that happened? Besides that, they were good overall.
Courtney says
Hi Stephanie! It’s difficult to say. They should not be dense at all. The main things that come to mind could be: there was an incorrect measurement, not enough baking powder or baking powder is old and not active. I’m not sure if any of these were the case, but these factors can cause changes in the texture of the cupcakes.
MEGAN Venturino says
Over mixing can also cause the crumbs to be dense. This recipe probably should be mixed by hand or very little with the mixer to help avoid that. The less you beat your cake batter the lighter the texture. I would watch out for that.
Maria Bakas says
I has the same problem. the taste was great but they were dence
Courtney says
Hi Maria! Sorry to hear that was your experience with the recipe. They should definitely not be dense. There could be several factors leading to this dense texture – old baking powder, ingredients not at the right temperature, and over mixing can create a dense cupcake.
Jane Owens says
The very best and will make again
Courtney says
Jane, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Ann Grayson says
Thank you for such a fantastic cupcake! I made these for my brother’s birthday this week. His review? Best cupcake he’s every had, and that man has tried a few! Doubling the recipe from now on.
Courtney says
WOW! What an amazing compliment! I’m so glad this recipe was enjoyed! Thanks for trying it out!
kathleen says
can u use buttermilk for this instead of milk? thank you
Courtney says
Yes, absolutely!
kathleen says
thank you
Kim VanWechel says
Could I use almond extract in the cupcake batter instead of vanilla?
Courtney says
Absolutely! I wouldn’t add a full tablespoon though! I would actually recommend using both vanilla and almond extract together for great flavor!
Ann Galletta says
I made a huge mistake. I made these for a kids holiday party..green icing, sprinkles. Now I am on for the next dozen parties. Love your icing technique..very smooth this way, color incorporated well . delicious, fluffy etc. One lady asked what cake mix I used. Really. Another chimed in saying these are not from a mix, no way, Ann never uses a mix. Ha.
Courtney says
Ann, I’m thrilled to hear that everyone enjoyed these cupcakes! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! I love this recipe because it is just as simple as using a box mix, but SO much better! Thank you for the positive rating and review!
Anonymous says
These were fantastic! This is the best vanilla cupcake recipe I have found yet. Have you used this recipe to make a 6in cake?
Courtney says
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe and for the positive review and comment! I haven’t made it into a cake but I do have a great vanilla cake recipe on my blog! 🙂
Gina Chaudry says
How much sour cream do you add to the mix.
Courtney says
2 tbsp sour cream! 🙂
Samantha M says
Hi! Thank you for this delicious cupcake recipe :). I’m writing an article for my website about synthetic dye alternatives and I tested my dye out using your recipe. Do you mind if I link your recipe in my article so I can give you credit? It will hopefully send more viewers your way <3
Courtney says
Thanks for trying the recipe! Yes, that would be fine. Thank you for asking! 🙂
Denise Nash says
Do these freeze well? Want to make for an event, but would like to bake ahead
Courtney says
I’m not a huge fan of freezing cupcakes personally. I know many people do, but the times I have tried, I have noticed that the cupcake liners occasionally start peeling off of the cupcakes. Again, that’s just a personal preference, it is not to say that they cannot be frozen. Once baked and frosted, they can keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container!
Francois says
Hello, I can’t wait to try this recipe. Have you used cake flour instead of all-purpose with this recipe? I wonder if it would work and make the cupcakes super fluffy! And another question, have you tested this frosting in hot and/or humid weather? do you think it’ll hold up? I live somewhere terribly hot and humid 🙁 thanks!
Courtney says
Hello there! I have not tried this recipe with cake flour, so I can’t say for certain what the result would be. I find the cupcakes to be very light and fluffy with all-purpose flour. But I do love experimenting! Regarding the frosting, as it is made of butter, it can and will melt if the temperature is high enough. Some bakers who live in hot, humid climates replace half the butter with shortening. I do recommend keeping the cupcakes chilled and bring them to room temperature for serving!
Gerri says
I have made these twice. A single batch and a double. They are so wonderful . I will never use a white cake mix again. The frosting is a little time consuming but very worth the time spent. Thanks
Courtney says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe and for the positive review and comment! I truly appreciate it! 🙂
Dawn Perkey says
These are hands down THE BEST vanilla cupcakes!! They are perfection and an added bonus is the fact that you don’t have to use butter which is very costly right now. I use this recipe for my vanilla cakes as well. Super moist, taste amazing with all the vanilla and they rose perfectly every. single. time! Thank you!!!
Courtney says
I am SO HAPPY to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! I love using the vegetable oil because then all I need is a whisk! 🙂 I appreciate your kind words and positive review and rating! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! 🙂
Anonymous says
My cupcakes fell before I even pulled them out of the oven, how could I prevent this futuristically? (Either then that great cupcakes!😋)
Courtney says
Oh dear! Hmmm…I haven’t had that experience with this particular cupcake recipe. I’m wondering if climate or elevation might have something to do with it? Maybe try baking them for a minute or two longer.
Anonymous says
Hi! Any experience with substituting light tasting olive oil instead of the vegetable oil? Can’t wait to try!
Courtney says
Hello! I actually haven’t tried that but that sounds like it might be interesting! Like an olive oil cake! If you try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Susan Brandenburg says
Can you double or triple this recipe with good results?
Courtney says
Yes! That will work perfectly well 🙂
Mason says
Hello, I love reading your recipes…..question: could I substitute oil for real butter? Not trying to change your recipe, I use real butter in my cake recipes. Just wanted your thoughts…
Thank you so much.
Courtney says
Hello! Thank you so much! For some recipes substituting oil would work alright, but it can change the texture or consistency of some of the recipes. I cannot say how well certain recipes would turn out as I have not tested it myself, but I’m all for experimenting! 🙂
Katlyn Sanders says
Hi can I make these into mini cupcakes? What would be the cook time for that?
Courtney says
Absolutely! The bake time is approximately 10 minutes for mini cupcakes. Double check to see if they are done by gently touching the top. If it bounces back, you are good to go!
Anonymous says
Hi, could I use almond milk for a substitute for regular milk?
Courtney says
Yes, that should not be a problem at all!
Shantel says
The BEST vanilla cupcake I’ve ever made! Easy to follow recipe and cupcakes live up to their name! ♥️
Courtney says
Wow! I’m so happy to hear you loved the recipe! Thanks for the review!