Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
This homemade vanilla cupcake recipe isn’t short of pure vanilla flavor! The cupcakes are moist, and the buttercream is smooth and creamy. This is the perfect dessert for any occasion!
If you think vanilla cupcakes are boring, you’ve clearly been eating the wrong ones.
When done properly, homemade vanilla cupcakes are moist, tender, and full of vanilla flavor. I’m happy to report that these cupcakes tick all the boxes, and then some!
I topped these vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting to stick with the vanilla theme, but you’re welcome to use any flavor of frosting you’d like. You can even add a few drops of food coloring to transform the cupcakes into a special holiday treat.
This scratch recipe is almost as easy to prepare as a box mix, but with 10 times more flavor!
Recipe Ingredients
This truly is the best vanilla cupcake recipe, in terms of both results and ingredients. It uses everyday ingredients I always have on hand, which is perfect for last-minute entertaining.
Here’s a quick summary of the key ingredients needed to make them:
- Flour: Be sure to spoon the flour out of the bag and into your measuring cup. If you scoop the flour out of the bag with the measuring cup, you’ll end up compacting it and will measure out too much by mistake. I have a full post that explains more about the spoon and level method here.
- Unsalted butter: I always use unsalted butter for baked goods because the amount of salt in salted butters can vary between brands. You may use salted butter in the cupcake batter, but you will need to reduce the salt to 1/8 teaspoon.
- Sugar: You’ll need one cup of granulated sugar to make the cupcake batter. These cupcakes are sweet, but the sugar doesn’t outshine the vanilla flavor.
- Vanilla extract: The vanilla is the star of the show, so it’s important to use a good-quality bottle. Pure vanilla extract is preferred.
- Sour cream: Full-fat sour cream adds moisture to the cupcakes and also ensures they’re sturdy enough to hold a lot of frosting while still remaining light and fluffy.
- Heavy cream: Produces the richest vanilla frosting, but whole milk or half and half will also work.
How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes
This is such an easy vanilla cupcake recipe that bakers of all levels can master. I’ve provided detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post, but here’s an overview of the baking process.
First, you’ll make the cupcakes:
- Prep the baking pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe makes 14 cupcakes, so you’ll either need to use a second muffin pan or you can bake the cupcakes in batches.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine the wet ingredients: In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy. This step may take about 4 to 5 minutes, so be patient! Then, add the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream.
- Finish the batter: Add the dry ingredients to the wet, taking care not to overmix the batter.
- Bake: Divide the batter among 14 cupcake liners and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
While the cupcakes are cooling, you can make the vanilla frosting:
- Beat the butter: Using either a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients: Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and mix until combined, then mix in the heavy cream on low speed until smooth.
- Frost the cupcakes: Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, you may frost them. I have a full tutorial on how to frost cupcakes, if you need some assistance!
Can This Recipe Be Made in Advance?
Absolutely! The cupcakes can be baked 24 hours in advance. Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container on your countertop. The frosting can be prepared 1 to 2 days in advance as well. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. Allow the frosting to come to room temperature on the counter, then frost the cupcakes.
The frosted cupcakes may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge one to two days ahead of time. If you store them in the fridge, I’d recommend letting them come to room temperature on the counter before serving.
Can the Sour Cream Be Substituted?
I highly recommend using full-fat sour cream in this vanilla cupcake recipe if at all possible. The cupcakes won’t taste like sour cream at all, it simply adds moisture to the cupcakes.
If you’re out of sour cream, you may replace it with an equal amount of plain Greek yogurt. In a pinch, buttermilk will work, just note that using buttermilk will somewhat alter the texture of the cupcakes.
Can This Recipe Be Used to Make a Cake?
Yes, you can bake the batter in one 9-inch round cake pan and increase the baking time to 30 minutes. For a layered cake, you may double the recipe or try my classic vanilla cake recipe instead.
Other Frosting Options
I paired these vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting, but you can top them with any flavor of frosting you’d like. Here are a few other options that you can try:
- Strawberry Frosting
- Peanut Butter Frosting
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Chocolate Buttercream
- Ermine Frosting
- Coffee Frosting
Baking Tips
- Bring all of the ingredients (eggs, butter, sour cream, etc.) to room temperature for best results. This helps the batter come together more evenly and makes for a better cupcake.
- Only mix in the dry ingredients until just combined! Over mixing the batter can lead to dense cupcakes.
- Make sure to only fill each cupcake liner a little over halfway full. It won’t seem like much, but the cupcakes will rise quite a bit as they’re baking in the oven.
- You must wait to frost the cupcakes until they’ve cooled completely to room temperature. If you try to frost them when they’re still warm, the frosting will melt and slide off.
More Easy Cupcake Recipes to Make!
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
Recipe Video
Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes:
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled (165 grams)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (115 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup full fat sour cream (120 grams)
Vanilla Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (230 grams)
- 3 cups confectioner's sugar (360 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (30ml)
Instructions
To make the vanilla cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second muffin pan with 2 liners (this recipe will make 14 cupcakes). Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a hand-held mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Add in the sour cream and mix until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, making sure not to over mix the batter.
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them a little over half way full. You should end up with exactly 14 cupcakes.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Remove all of the cupcakes from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a hand-held mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth.
- Add in the confectioner's sugar and vanilla and mix on low until fully combined. Slowly add in the heavy cream and mix on low speed until the frosting is smooth and well combined.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.
Notes
These look soooo good and really easy to make! I’ll definitely have to try them out soon. Thanks!
i really enjoyed the finished product, however; i had to add a whole cup of milk and another egg
because the consistency was way too thick. I needed up adding a dash of cinnamon,a dash of nutmeg,and a shredded green apple and they overall turned out great!!
This cupcake recipe is just wonderful! I made these with blue food coloring added to the frosting to take to a baby sprinkle at work today and everyone loved them. I used lite sour cream and salted butter. I accidentally added the sour cream after the dry ingredients and it all still incorporated perfectly. I only had nonfat lactose free milk on hand since my SO is intolerant, but I think the heavy cream would have been much better in keeping the frosting a bit thicker. I also read you can use coconut cream if you can’t have dairy, which I think I would do next time. I baked these for exactly 18 minutes and they were perfect.
So glad you liked the cupcakes, Ann!
I love the flavor of these cupcakes, and the recipe and instructions are fool-proof. They came out very dense. Is there a way to make them more light and fluffy?
Because they’re made with sour cream, they are a little denser. You could use regular milk or buttermilk, but they won’t be quite as moist.
Hi! Have you ever folded sprinkles into to this recipe as a last step before baking? Do you think they’d all sink to the bottom or is the batter thick enough to keep them in place? Thanks 🙂 Looking forward to trying these based on the reviews!
I haven’t tried it, but I think that would be fine!
I made these today for my son’s birthday party. I had never made or piped frosting before. I tripled the recipe and colored the frosting blue. They were fabulous and a huge hit!
So glad to hear that, Gauri!
Omg these are the BEST cupcakes I’ve ever tasted. Sweet, moist and delicious! These are the first I’ve ever baked from scratch. Easy to follow recipe, I even did it with my kids (7&4). I have one question- if I wanted the cupcake a little less sweet, could I cut the sugar to 3/4c without affecting recipe?
Thanks for sharing
That should be fine!
Excellent and easy recipe! I love it and will be making these vanilla cupcakes again and again! Very fresh mild vanilla flavor – WAY better than a box mix and just as easy but without artificial ingredients and chemicals! Best of all is that I had all the ingredients in the house. I did substitute the heavy cream with 2% milk but it was fine.
Do you use a fan forced or conventional oven?
I use a conventional oven.
How can I make these in chocolate. I love the recipe but I am not sure how much chocolate powder to add.
It would dry out the cupcakes. You can use my chocolate cupcake recipe here: https://www.livewellbakeoften.com/chocolate-cupcakes-recipe/.
Hi Danielle! I want to make these cupcakes for a friend’s birthday. Am I able to use salted butter?
I would really stick with unsalted butter if you can. It would be okay to use salted butter in the cupcakes and reduce the salt down to 1/4 teaspoon. The salted butter may affect the taste of the frosting though, it just depends on how much salt is in the butter.
These are soooo good!! Any adjustments if i want to use this recipe for two 8″ cakes? I’m assuming just longer bake time? Thanks!
I would double the recipe for two 8-inch cake pans. You will need to increase the baking time too.
Loved the vanilla cupcakes! My husband wants me to make chocolate ones as well. Can I just add some baking cocoa to this recipe?
It would probably dry out the cupcakes. I have a chocolate cupcake recipe here though: https://www.livewellbakeoften.com/chocolate-cupcakes-recipe/.
any suggestions on making the frosting chocolate buttercream?
I have a recipe for chocolate buttercream frosting here: https://www.livewellbakeoften.com/chocolate-buttercream-frosting/.
I never baked cupcakes before but I know a good one when I taste one. I had several recipes to choose from and boy I’m glad I chose yours. I also tried your chocolate cupcake and red velvet recipe and they all turned out perfect!
Since several people are asking, will you please come up with a cake version of this just like how you came up with your chocolate cake recipe? Oh please please please…this recipe is the best! Thank you very much 🙂
So happy to hear that, I just looked at your picture and they’re so pretty! I am planning to work on a vanilla cake recipe in the next few months too!
So excited to try these after reading all of the amazing reviews!! Will it hurt the recipe if I use cake flour instead of all-purpose?
Thanks so much!
That would be fine! Cake flour is lighter than all-purpose flour, so a good rule of thumb is to use 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of cake flour in place of 1 cup of all-purpose flour. I would probably use 1 and 1/2 cups of cake flour if you do.
Hello there. I would like to try this recipe but sour cream isn’t available where I live. Could you kindly advice on a substitute, pls? Thank you.
You could use plain yogurt in place of the sour cream.
I messed up and doubled the butter in the batter but these still came out delicious — just more like a pound cake. My bad! Will make again, especially the easy buttercream, which we turned light blue since my daughter wanted Frozen-themed cupcakes 🙂
These made exactly 14 cupcakes as you said. They were good but just a little too sweet for me. I think I will use less sugar next time but otherwise good and simple cupcakes. Thanks for the clear recipe.
Any suggestions for high altitude baking with this recipe?
I don’t have any experience with high altitude baking, but some readers have found this guide helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html.
I want to make mini cupcakes tonight with your recipe. If I cut the recipe in half to yield approx 21 minis, will it compromise the cupcakes?
Hi, Jade! I think it would be fine to cut the recipe in half.
Do I have to sift the dry ingredients?
It’s not necessary for this recipe.
How far in advance can you make these?
You can make them 2-3 days in advance. I prefer to refrigerate the frosted cupcakes, then set them out a couple hours before serving to come to room temperature.
I did this for a program in my hall and they were AMAZING!!! I found that it only made 12 cupcakes, which was fine, but we also didn’t have a mixer and had to whisk everything which may be why. But still awesome!!!
Really great reception and tips, my sister and I were making these cupcakes and found everything very simple which was good. Overall I’m happy ?
Im wondering if I could use something else besides sour cream, sadly out of it, can I use milk?
I would suggest using sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. You can use milk, but it will change the texture of the cupcakes and they won’t stay as moist.
I mixed 1/8 cup of butter with 3/8 cups of buttermilk together as a substitute for the 1/2 of sour cream. I love using this trick when I’m out of sour cream and I’m up past midnight baking in peace while my four boys are sound asleep. It work’s awesome in almost any recipe as a substitute for sour cream.
Is the yoghurt thin or thick one? What brands you suggest?
I use a thicker sour cream/yogurt. I really like Daisy sour cream or Chobani plain Greek yogurt.
I made these yesterday when I got a request for cupcakes on a snow day and HOLY COW these are hands-down the best I’ve ever made!! So I’m making more to bring into work tomorrow. If I double the batch, do I just double ALL ingredients? Or no?
So glad you liked the cupcakes! Yes, you can double the ingredients to double the batch. It will be quite a bit of batter, so just be careful not to over mix it.
Hi, quick question. How can I sub Baking soda for baking powder?
I’m out of baking powder ?
Do you have any cream of tartar? If so, you can make your own baking powder by mixing together 2 teaspoons cream of tartar with 1 teaspoon baking soda, then measure out 1 and 1/4 teaspoon and use in place of the 1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking powder.
These are hands-down the BEST cupcakes ever! They don’t need frosting because they are SO amazing by themselves. Plus, they are super easy to make!
Can I 4 x the batch?
I would suggest making two double batches. If you make that large of a batch, you may end up over mixing the batter.