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Hi Bold Bakers!
Everyone should have an excellent vanilla cupcake recipe in their collection, and this one is the best! I call my Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes the little black dress of desserts — it works for any occasion. They’re perfect for every event, from first birthday parties to weddings, depending on how you decorate them!
My recipe calls for buttermilk (you can use my Homemade Buttermilk Recipe, of course), which ensures a perfectly moist vanilla cupcake with a delicious and satisfying, subtle tang. I also use cake flour to give them a really fantastic texture. If you want, use my Cake Flour recipe!
Along with this cupcake recipe, I’m including my Best-Ever Vanilla Buttercream recipe. From there, it’s up to you to decorate the way you like! Get creative with some cheerful sprinkles, food coloring, flavor extracts.
What Is Cake Flour? Can I Use Plain Flour Instead Of Cake Flour?
Cake flour is a finely milled, low protein flour, and because it produces less gluten than other flours, your cakes will be perfectly tender, soft, and fluffy.
If you don’t want to use cake flour, you can use regular all-purpose flour in a cake, subbing it for the other 1:1.
What You Need To Make Vanilla Cupcakes With Buttercream
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing bowl
- 12-cup muffin tin
- Paper liners
- Stand mixer or handheld mixer.
How To Make Vanilla Cupcakes
Never buy boxed mix again! These cupcakes are so easy and so delicious!! (And don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below.)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or if you are using a handheld mixer, a large bowl, combine the cake flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix on low for a few seconds to combine.
- Add butter, oil, and vanilla extract. Blend until the ingredients are combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as you go.
- Add in the eggs and yolk, one at a time, and mix on low until combined.
- Pour in the buttermilk and mix on low until well combined. Try not to overmix; otherwise, your cake will not be as fluffy.
- Scoop the batter into the 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Bake in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for 20-25 minutes. You can check if the cupcakes are fully baked by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, they are ready to be taken out of the oven.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift them onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Decorate the cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting after allowing to cool fully, and add your sprinkles.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Vanilla Cupcakes
- For the best rise, allow all of your ingredients to come to room temperature before beginning.
- Don’t have an ingredient? I have recipes for Cake Flour, Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, Buttermilk, and Confetti Sprinkles!
- Cupcakes tend to dry out if kept in a refrigerator. It’s better to keep them stored at room temperature or in the freezer if you plan to store them for longer.
- The buttercream frosting can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for up to 4 weeks or frozen for up to 2 months. Allow it to come to room temperature before frosting.
How Do I Store Vanilla Cupcakes?
The best way to store cupcakes is in an airtight container at room temperature. They can be kept for up to 2 days. If you’d like to store them for longer, they can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Before serving, allow them to defrost at room temperature for about 2 hours.
Make More Cupcakes!
- Classic Chocolate Cupcakes
- Crazy Cupcakes: One Base Cupcake Recipe, Endless Flavor Possibilities
- Strawberry Cupcakes
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Full (and printable) recipe below!
Try These Recipes!
Classic Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe with Vanilla Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (7oz/198g) cake flour
- 1 cup (8oz/225g) sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons (1oz/28g) butter softened
- ⅓ cup (2 ½ floz/71g) neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, sunflower, canola)
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- ¾ cup (6 floz/170 ml) buttermilk
- 1 recipe vanilla buttercream frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer) combine cake flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix on low for a few seconds to combine.
- Add butter, oil, and vanilla extract and blend until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
- Add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, and mix on low until fully combined.
- Pour in the buttermilk and mix on low until thoroughly combined, but take care not to overmix.
- Scoop batter evenly into the 12 prepared muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before lifting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate the cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and sprinkles
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, they can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature for about 2 hours.
Hi Gemma
I will be baking for the pre school cupcake day so need to double up on this mixture will this be okay? Did try to read the reply to a similar question asked by someone in the comments …can’t seem to access the reply🤗
Hi Gemma, love your recipes and going to use this one for my cupcakes this afternoon. I wanted to make a double batch but I have a bit of a silly question: I really only trust the middle shelf of my oven(!), so would prefer to bake the two batches separately. Will the second batch (of mix) be ok on standby whilst the first batch bakes, or does it really need to go into the oven immediately? If that makes sense… Thank you!
Hi Gemma, love your site and recipes, thanks so much! This is my favourite cupcake recipe but I was wondering if the batter could be used for a cake?
Mandy
Hi Gemma. I love this recipe so much, I’ve made it so many times. Here’s a picture of when I made it for a Christmas party. The frosting was also your vanilla buttercream recipe. Now I want to try and add some lemon zest and maybe swap some of the vanilla extract with some lemon juice to make lemon cupcakes. Would that work? I already tried your one bowl lemon cupcakes recipe and I actually prefer the texture of these vanilla ones more.
Hi Gemma,
I received the email saying my comment got approved, but it is still showing it isn’t and no reply from you. I know your busy. just when you have time. Thank you!
Also, the cupcakes domed beautifully!
Hi Gemma! I made your vanilla cupcakes yesterday as well as your savory Zucchini (yellow squash on hand) muffins. For the cupcakes I used my hand mixer, which normally I use my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. I found when I combined the butter, oil and vanilla with the dry ingredients it wasn’t smooth. I also used homemade buttermilk using whole milk. The cupcakes were super moist, but very, very heavy? Do you think using regular buttermilk would have made the difference? Next time can I cream the butter, oil, vanilla first, then add dry ingredients? Thank you, Gemma.
Great recipe! My cupcakes domed perfectly and yielded the small batch I needed. I was worried there would be too much vanilla, but my daughter thought it was just right.
Hi there! I checked my oven temperature with an oven thermometer and followed this recipe to a T, measuring everything on a scale. I used fresh baking powder/soda, but my cupcakes came out lopsided and cracked. Any advice?
I have your book and use a lot of your recipes, always happy with my results.