Vanilla Cupcakes

5 from 1 vote

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Vanilla Cupcakes are my very favorite. I love chocolate, I love carrot cake but I truly love a simple vanilla cupcake. Based on my vanilla cake recipe, these Vanilla Cupcakes are to die for! Moist, tender, perfectly sweet, and ready to make for any occasion. Of course amazing frosted with my Vanilla Buttercream.

frosted vanilla cupcakes on a white cake platter with one cupcake on the counter in front of it

Vanilla Cupcakes | The Best Out There!

Today I am here to introduce the best vanilla cupcake recipe to ever grace your screen! Perfectly moist, easy to make, and best of all homemade, you’ll never make boxed cupcakes again. Plus I have a couple of helpful tips to make sure you have success every time. Read on friends 🙂

frosted vanilla cupcakes on a white cake platter

Main Ingredients Needed

You’re going to need a couple of baking basics to make these vanilla cupcakes, nothing fancy here. Start by gathering these ingredients:

  • Flour – obviously needed for structure and a *little* gluten to hold these cupcakes together.
  • Baking Soda + Baking Powder – our leavening agents. I like using both for extra lift.
  • Salt – believe it or not, salt makes a huge difference in the finished product of your final cupcakes. Instead of sweet on sweet on sweet, the salt helps balance the flavor and brings out the vanilla flavor.
  • Granulated Sugar – used to sweeten.
  • Vanilla Extract – ok, friends, you’re going to want to use a good vanilla extract. Look for ‘pure vanilla extract’ instead of imitation vanilla for the best results. (Both will work, I just recommend pure vanilla extract. This is a great one.) 
  • Butter + Vegetable Oil – I love the combination of the two of these in cupcakes. Butter gives great flavor and vegetable oil helps keep the cupcakes really moist. Canola oil also works in place of vegetable oil.
  • Eggs + Egg Whites – eggs are needed for structure but the egg whites are whipped into the batter to lift and lighten. 
  • Milk – used for moisture and the protein in the milk gives a soft crumb texture.
side view of frosted vanilla cupcakes on a white cake platter

Helpful Tips

Here are my best tips for making these amazing vanilla cupcakes the first time around.

  • Use room temperature ingredients. Believe it or not, using butter, eggs, egg whites, and milk all at room temperature yields you a smoother, better-incorporated cake batter and thus better cupcakes.
  • Do not over-bake. Moist vanilla cupcakes come with just the right amount of time in the oven. Start checking for doneness after 10 minutes and then go from there. Every oven is different (some run hot, some run cold) so be sure you are checking your cake for doneness every few minutes once you’re getting close to it being completely baked.
  • Cool completely before frosting. Frosting is primarily made up of butter and the butter will melt if your cupcakes are not cooled completely. Be patient, you can do this!
3/4 view looking down at frosted vanilla cupcakes on a white cake platter

How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes

For full details on how to make vanilla cupcakes, see the recipe card down below!

Step 1: Prep

Preheat oven. Line muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

Step 2: Make the Vanilla Cupcake Batter

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together to combine. Set aside.

In a liquid measuring cup, stir milk and vanilla together. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, mix butter, oil, and sugar together until combined. Mix in eggs and egg whites, one at a time, until the mixture becomes very light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again briefly.

Alternate adding in flour mixture with milk mixture, being sure to start and end with flour. Scrape the sides and mix again to ensure a smooth batter.

Step 3: Bake + Cool

Scoop batter into each cup so it’s 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean or mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.

Cool in muffin tins before trying to invert on cooling racks. Cool completely before frosting and decorating.

Step 4: Frost

Once your cupcakes are cool you can frost them. I highly recommend my Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe or Buttercream Frosting Recipe for you vanilla lovers.

But if you are looking for something else check out my other frosting recipes!

vanilla cupcakes with frosting and sprinkles on the counter and on a white cake platter

More Classic Cupcakes to Try!

If you are loving this vanilla cupcake recipe, be sure to check out my other cupcake recipes too!

The printable recipe card is down below, enjoy!

top down view of frosted vanilla cupcakes on a white cake platter
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5 from 1 vote

The Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

Based on my vanilla cake recipe, these Vanilla Cupcakes are to die for! Moist, tender, perfectly sweet, and ready to make for any occasion.
servings 24 cupcakes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together to combine. Set aside.
  • In a liquid measuring cup, stir milk and vanilla together. Set aside.
  • In a separate large bowl, mix butter, oil, and sugar together until combined. Mix in eggs and egg whites, one at a time, until the mixture becomes very light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again briefly.
  • Alternate adding in flour mixture with milk mixture, being sure to start and end with flour. Scrape the sides and mix again to ensure a smooth batter.
  • Scoop batter into each cup so it’s 3/4 full. Bake 18-20 minutes in the lower 2/3rds of the oven. Cupcakes will be done when a toothpick comes out clean or mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
  • Cool 15-20 minutes in muffin tins before trying to invert on cooling racks. Cool completely before frosting and decorating.

Nutrition

Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 141IU | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Vanilla Cupcake Recipe, vanilla cupcakes
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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5 Responses
  1. Sanoe

    Are the egg whites meant to be whipped stiff first? I tried this recipe with just egg whites as is and the cupcakes flopped. I can’t imagine anything else I would have missed.

    1. Lauren

      When you added in the eggs and egg whites, did the batter become light and fluffy? In lieu of beating the egg whites separately, I beat them all together with the batter until light and fluffy.

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