This easy vanilla cupcake recipe makes the best, ultra moist vanilla cupcakes from scratch. They’re topped with my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting that’s light and fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness. You can’t go wrong with classic, homemade vanilla cupcakes for birthdays, holidays, or any special occasion!
Looking for more cupcakes? Here are all my best cupcake recipes. You might also love these perfect chocolate cupcakes.
I think everyone needs a quick and easy cupcake recipe that they can make in a pinch. I have made many cupcakes over the years, and this is my best vanilla cupcake recipe yet. You can literally come home from work and have cupcakes in the oven 10 minutes later.
Thousands of readers have made these vanilla cupcakes and loved the dense, sponge-like texture. These cupcakes stay moist for several days, and they’re packed with vanilla flavor. I topped these with classic vanilla buttercream; you can’t go wrong with that combination.
Why is This Vanilla Cupcakes 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.
- 10 minutes to prepare. This recipe uses oil, so it comes together very quickly. Oil makes the crumb and texture a bit more tender and tighter.
- Plenty of flavor. This recipe calls for a whole tablespoon of vanilla extract. Be sure you get a high-quality vanilla for the best results
- They’re super moist. The sour cream in this recipe is a non-negotiable for me. It’s really what keeps these soft and tender for several days.
- Very versatile. You can make this for any holiday or celebration, it can even be turned into a cake.
Ingredient Notes
These are the important ingredients you’ll need to make these cupcakes. Refer to the recipe card for the full, printable list with ingredient amounts and step-by-step recipe instructions.
- Oil – I make my cakes and cupcakes with oil instead of butter. It’s the first secret to super moist and fluffy cupcakes! Choose a neutral-flavored oil, like canola or vegetable oil.
- Sour Cream – Bring this to room temperature. If you don’t have sour cream, plain Greek yogurt is a good substitute.
- All-purpose Flour – Make sure to measure your flour correctly. If you can’t weigh your flour using a kitchen scale, spoon the flour from the bag into your measuring cup. Then, level off the top with the back of a knife. Never scoop straight from the bag, which results in overmeasuring. I recommend sifting the flour for these cupcakes to remove any lumps.
- Milk – Whole milk, 2% milk, or any kind you have on hand. This should also be at room temperature.
How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes
I’ll show you how to make vanilla cupcakes from scratch! Follow this quick step-by-step overview.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Combine the sugar with the wet ingredients. First, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well incorporated. Then, add in the sour cream and beat until well combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients. Add half the dry ingredients and half of the milk and mix just until the flour starts to incorporate. Repeat until all ingredients have been added.
- Fill the pan. I recommend using a large cookie scoop, which is about 3 tablespoons. It ensures an even amount of batter for each cupcake, and they will bake more evenly.
- Bake! In my oven, these bake for about 15 minutes. I bake both pans on the top rack, and I test the middle of the cupcakes with a toothpick to make sure they’re baked through all the way.
Seriously, The Best Vanilla Buttercream
I promise this will become your new go-to frosting recipe. It’s the perfect consistency for piping, and the texture is amazing. What makes this frosting so good?
- Butter temperature. My secret is to use cold butter, straight out of the fridge. The butter is whipped in the beginning for several minutes, so the mixture softens the butter for you.
- You have more control over the consistency. You don’t have to worry about the butter being too soft, resulting in a runny buttercream that doesn’t hold its shape.
- Whipped to perfection. You’ll be doing extra mixing with this recipe and adding some heavy whipping cream, which helps reduce the sweetness and incorporate air into the frosting.
If you’ve never made frosting before, be sure you visit this tutorial that walks you through it step-by-step.
How to Decorate Cupcakes Like a Pro
Want to make beautiful bakery-style frosted vanilla cupcakes? A simple trick is to use jumbo piping tips for the frosting. Start from the outside edge of the cupcake, working your way up towards the middle, and only fill your piping bag a maximum of 2/3 full. I have shared tons more tips for decorating cupcakes and also coloring buttercream for any occasion.
Cupcake Decorating Ideas
This vanilla cupcake recipe is so versatile. Decorate your baked and cooled cupcakes for any occasion following the tutorials I’ve included here! You can also change up the frosting with chocolate buttercream or cream cheese frosting, or any of the cupcake frosting ideas below.
Tips for Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes
- Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure that the sour cream, milk, and eggs that you use to make your cupcake batter are at room temperature before you start. Room temperature ingredients combine and blend more smoothly than ingredients that are cold from the fridge.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing cake batter causes the gluten to overdevelop, leading to dense cupcakes that won’t rise properly.
- Use a cookie scoop or measuring cup to fill the pan. will ensure that there’s an even amount of batter in each cupcake liner. This means the baking times will also be consistent.
- Use an oven thermometer. Most ovens take much longer to preheat than you think. Using an oven thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of your oven will help ensure it’s not over- or under-heated.
- Make it gluten-free. You can swap out the all-purpose flour with a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour to make the most amazing gluten-free cupcakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. I have adapted this cupcake recipe to make a vanilla layer cake or a sheet cake.
Personally, I don’t freeze cupcakes if I can help it. I don’t think they taste the same when thawed. However, if you need to freeze your vanilla cupcakes, I suggest freezing them unfrosted. See below for storage and freezing tips.
How to Store Frosted Cupcakes
- Refrigerate. I recommend refrigerating cupcakes that are frosted and allowing them to come to room temperature before serving. Since this frosting is all butter-based, it will melt in hot or humid environments. If you are serving your frosted cupcakes at an outdoor party, be sure to keep them out of the sun, especially if temperatures are hot that day. Otherwise, I store my cupcakes in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for up to 3 days once they are frosted.
- Freeze. Flash-freeze the unfrosted vanilla cupcakes on a baking sheet for 15 minutes. Then, transfer the cupcakes to an air-tight, freezer-safe container. Thaw to room temperature before frosting.
More Cakes and Cupcakes Recipes
Moist Vanilla Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 24-26 cupcakes
- Category: Cupcake
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
I’ll show you how to make the best moist vanilla cupcakes from scratch! This easy, fluffy vanilla cupcakes recipe is perfect for birthdays and holidays, frosted with creamy vanilla buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 2 cups (380g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (118 ml) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ cup(120g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour sifted
- 3 teaspoons (11.2 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
- 1 ¼ cups (296 ml) milk (any type), at room temperature
For the Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter, cold
- 5–6 cups (780g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) vanilla extract
- 2 ½ tablespoons (37.5ml) heavy whipping cream
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until the eggs and oil are well incorporated and the batter is lighter in color, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Next, mix in the sour cream and beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. Add half the dry ingredients and half of the milk, and mix just until the flour starts to incorporate. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter from the bottom to the top to ensure it’s well mixed.
- Using a large cookie scoop, divide the batter evenly, filling each liner 2/3 full.
- Bake at 350°F for 14-16 minutes. Test the cupcakes for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done. Cool Completely.
For the Frosting
- Cut the butter into pieces. Using the paddle attachment, whip the butter for 5-7 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally, beating until the butter is very fluffy.
- Alternate adding 2 cups of powdered sugar at a time with the liquid ingredients: vanilla extract & heavy cream. Ensure the powdered sugar is well combined, and whip for 1-2 minutes before adding more powdered sugar.
- Once all the ingredients have been added, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another couple of minutes to whip additional air into the frosting. Pipe these cupcakes with a large piping tip and top with sprinkles.
Notes
- The batter will be quite thin. It’s important that you stir the batter after mixing, to ensure everything on the bottom of the bowl is well mixed.
- Sour Cream: You can substitute the light sour cream for Greek yogurt. You can also use full-fat sour cream if needed.
- Gluten-free option: This recipe has been tested with a measure for measure all-purpose gluten-free flour that already contains xanthan gum.
- To make 12-14 cupcakes, halve all the dry and wet ingredients, but use 2 whole eggs, 2/3 cups milk
- Storage suggestions: If you live in a hot and humid environment then I would suggest that you refrigerate cupcakes that are frosted and allow them to come to room temperature before serving. Otherwise, they can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature.
- Make-ahead: These are best served within 2 days of preparation but will proper storage they can stay fresh for several days.
- Freezing: If needed, flash-freeze the cupcakes on a baking sheet for 15 minutes than transfer them to an air-tight, freezer-safe container. Thaw to room temperature prior to serving. If possible, it’s best to store them unfrosted.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 46.9g
- Sodium: 118.6mg
- Fat: 17.9g
- Saturated Fat: 11.8g
- Carbohydrates: 58.3g
- Fiber: 0.4g
- Protein: 3.1g
- Cholesterol: 57.1mg
My son and I have made these several times and they have been consistently delicious! This is my go-to recipe for cupcakes!
I love to hear this Lauren, thank you so much for sharing!
On July 1, I wanted to make cupcakes to celebrate Canada Day and this recipe was the first one that came up in my search and I must say this is hands down the BEST recipe I have ever used. The cupcakes came out absolutely perfect!
I didnt have any sour cream so I substituted with greek yogurt and they were incredible.
Thank you for such an amazing recipe.
Hi Krystin! That is awesome and thank you for sharing! Happy belated Canada day!
Great recipe! Thank you so much! I had to leave them a bit longer in the oven (about 23 minutes or so) but my god did they turn out delicious and that was the first time in my life that I made cupcakes! Thank you so much!! YUM!
This is so amazing, thank you for sharing!
I had never made cupcakes from scratch and these were great. It was pretty messy with my Kitchenaid mixer though haha! I used less than 1 cup of milk because I was worried the batter was getting too thin. And it actually took me 20-25 minutes of baking. This recipe made 24 cupcakes for me!
Hi Dominique- I am glad to hear you tried this recipe for the first time. Don’t worry the batter is VERY thin and should be. So if you used these than 1 1/4 cups milk, you batter would have been very thick and that’s why your cupcakes needed to bake for much longer. I recommend trying it again and following the actual recipe, you can compare the two you made!
Can you use already whipped cream in the frosting? I have some ready. Thanks
Hi Leah- do you mean in replacement of the heavy cream? No I don’t recommend that.
Do you use room temperature ingredients?
Usually I don’t, but there’s absolutely no harm in doing so.
How many cupcakes can you make from this recipe? Thanks
Hi Niki- in the recipe card under “yield” it says 24-26 cupcakes 🙂
Can I use this for a cake? Will it affect the texture if cooked in an 8in pan or something similar?
I made cupcakes and filled with caramel and another batch added lemon zest and they were delicious. Great Recipe!
Hi there, yes, this is addressed in the blog post and linked as well. For the 8-inch layer cake or as a 9×13 inch cake
Hi this recipe looks absolutely amazing!!! Want to try but was wondering how well do they freeze I have to bake 4 dozen cupcakes for a friends birthday and I work ft so I wanted to bake week ahead and freeze them but not sure how to properly thaw or how they will taste after
Hi Cindi- Can you make the cupcakes, freeze them and then frost them the day you’re serving? That would be my recommendation. As opposed to frosting and freezing them. You can make the cupcakes, freeze them in an airtight container. You can prepare the frosting in advance, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. However, you need to let the frosting come to room temperature and rewhip it prior to frosting your cupcakes.
Julianne, thank you for posting this recipe. Mine came out really well *I used 1-1/2 cups of sugar instead of the 2…tasted great!” There’s something always exciting about the top of the cupcake springing back up once you touch it! ???
I’ll definitely try out your other recipes! Merry Christmas to you and yours! ❤????
Awesome Michelle! I am so glad to hear this! Thanks for sharing.
The flavor of these cupcakes was good. But they seemed a little chewy. I did add food coloring gel (my daughter wanted tie-dye colors) do don’t know if that made a difference. I also used cake flour. Any insight on what they might be chewy?
Hi Heather- Cake flour and all-purpose flour are not a 1:1 substitute, and not meant to be used interchangeably- so that is likely the issue. Did you make any other adjustments or variations from the recipe?
I love this recipe, even better my mom does. She has celiac disease so I make it gluten free and only other change I make is I use 2% milk. Cupcakes are the best! Stay so moist which is always an issue with gluten free flour.
Hi Amanda- I am SO glad to hear this! I have made a GF version and my GF friend told me it was pretty dang good.
I can say I have never found a vanilla cake/cupcake recipe that I have like, UNTIL NOW. This recipe is wonderful. The flavor and texture turned out perfect. I am so happy to have found your recipe and I just wanted to thank you for sharing.
This am AMAZING Pam! Thank you so much for your feedback.
I have tried this recipe on two different occasions now and have been disappointed both… The middle of my cupcakes have sank in both time, are very sticky on top, and take an additional 6 to 8 minutes to cook completely through. The taste is plesant but not great enough to overlook the frustration of having to start over to make presentable cupcakes.
Hi Hannah, I am sorry this recipe did not work for you. A couple of things that might have caused this- over beating the batter, overfilling the cupcake liners- especially if you had to bake it an extra 6-8 minutes, that a lot. Is your internal oven temperature correct and are you emsuring it’s fully preheated before you start? You may have also pulled them out of the oven too soon, or your leavening agent might have gone bad. Did you make any substitutions to the recipe? Lots and Lots of people have made this recipe and loved it- but I understand how frustrating it can be when something doesn’t work out for you.
Mine have been in the oven 18 minutes and still sticky on my toothpick. They are close to finished. Preheated, all new ingredients and no over beating. So idk…
Hi Elizabeth, it’s possible you overfilled the liners and they need to bake for longer. But keep in mind that the baking time will not always be exactly the same as it’s dependent on the oven, true oven temp and even the pans you’re using.
Can you use any type of milk?
Absolutely.
Brilliant recipe. I made it in muffin sized patty pans and it made 18 big cupcakes. I made another batch and replaced the vanilla with lemon zest and 4 drops of pure lemon oil (food grade). I used your vanilla frosting recipe to ice the vanilla ones and a glacé drizzle lemon icing for the lemon ones. Everyone at work raved about them. This will be my new go to recipe for cupcakes. Will be trying the chocolate recipe next. Thanks ?
This is so awesome Celia! Thank you so much for sharing!
I have used this recipe many times and it it by far my favorite. The cupcakes come out so yummy and moist and not too sweet, but this time around I have someone attending a party who is allergic to eggs. Is there something I can do to substitute the eggs?
Hi Carolina, I am so glad you like it! I unfortunately am not familiar with egg free baking, I’d probably start with a Goggle search and try a couple options to see what you like. Sorry I couldn’t be more help.
This recipe is amazing! But I have a silly question, is sour cream the same as soured cream? And also could anyone shed any light on why at the bottom, my cakes are doming inwardly? What could I be doing wrong? I’d really appreciate the help
Hi Ali, I am not familiar with “soured cream”, is that a product in the UK? What are you using to line your pans?
Soured cream is sold in the dairy section in the UK, I can’t find sour cream other than that in the Mexican aisle! I’m really struggling to find light sour/soured cream any ideas? I made this recipe a few times and they were so light and moist, and recently when I’ve used normal soured cream they are so dense and not as soft. I would love your help!
I also use normal white cupcake liners
Will these freeze ok?
It is recommend to freeze them unfrosted and allow them to come to room temperature before frosting. Flash freeze for 15 minutes and then transfer to an airtight container.
I would this receipe be enough to make a regular cake in a 9×13 pan. We loved the receipe for cupcakes by the way!
Awesome, thank you Cheryl! Yes it can make a 9×13″ vanilla cake. bake at 350°F for 28-32 minutes depending on the type of pan you’re using