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
Congratulations for new baby
Thanks a lot for great cupcakes
You are amazing
Thank you!
I *LOVE* this recipe! So easy to switch it up (lemon, orange, strawberry, etc.) and the BEST cake texture ever. Thank you, thank you, thank you! <3
Yeah! Thanks so much. You are right, it’s so easy to switch up the flavors!
Soooo I made these cupcakes last night and made the frosting…. Can I say these were AMAZING!!! I made 2 batches . Not only were they moist, but also DELICIOUS 😋. Now to top everything else … mind blown 🤯 with learning about using cold unsalted butter for the frosting.
Thanks soooo much!!!
Love this so much! Thank you for sharing, and I am happy you found my little corner of the internet!
My girls and I are going to have to make these! They look so delicious!
Thanks,
Jenn
Can I use cake flour? If so, how much?
Hi Angela, this recipe doesn’t work well with cake flour, there’s a lot of liquid ingredients and it’s not a 1:1 substitute
Can this recipe be made in cakes?
Hi Des, this is answered in the blog post under the large heading “Can I Use This Recipe to Make a Cake?” and includes a link to the different cake recipes.
Can you use sunflower oil instead of vegetable oil, can’t seem to get it anywhere. What’s the difference please. Really want to give this recipe a try yummy.and thank you for sharing
Hi Carriann, I have never baked with sunflower oil. If it’s a 1:1 replacement then it should be okay.
Instead of vegetable oil can I use half apple sauce and have olive oil?
I have not tested it but it’s worth a shot, you can also try coconut oil if you have it
Can you double this recipe?
Yep just make sure it’s well mixed as you are filling the liners. This is a pretty thin batter so I stir it often as I am filling
My go to cupcake recipe, simply the best cupcakes I’ve ever made. My family gobbles these up its hard to keep them for several days. Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you Bessie! Love that!
How do you halve this recipe. It must come out the same.
The answer to this question can be found directly in the recipe card under the notes section.
My grandson and I made these they are so so good, thank you for sharing this recipe. This is one for the books
Yeah! That’s wonderful Carolyn, thank you so much!
Wowww, I made these vanilla cupcakes yesterday. They were really amazing and sooooo fluffy. And even today they are so soft. The best cupcake recipe ever. You explain all your recipes so well. Thanks.
Yeah Raaz! Thank you so much! I greatly appreciate that! I love this recipe and how versatile it is, so glad you love it to.
I forgot to rate the recipe :-). Oh yeah 5 stars!!!
So I have been searching for a scratch recipe for a long time for a white cake….this one is the best I have ever tried, I have even used it as the base for other cupcakes and it make a great 9 inch layer cake also.
I have a small baking business and I always prefer to bake from scratch, thank so much!
That’s wonderful Jody! Thank you so much for sharing, I am so happy you came across this recipe!
Hands down the best vanilla cake recipe I’ve come across. This is now my new favorite and my go to vanilla recipe!
Yeees Lissy, thank you so much for sharing!
I’ve made this recipe twice now and both times, my batter has been clumpy! I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, I’ve been following the recipe exactly! Any suggestions? I like the flavor and consistency, but those clumps!
Hi Amanda, if you find it’s getting clmupy at the stage when you add the dry ingredients, I would recommend sifting the dry ingredients and adding them a bit more slowly to the batter
Hi! I love this recipe as a layer cake, but I was hoping to try it as mini cupcakes. Any idea how many mini cupcakes this would make?
Hi Hailey, it would depend on the size of your mini cupcake pan, it could make 48 or it could make closer to 36. So I can’t say for certain.
I guess mine are pretty small, I had way more than 48 from this recipe. 👍🏼
Thanks for sharing!
I tried this recipe and the cupcakes were absolutely delicious. I will definitely be using it again. I didn’t have for cream and used normal cream and still delicious. Highly recommended
Thank you so much Thelma! I greatly appreciate the feedback!
Absolutely delicious! Love that they aren’t the traditional fluffy style cupcake. Having more of a pound cake consistency was perfectly my style!
Thank you Laurelanna for sharing your feedback! So glad you loved these!
I have made these before and they are perfect. This time they will not set up in the oven I had double the baking time. Any thoughts?
Hi Meghan, that is strange. To be honest it might have an error when measuring/adding ingredients. Or your oven wasn’t actually preheated to true temperature prior to baking. My oven “beeps” that it’s preheated after about 10 minutes, but it takes 20-25 minutes to reach true internal temps.
Can you use buttermilk instead of milk? Also can this be made into 2 8 inch round cakes? What would the time and temp be ?
Hi Melissa- for more information on changing this to a layer cake you can find the answers here: Vanilla layer cake. When using buttermilk, you’ll want to swap out at least 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of baking powder for baking soda
I LOVE these cupcakes. I’ve been making them for weeks and they’ve been perfection every time. I even know the ingredients and measurements without looking at the recipe. But 🙁 something is happening to them. I made 3 batches of these today because they keep shrinking down after I take them out of the oven. Once they’re cooled, it’s like eating glue. I’m super frustrated because I’ve been making these perfectly and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong now. They’ve never turned out like this. Any suggestions? 9 dozen cupcakes in the garbage *crying*
Hi Danielle, I have followed up with you via email to help troubleshoot