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
This cake has the best texture! The fact that it is also so easy to put together is just the…..icing on the cake!!!
That’s so wonderful Amber, thanks for sharing!
What type of milk is the best to use?
I’ve used whole milk and skim milk, others have used almond milk with success.
Hello, I’m looking forward to trying these, especially your cold butter for frosting technique. I love the way the swirl turned out on the cupcakes-can you tell me what piping tip you used? I’d like to do that one!! 🙌
This is a 2D piping tip!
Over the last year, this has become my go to recipe. Thank you for posting. I typically make mini cupcakes (one small cookie scoop per liner to measure) and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The recipe typically yields between 115 and 120.
Hi Shannon, I love that! Thank for sharing this. I love mini cupcakes!
I have made these cupcakes 🧁 many times, they di not disappoint. They are absolutely delicious 😋, and will be making them my goodness to recipe.
My goodness, thank you so much!!
The best moist cupcakes I have ever made!
I made them for my son’s birthday and they were huge hit! The chocolate butter cream frosty delicious too!! This recipe is with keeping!!
I am so very happy to hear this Lacie!
Your recipe sounds wonderful! I’m gonna use this for son’s birthday!
But can I add cocoa to frosting? If so how much? Because he wants chocolate frosting!
Hi Lacie, here is the chocolate frosting that is equivalent to the vanilla.
https://beyondfrosting.com/the-best-chocolate-frosting/
I have been looking for a good vanilla cupcake recipe for a few years. This one was amazing and will be my go-to from now on
I love that so much Rhonda, thank you!
These were outstanding and a big hit! I followed recipe exactly they were soooo moist and delicious! 😋
Wonderful Jennifer, thank you so much!
Made these for a party this weekend. Made 32 cupcakes and were outstanding! Moist and delicious, everyone loved them. No substitutions definitely keeping this recipe!
That’s amazing Jennifer! Thank you so much!
Absolutely delicious cupcakes. I have used this and will continue to. Everyone loves them that I have made them for.
I love that! Thank you Angela!
Can I use cake flour inside of all purpose
No these can not be made with cake flour
Amazing recipes. Can you please give suggestions for if I need to make with out eggs? What I can use instead of eggs?
Thanks
Hi Vai, I unfortuantly don’t have a suggestion for an eggless version, I have not tested it.
Amazing delicious cupcakes. I ate some without frosting and enjoyed them. A bit of calories packed in there oh boy but I definitely enjoyed them.
I love to hear that Cathy, thank you for sharing!
Love this recipe! If I want to make these into Jumbo/Large cupcakes, how would I convert this recipe?
Hi Hayley, I think you just need to use a large pan, and more batter. Since the baking times will be increased, you may see more browning on the edge of the cupcakes. For a fuller/taller cupcake, try filling 3/4 full. I would probably make a half a recipe (make with 2 eggs and 2/3 cup milk) and do some testing.
Beautiful recipe 🙂
I just have 1 question.What number cookie scoop did you use?
Thank you!
Hi Megan, thank you! I use a large cookie scoop. It’s linked in my recipe card.
My husband said these are so delicious and the best cupcakes he has ever had! I didn’t have them because I am dairy free and gluten free. Maybe I could make the substitutions that way for this recipe.
I love to hear that! Thank you! As far as gluten-free baking goes, I’ve made these gluten-free cupcake using a 1:1 replacement AP flour. You can swap out the milk for a dairy free milk as well as the sour cream for a dairy free yogurt. As far as the frosting goes, I have not personally made that with a dairy-free butter, but you could top them with something else that might work better for you!
Don’t waste your money or time on this recipe. If you take cupcakes out at their recommended time you will have gooey cupcakes. Leaving them in longer makes them hard on top
Please keep in mind that baking times are suggested. My oven is not the same as yours is not the same as the next person.
If you’re a cupcakes or on top, it sounds like you might have an issue with your oven. Perhaps you have a hotspot or maybe you need to use an internal oven monitor to double check the temperature of your oven. May I ask how long you left them in your oven for that resulted in a hard top?
I have personally made over 100 batches of these cupcakes for various events, weddings, birthday etc over the years. Never once have I had cupcakes that were hard on top. And there’s quite a few reviews on this recipe, as well as home bakers who use this recipe for their home baking businesses.
It’s too bad you had issues with this recipe, but I can assure you the recipe is solid.
I think this is more user error. I have made these cupcakes over a dozen times and I’ve never had a single issue with them. Please be kind in your reviews and realize sometimes it might be an error on your part.
I appreciate the feedback Hayley, thank you! It’s frustrating when you spend time and money on something and it doesn’t turn out but there’s too many factors involved to immediately place blame.
This recipe is amazing. Everyone that I’ve made these for have nothing but good things to say. Made some yesterday with butterscotch frosting and they were gooooooood. I’ve used this recipe so much, I know it by heart now lol.
Wow! The butterscotch frosting sounds AMAZING! Thank you so much!
Thanks so much for sharing. Over the years I have been trying cakes from scratch for my husbands birthday and have had some pretty bad fails 😂😬. Every time I say I’m making cake from scratch he goes o boy 😂. So this year I decided to do cupcakes and this recipe turned out beautifully 🤩🤩.
Oh that is SO awesome Chloe! thank you for sharing!!