This homemade vanilla cupcakes recipe makes perfectly moist, completely irresistible cupcakes! These light and fluffy cupcakes are topped with creamy vanilla buttercream and sprinkles for the ultimate sweet treat.
These homemade vanilla cupcakes are a certified mood-booster. They’re buttery, fluffy, and topped with silky-smooth vanilla buttercream that hits all the right notes. Pour a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee, then dig into one of these cupcakes for complete vanilla bliss.
Vanilla cupcakes may seem a little too “classic,” but honestly, sometimes that’s just what you need. You can make these cupcakes casual or dress them up with sprinkles (or make homemade funfetti cupcakes), so they’re a great treat to make for everything from birthday parties to lazy Saturday afternoons when you’re craving something sweet. I truly can’t say enough good things about these cupcakes! I also have my all-time favorite homemade chocolate cupcakes that you can make, too.
What Makes These Homemade Cupcakes Different From My Other Vanilla Cupcake Recipes?
If you’re familiar with my recipes, you know that this is not the first time I’ve shared a version of vanilla cupcakes. I’ve spent countless hours making many, many cupcakes and taste-testing them, too (a sacrifice, I know, but someone has to do it). But my quest for the best vanilla cupcakes for every preference has paid off. And this recipe is absolutely classic. So, how are they different?
- Back to basics. Unlike this version, this fluffy vanilla cupcake recipe is made without sour cream. And unlike white cupcakes, this recipe uses whole eggs instead of only egg whites, so they’re more velvety in texture.
- Butter-based instead of oil. Even though I love my oil-based moist vanilla cupcakes, you’ll notice that butter gives these vanilla cupcakes a richer flavor. I still include just a little bit of oil to help with moisture.
- Extra fluffy. I make these classic cupcakes using a tried-and-true creaming method based on my vanilla layer cake recipe. It creates lighter, fluffier cupcakes. I love how the combination of soft and buttery vanilla cupcakes with creamy vanilla frosting just melts in your mouth.
Cupcake Ingredients
These fluffy vanilla cupcakes use basic ingredients that you most likely have in your pantry already. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- All-purpose flour – Measured correctly using a kitchen scale or the spoon and level method to avoid overmeasuring.
- Baking powder – Make sure that your leavening is as fresh as possible. If it’s been open for a while or if it’s past its expiration date, your cupcakes won’t rise properly.
- Butter – I like to bake with unsalted butter and add salt separately. If you’re using salted butter, I’d suggest adding half the amount of salt given in the recipe.
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar is best here.
- Vegetable oil – Even though this is a butter-based recipe, I like to add a couple tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil. It makes the overall crumb more tender.
- Vanilla extract – Please use real vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla. You’ll taste the difference!
- Eggs and milk – Bring these ingredients to room temperature. This way, they blend more smoothly into the batter and the cupcakes bake more evenly.
How to Make Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes
Basically, this homemade cupcake recipe is the result of everything I’ve learned over years of making vanilla cupcakes and cakes, all wrapped up in one simple recipe.
- First, prepare the dry ingredients. To start, preheat your oven to 350°F and insert liners into your cupcake pan. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, cream the butter, sugar, oil and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs next, one at a time, mixing after each addition.
Add half the dry ingredients to the batter, and slowly add the milk. The batter may look a bit curdled, but that’s OK.
Add the rest of the dry ingredients, scraping the sides of the bowl. Mix until smooth. Do not overmix.
Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full.
Bake at 350ºF for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before frosting.
Vanilla Buttercream for Cupcakes
This creamy vanilla buttercream frosting is super easy to make in one bowl.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Start by adding butter to a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until it’s smooth and well combined.
- Add milk (or water). Next, add the salt and 1-2 tablespoons of milk or water. Mix again until well combined. Then, add in your remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth. You can add more milk or water to alter the consistency if you’d like.
- Pipe the frosting. Pipe or spread your frosting onto your cupcakes, decorate to your liking, and enjoy! See my in-depth tutorial on how to frost cupcakes, and check out the Decorating section below for more suggestions.
Scale the Recipe
You may have noticed that these cupcakes are loaded with frosting. That’s because I made one and a half times the frosting called for in the recipe. My opinion is that you can never have too much frosting, especially when it comes to this particular vanilla buttercream. If you follow the recipe for these cupcakes, you’ll end up with less frosting than what’s pictured, but still enough to frost all of the cupcakes.
Tips for the Best Homemade Cupcakes
- Make sure to cream the butter, sugar, oil and vanilla completely. This ensures that the cupcakes turn out fluffy and that they’re not too dense.
- Measure your flour correctly. Dry cupcakes are often the result of overmeasured flour. Measure using a digital kitchen scale if you have one. If not, spoon the flour from the bag into your measuring cup. Then, level off the cup. Don’t scoop directly from the bag, or you’ll pack down the flour and end up with too much.
- It’s a good idea to add a bit more milk or water if your frosting comes out too thick. Do this a little at a time to avoid thinning it out too much. See how to get the right consistency.
- Let your cupcakes cool completely before you frost them. If you don’t, the buttercream will melt and all your pretty piping will be ruined. You want the frosting to stay smooth and velvety.
Decorating Vanilla Cupcakes
It’s not hard to make these cupcakes picture-perfect. But there are tons of easy ways to dress them up and make them even prettier!
- Sprinkles: Add your favorite festive sprinkles to make these cupcakes a beautiful party treat.
- Fruit: Top them with a slice of strawberry, a few blueberries, or any other fruit of your choice.
- Oreos: Garnish these cupcakes with an Oreo cookie or sprinkle them with crushed Oreos!
- Candy: Make these cupcakes even sweeter by adding your favorite pieces of candy.
- Pretzels: Turn these cupcakes into a sweet and salty treat by adding crushed pretzels or mini pretzels.
If you’re sprinkling a topping on the cupcakes, make sure to do it right after you pipe your frosting. This way, your sprinkles or crushed Oreos will stick perfectly!
More Frosting Options for Vanilla Cupcakes
If you’d prefer to decorate with another flavor of frosting, I love these cupcakes topped with chocolate frosting, brown butter buttercream, or this homemade strawberry frosting.
How to Store Frosted Cupcakes
- Store airtight. If your cupcakes somehow last longer than one day, place them into an airtight container, and they’ll stay good for up to 3 days in the fridge or at room temperature.
- Freeze the unfrosted cupcakes. You can freeze the vanilla cupcakes before they are frosted. Cover each cupcake in plastic wrap, then place them in an airtight covered container or freezer-safe Ziploc bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for 2 months. Just make sure to thaw them in the fridge before serving.
- Make the frosting ahead. The frosting by itself will last 3-5 days if covered and refrigerated. Just scoop it into an airtight container and close it securely before placing it in the fridge. When you want to use it, bring it back to room temperature, stir it until smooth, and use it like you normally would.
More Homemade Cupcake Recipes
Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe
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Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups (163g) all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons (84g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ¾ cup (155g) sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup plus 2 tbsp (150ml) milk
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 4 cups (460g) powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) water or milk
- Pinch or two of salt
Instructions
Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Add the butter, sugar, oil and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
- Now it’s time to add the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
- Slowly add the milk and mix until well combined. The batter will look curdled, but that’s ok.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
- Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove cupcakes from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
- Carefully pour in about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and well combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and 1-2 tablespoons of the water or milk and the salt to the frosting and mix until well combined.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add additional milk or water as needed to get the right consistency.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I used Ateco tip 844.
- Cupcakes are best when stored well covered for 2-3 days.
Video
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Can you use cake flour?
I haven’t tried it. I imagine you could, it’s just not usually my preference.
Goodmorning, Okay I’m going to give this a try. Will let you know how it comes out. Have a happy day 🙂
Love this! Can I use almond milk instead of regular milk?
I imagine it’d be ok. I haven’t ever tried it myself. The flavor might a little different.
Hi! Just wanted to know if I can use less sugar than 3/4 cup. Trying to limit my sugar intake :)) thank you
That’s a pretty big difference in sugar. Sugar doesn’t just add sweetness, it also contributes to the moisture and texture of the cupcakes. You could try it, but it may affect the final result.
Best cupcakes.Thank you for the recipe.
Can I use GF flour instead?
I have not tried it before, but I would think an 1:1 all-purpose flour would be fine.
You say these are made with butter but no oil, yet I see you are calling for oil in the recipe. Do you have a recipe for just butter no oil at all cupcakes?
By comparison to a cupcake that uses all oil, these are made with butter. There’s a few tablespoons of oil, but far more butter. There is a touch of oil because it truly adds more moisture and gives a slightly different texture than using all butter. That said, if you could replace the oil with more butter.
Just made this and poured into a loaf pan for strawberry shortcake. Absolutely perfect for that. Even better than using the Hostess Twinkie style cups. Thanks!
I’m glad it worked well!
I love all the recipes I use from you! I’ve never had an issue with any of them except these vanilla cupcakes. I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong, I weigh in grams, and double check everything before I add it. I discovered I was over mixing the batter before but even now my cupcakes are sinking and peeling away from the cupcake liner.. (I use those neat grease proof cupcake liners from “celebrate it” / Micheals.)the cupcakes taste very good but they seem dense, im not sure what’s happening and if you have any suggestions I would appreciate it.
Please & thank you
Hmm. For the sinking – have you made sure your baking powder is fresh? are you opening the oven too soon? make sure you are fully creaming the butter and sugar. As for the liners, I’d try another liner, just to be sure it’s not the liner.
Glad to hear you’ve enjoyed the other recipes!
Thank you for responding !! I discovered I was over crowding my oven.. I was putting 4 trays in at once and the heat wasn’t circulating well. Once I put one tray in the oven they came out perfect !!
I’m glad you were able to figure it out and have them come out correctly!
How many times can you increase the recipe before needing to start a new batter? Double? Quadruple? I need to make 100 cupcakes for a wedding. And that’s just the vanilla ones!
I’m not sure. I haven’t done more than double it in the past.
The cupcakes came out wonderful. I used a food scale to measure ingredients. My frosting came out runny, how do I fix that? Tried adding more powdered sugar, it didn’t really help. I used the flat blade for this recipe. Should I have used the whisk?
No, the beater blade is correct. Was your butter too warm? If you added extra powdered sugar, and it still too thin, it sounds like maybe you added too much liquid/cream. Add just a little bit to start and only add more if you need it.
I forgot to add the cup of water, and they still turned out Soo amazing! I can’t wait to try again with the water added and see what difference it makes.
Where does it say to add a cup of water? I don’t see that on the recipe. Mine batter was so thick! It still tastes good but I couldn’t figure out why it was so thick.
She may have commented on the wrong recipe. I have another vanilla cupcake that uses water.
I made this recipe 4x today, I added coco powder to 1 batch to make it chocolate. I am so happy with the results of this recipe 🙌 thank you so much for sharing it
Great idea to add cocoa. How much did you add to a single batch?
I love the recipe!
It is always moist and delicious!
Thank you so much!!!
So glad you enjoy them!
Hi! I use your icing recipe for my cakes. I love the taste however I find it dries to the point it’s hard to the touch. If I added more milk would it stop that from happening? It happens if it’s refrigerated or not.
It’s called a “crust”. It’s normal for American buttercream to “crust” like that after it sits for a bit. There’s not really anything you can do to stop that from happening.
The cupcakes turned out so moist! I colored the frosting 1/2 red and 1/2 green. It all started to separate as soon as i took it out of the bowel. Any idea why?
Hmm, I’m not sure. I haven’t had that happen before. I’m sorry you had trouble with it!
Would it be OK to add a package of vanilla instant pudding to this recipe? To add moisture and flavor. If so should I tweak the amount of vanilla extract?
I haven’t ever tried it, so it’s hard to say for sure.
I tried it and the cupcakes didn’t bake properly. I’m going to retry it follow your recipe without adding the instant pudding.