Made with oil instead of butter, this Moist Vanilla Cupcake Recipe makes cupcakes with a light, tender crumb that’s super moist without being dense or heavy. The batter comes together in just a few minutes, making these an easy dessert to whip up anytime.
I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I’d be bringing you some new basic favorites and I started with my easy moist chocolate cake. Today, we are talking about these moist vanilla cupcakes and I’m pumped! One of the things that I’m always messing with is vanilla cake/cupcakes. It’s the never ending quest for all the best versions. I’m a believer that if you don’t have a good vanilla cake, you have NOTHING! 🙂 Ok, dramatic, but it’s like the “tell”. If you don’t have a good vanilla, can anything else really be that good? There are so many ways to vary a vanilla cake and I want the best of all of them! I’m greedy like that. Plus, I know not every has the same idea of the perfect cupcake, so I like to have options.
You may or may not have tried my original vanilla cupcakes. They are loved by many and were my favorite for some time. I still remember the batches upon batches of cupcakes I made while testing those and the fabulous friends that lined them up and tasted tested them all to help me find the best one. If you haven’t tried them, they are worth checking out. But while I still love them, these are my new fave. Sorry “OG cupcake”, there’s a new star in town. 😉
Why You’ll Love This Moist Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
- Super easy prep. There’s no need to cream the batter, which makes the prep super quick and easy. Creaming butter and sugar together makes quite a fabulous cupcake, but sometimes you just want quick and easy and to barely even need to use a mixer. I mean, basically like a box mix but not, you know? These are those cupcakes.
- Light texture. These cupcakes are made with oil instead of butter which gives them a lighter texture (and adds some moisture).
- Ultra moist. There’s so much moisture in these cupcakes! Ingredients like milk, eggs, and oil add moisture without making the cupcakes dense.
- Made with pantry staples. You likely have everything you need to make these moist vanilla cupcakes in your cupboard, which means you can whip them up almost anytime.
What Makes These Different From My Other Vanilla Cupcakes?
I have several different vanilla cupcake recipes on my site – these, my classic homemade vanilla cupcakes, and fluffy vanilla cupcakes.
All three recipes make super tasty cupcakes but they’re all a bit different. Here’s what makes this moist cupcake recipe stand out:
- No butter. Unlike my other recipes that are made with butter and oil (or just butter), these cupcakes are made only with oil.
- No creaming. Since there’s no butter, there’s no creaming of the butter and sugar to make the batter.
- No sour cream. My fluffy vanilla cupcakes are made with sour cream to add moisture but that’s not needed here.
- Water in the batter. Water is added, instead of something like sour cream, to add moisture without making them more dense.
- Lighter texture. These cupcakes have a very light texture compared to my others, primarily because there’s no sour cream or other “heavy” ingredients.
How To Make Moist Vanilla Cupcakes
Here’s an overview of how to make this moist vanilla cupcake recipe. You can find the printable version of the instructions in the recipe card below.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a cupcake pan with liners.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the milk, oil, vanilla, and eggs.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
Add the water and mix until well combined. Batter will be very thin.
Fill each cupcake liner halfway. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 2 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
Beat the butter until smooth then mix in 2 cups of the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla and cream. Mix until smooth following each addition then add the remaining powdered sugar. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and add sprinkles.
Tips for Success
- Scrape down the bowl. As you combine the wet and dry ingredients, be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure each ingredient is thoroughly combined.
- Thin batter is okay. The cupcake batter is going to be very thin after you mix in the water. That’s okay! It’s part of what makes these cupcakes extra moist and fluffy.
- Don’t over bake. To test when the cupcakes are done, you can insert a toothpick in the center of one. You want a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.
- Cool before frosting. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. If they’re still warm, the frosting will melt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my batter so thin?
This is normal. It’s from adding the water. The water adds moisture without adding fat, which would make the cupcakes more dense.
Can I make this as a cake?
Yes! For a three layer 8-inch cake, divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake for 24-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
How do I turn these into chocolate cupcakes?
You can find my chocolate version of these cupcakes in my Homemade Moist Chocolate Cupcakes recipe.
Proper Storage
- Room temperature. These cupcakes can stay at room temperature for up to 2 days, and then should be refrigerated. Store them in an airtight container. They should last for 3-5 days.
- Fridge. You can also store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Freezer. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow them to cool completely and then wrap them in plastic wrap ore place them in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge, then frost and enjoy.
Watch How To Make These
NOTE: Some people have reported having trouble with this recipe, while others love it. I have no idea why some people have trouble. There could be any number of factors – improper measuring of ingredients, oven type, altitude, etc. I have never had an issue with these and cannot troubleshoot a problem that I cannot recreate. If you’d prefer a more traditional vanilla cupcake that uses butter and a little bit of oil, as well as the creaming method, and seems to be less finicky for people, try out these Easy Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes. They are currently my favorite vanilla cupcake.
Print
Moist Vanilla Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24–26 Cupcakes 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Made with oil instead of butter, this Moist Vanilla Cupcake Recipe makes cupcakes with a light, tender crumb that’s super moist without being dense or heavy. The batter comes together in just a few minutes, making these an easy dessert to whip up anytime.
Ingredients
VANILLA CUPCAKES
- 2 1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
- 2 cups (414g) sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder (NOT baking soda)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240 ml) water*
VANILLA FROSTING
- 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (460g) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) milk or heavy cream
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a cupcake pan with liners.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixer bowl and combine. Set aside.
- Add the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs to a medium sized bowl and combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
- Slowly add the water to the batter and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined. Please note that the batter will be very thin.
- Fill the cupcake liners about half way and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the cupcakes from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter in a large mixer bowl until smooth.
- Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of milk or cream and mix until smooth.
- Add remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Add remaining water or milk, as needed, and salt and mix until smooth.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I used Ateco tip 844.
Notes
If you’d prefer a more traditional vanilla cupcake that uses butter instead of oil, and the creaming method, try out these Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes.
*Some people report having issues with these cupcakes. If that happens to you, could try leaving out the water entirely. You could also try leaving the water and reducing the baking powder to 2 1/2 teaspoons.
To make as a cake: For a three layer 8-inch cake, divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake for 24-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 31 g
- Sodium: 129.2 mg
- Fat: 12.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Protein: 2.7 g
- Cholesterol: 25.1 mg
Hi Lindsey! Question : which method for measuring flour do you use? Spoon and level, or scoop and level? Does that make sense? 😉 I am pretty sure I’ve made this recipe before (and loved it!) but just want to be as exact as possible – making it for my son’s 14th birthday! Thanks in advance!
I actually weigh my ingredients, but I’d suggest spoon and level. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed them!
Not happy with the recipe at all. Never made a batter that ended up so watery, they were moist but rubbery . I had to actually add another 1/2 cup of flour to get the batter to thicken somewhat and that didn’t help either. I baked 2 dozen with this recipe and the cupcakes didn’t have a nice crown or dome after baking. I had let the rest of the batter sit for like 1/2 hour just enough for just two more cupcakes and they seem to get a nice dome shaped crown after I baked those but the rest…hate to say it not a good recipe,
Did you try baking them before adding the extra flour? The thin batter is exactly as it’s supposed to be.
I tried the half portion of the ingredients to try out. But, i was failed. The cupcakes turned out to be dense and not fluffy. Please advise.. i am so dying to bake successful cupcakes but never did so far.
Some people do tend to have issues with these cupcakes, I’m not sure why. If you try them again and still have the same issues, I would suggest trying my Favorite Moist Vanilla Cupcakes or my Moist Vanilla Layer Cake can be made into cupcakes as well. I hope this helps!
I love vanilla flavor too much. Thanks for sharing with us this such a great moist vanilla cupcakes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes!
Hi ..i was just wondering I’m not sure if it’s been said but when you pour the water in the better do you have to boil it first..sry stupid question making cupcakes and using 11am different recipes and saw urs and really want to try it…reason I ask cuz others you need too..sry again
No you don’t need to boil the water first, it can be room temperature.
I Lindsay I have been following your blog and love making your recipes. However, with this and other vanilla cakes that I make from scratch seem to be sticky on top. The cupcakes were NOT stored in any container, i left them on the wire rack overnight. When you touch them with your finger they feel sticky and if you were to roll them on their tops it would stick to the surface. I use good fresh ingredients. And have tried lowering or raising the temperature of the bake. Any suggestions???
In my experience, all cakes do the same thing. It’s just the moisture from the cake. It settles on top like that and I don’t know of any way to avoid it.
Hi!! I made these cupcakes.. and they were moist and tasted amazing too! However my cupcakes spilled out of the liners so most of them had uneven tops.. what could be the reason for this? How do I fill my liners in order to get that perfect cupcake shape? What am I doing wrong? Please do reply! Thanks.
It sounds like the liners were over filled. They should be filled about half way.
I have used this cake recipe for months regarding cupcakes and 6-8 inch cakes and its a HUGE hit! I have come across some difficulty when baking this cake in 10-12 inch round pans and sheet pans. The cake seems to drop in the middle after cooling and is very dense. I always leave my cakes in the pan until fully cooled. I love this recipe and don’t want to give it up, but for my larger cakes it doesn’t seem to be working. What could be the potential problem or how can I fix this?
I’m so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed it! I honestly don’t know why it’d have an issue at a larger size. I haven’t ever made that size, but it works well as a 9×13 usually.
Hi if i want to use butter to replace the oil so how many grams of butter i need?
I haven’t tried that with this particular recipe to see if it’d work or not. If you’d like a butter based cake, you could try this one or this one.
Hi! I’ve made this recipe as cupcakes before and they turned out amazing! I was just wondering if you can use the cupcake recipe for cake instead? I know you have a vanilla cake recipe very similar to this one but I don’t want to mess with the taste of those cupcakes! Thanks!
Yes, you can. I actually used it as the vanilla cake layers in this Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake.
Disappointing recipe! Followed recipe to the letter and they came out dense and undercooked even after 25 minutes in the oven – after 17 minutes they were raw! I’m a pretty good baker so don’t know what went wrong here but I think I’ll be sticking to cupcakes that use the creaming method as this has always worked – I was hoping the oil would make moist cupcakes but now will stick to normal fluffy ones from here on 🙁
There’s a note just above the recipe about some people having this problem. I’m really not sure why it happens to some, yet others have the same result as me. I’m sorry they didn’t work out. If you’d like to try a recipe that uses both the creaming method and a little oil for moisture, this vanilla cake is great and can be made as cupcakes.
The flavor was great but my cupcakes didn’t rise. I ended up with a half filled cupcake that was moist but dense. Any ideas what happened? Measured all ingredients by weight.
I’m really not sure. I have a note just above the recipe because some people do seem to have this issue and I genuinely don’t know why. I’m sorry!
Thank you for this recipe !!!! What a hit … delicious ???? and is definitely going into the the book of keeper recipes ????
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Cara!
So moist and delicious! Made these on a Wednesday night for a Saturday wedding and they were excellent! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Can we use cake flour instead of All Purpose Flour.
I haven’t tried it with this recipe to be able to say for sure.
Hi – is it possible to use your cupcake recipe and frosting for cake pops?
I would think so, but I haven’t tried it.