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
I was looking for a great vanilla cupcake recipe for our upcoming Girl Scout Easter party. And I think I have found it. I was wondering if you have tried these as chocolate? If so how much cocoa powder did you add?
This would be the chocolate version. You’ll just have to adjust for cupcakes, since it’s written as a cake.
This recipe is not good at all. The cake turns out super doughy and is not a good flavor. ????☹️????
So I just made these for my son’s sixth birthday party. I was looking for a moist cupcake recipe and stumbled across this one. I have to admit, in the midst of making these I was VERY concerned about how watery they were! I didn’t add all the hot water because the batter was literally like water itself! I ended up cooking them like 10 minutes longer than described in the instructions because of how wet they were. This made them rubbery, but still good. I did a second batch, added all the water and cooked them only a few minutes longer. They definitely came out better. These cupcakes were a hit although I felt they were pretty dense (yet not dry). This will be a go to recipe because of all the compliments I got at the party.
Glad to hear everyone enjoyed them!
I was excited to try this recipe as I am always in search for the best Vanilla cupcake recipes. I baked this today. I liked the flavor and they definitely are nice and moist. Only concern is it seemed to break apart quite easily and when I took baked cupcake out of liner it fell apart. I am curious if anyone else had this happen or if you have any suggestions?
Hi love ❤️ your blog and recipes
Thank you Kaya!
Have you tried this for Mini cupcakes, and if so, what would be the time in the oven? Thanks so much, can’t wait to try these!
I haven’t tried it. I’m going to guess around 8-10 minutes or so.
I made these into tiny little cupcakes (petit-four size) and they worked great. Didn’t take long to cook but I recommend keeping a close eye on them as it doesn’t take long for them to go from cooked to too brown.
Just a another work of art from a nice woman keep going
I followed to a tee and cupcakes were very heavy dense. Not moist or fluffy. Not sure what went wrong. Flavor was good
Thanks for the recipe! I was wondering if I could add berries to the batter and make strawberry cupcakes with this recipe? I’m wondering if this batter would be too thin to hold fruit but I would like to try an oil-based (vs. butter- based) recipe for moist cupcakes. Thank you in advance!
Yes, this batter is very thin so it wouldn’t work very well. I’d suggest trying these Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes.
I added sprinkles inside of these and used them for a kids party and everyone loved them ! Was a bit nervous because they looked very watery but they came out perfect! Thank you
Thank you for the recipe, I was so excited as it is almost similar to your chocolate cake recipe which I use, however I made this cake and it was rather dense and dried out quickly, I then made cupcakes, it didn’t rise and was extremely dense, however I love the flavour, I wonder what I am doing wrong? I am from South Africa and I used your cup measurements and not grams, could this be a possible cause?
Hmm, I actually found it to be similar to the chocolate cake, though maybe a little less crazy moist since that one is freakishly amazing. 🙂 I actually do measure my flour and sugar by weight, so those should be accurate. I’m not sure what it’d be. It’s so hard to say from a distance.
Once, I baked daily for 24 days straight different vanilla cupcake recipes and non of them pleased me. OMG!!! Finally!!!! The best vanilla cupcake ever!!!! Simply perfect. It’s moist and stays moist for days. Great vanilla flavor, perfect texture. I’ve been baking for 12 years and been looking for this ever since. And it’s so simple to make, not a lot of ingredients. My son’s birthday was two days ago, I wanted to make something simple since I didn’t have much time. I wasn’t even looking for something special. I found this recipe, baked them and OMG. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!
So glad you hear you are happy with them! Thanks Emily!
Great recipe. I only used 1.5 cups of sugar and these were still delicious and moist. Thank you!
Hello! I would love to make this cupcakes! But i don’t know what is the shortening, could you explain it to me and where can i but it…thanks!????????????????
It’s a butter replacement. You can replace it with butter, if you prefer. I just find it at the grocery store near the vegetable oil and baking sprays.
Hy,my little one is a huge fan of filled cupcakes,After they are completely cooled can i fill them?Have you done this?THANK YOU
I haven’t filled this particular cupcake recipe, but it should be fine. I hope you enjoy them!
Lindsay, thank you for the excellent recipe. Cupcakes
turned out on the first try!))
From Russia with love!))
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed them!
I made these with my 3.5 year old today. WOW! They are so tasty and moist! We may never go back to the box mixes again!
The only thing I did different was cook for 20 minutes, which was surprising for my oven which usually requires a shorter baking time that recipes say. They were cooked perfect! Thanks!
So glad to hear to you enjoyed them! 🙂
So glad to hear to you enjoyed them! 🙂