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
Thanks for the cupcake recipe! My picky husband finally loves cupcakes that I’ve made! Hahaha;)
However, just wondering – as I live in a humid area, the cupcakes start to shine on top after a while, and I’ve cut the sugar by 100g or so since my husband prefers not too sweet cupcakes. Any idea about the shiny top?
I’m not a baker and this cupcakes came out lovely soft, moist and delicious. I will definitely bake them again.
Hi Lindsay,
Which brand Vanila Extract do you use ?
Typically I use McCormick.
Hello!!! I’m really excited to try your recipe! I’ve never baked before with shortening, Any brand you recommend? , is there a substitute I can use? Thank you!
I use regular unflavored Crisco. Some people aren’t fans of shortening though, so feel free to replace it with additional butter.
Hi! I’ve been practicing this cupcake recipe, and I’m fairly new to making things from scratch. The taste of these cupcakes are great! The texture just seems to be a bit off to me. The best way I can describe how they are coming out is rubbery and sticky, just the top part of the cupcake though. Is it suppose to come out this way, or am I doing something wrong? The cupcakes also stick to the cupcake liners so they are hard to pull apart from the wrapper. Can you think of what I may be doing wrong?
I got the same result
I need help
What am I doing wrong?
Hi Lindsay!
Do you think I would be able to substitute stevia for the sugar in the cupcake recipe?
I haven’t experimented with it to say, but I do believe it would change it a good bit.
The ingredient list includes 1 cup of water but the directions state “add hot water” I’m sure that is the 1 C but should the water be boiling?
You can use any temperature water.
Have you tried freezing these? Wondering if I can get a jump on party planning and have these ready to go and frozen in advance.
I haven’t tried it, but I’d think they’d freeze fine.
Did you ever try freezing them? Did they freeze well?
What other buttercream works well with these vanilla cupcakes aside from vanilla buttercream? Thanks.
Vanilla goes with just about anything.
How long does do you it take overall cooking and prep?
I would say about half an hour or so for prep and baking.
Hey Lindsay,
I am going to try your recipe this weekend. I have a question on the measurement. Do you use the same cup for flour and sugar? Because I see that you use 2.5 cups (325g) flour and 2 cups (414g) sugar. If you don’t, ignore me. If you use the same cup, if 2.5 cups flour = 325, then 2 cups sugar should be 260g.
Thank you!
I do use the same cup, but that’s the thing about weight versus volume. 1 cup of one ingredient won’t weight the same as another. I use weight measurements when baking, but have also measured by volume and they are written correctly both ways in the recipe. Most accurate will always be weight though, which is what I typically use when baking.
Hey Lindsay,
Of course!!! I totally forgot!! Hahaha, you can tell I don’t bake much! I am very excited to try this recipe!!! Thank you again!!!
Should i use granulated sugar or powdered sugar in the recipe . Can the recipe be used for making a doll cake . Ie making the whole batter as a single cake and then layering it . Thanks for the reply in advance ????
It’s granulated sugar in the cupcake and powdered sugar in the frosting. I’m not sure about the cake. I wouldn’t normally recommend baking one large cake and then cutting it into layers. You could bake a couple layers and then torte those.
Hey Lindsay!! I am making these for a baby shower this weekend and was just wondering if the water is supposed to be boiling or not? I see the recipe calls for just water and then while reading the steps it says hot water. I have a recipe for chocolate that uses boiling water so i was just wondering if this is the same concept or not. Thanks 🙂
Either is fine. I’d initially specified hot, but it won’t change the recipe either way.
Thanks for sharing — this looks amazing and I can’t wait to try them for our bake sale this weekend! A couple of questions – how hot should the water be? Just warm or boiling? And how far in advance would you say I could make them? Sorry if you’ve answered these in previous comments, Thanks again all the way from Tanzania <3
The water temperature isn’t important. I’d initially specified hot water, but tested things and it doesn’t make a difference. I always like things best when they are fresh, so I’d say 2-3 days is best.
Can i replace the vegetable oil with corn oil or sunflower oil?
I haven’t tried it, but would think it’d be ok.
Hi, I made these and I loved them. Am thinking of substituting the hot water for hot milk, to make the cupcakes more creamy. Would this work?
Love from Taye from Nigeria.
I don’t think it’d make the cupcakes more creamy. I’d actually think they’d be slightly denser.