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
Still my go-to and all time favourite cupcake recipe ever!! I’ve made these countless times, and they always come out perfectly. Stays moist and fresh sooo much longer than other recipes. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! 💗
Want to try baking them in my air fryer and see if that would work….
I’m so glad that you have enjoyed them!
it was disgusting. tasted so weird and watered down. I tried this even though I thought it looked weird since I really liked the chocolate cupcakes. maybe it was the extra flour in this but it tasted like a baked donut? I don’t know. the texture was disgusting. had to throw them all out. also that’s so much sugar
I made these this evening, and the taste is fine but the texture of the cupcake itself is odd? I took it out the time it said but they were gummy so I tried an additional 7 minutes, even though I added extra bake time, the texture was still slightly gummy. Like the top of the cupcakes were starting to get crispy etc, but the inside was like soft, it was uncooked but like??? Idk how else explain it, it’s a weird texture 🧍♀️
This is what people who have trouble with this recipe describe and I honestly cannot recreate it. One suggestion is to try and reduce the amount of water. And then are you sure you use baking powder and not baking soda?
I was nervous before making these cupcakes because of the warnings that some peoples hadn’t turned out. However, these were the best cupcakes I have ever made. They turned out so fluffy and moist. They were amazing! Thank you!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I would like to make this recipe as a single 9.5 cake pan cake. What temperature and for how long do I cook it.
Thank you.
You would still bake it at 350°. I’m not really sure of the bake time since I’ve never baked all of the batter in one pan of that size. Probably at least 25 to 30 minutes.
I thought the cupcakes were very sweet and delicious, but my batch collapsed in the top in some!
Now, I did use self-rising flour because I did not have enough all-purpose for the recipe. And when I looked up substitutes online I read that it would be fine but not to add baking powder or salt because that’s already in self-rising flour. I think that’s where I messed up. Do you have any tips for using self-rising or should I just never try that again?
I will make this recipe with all-purpose next time I use it! I just need to use up this self-rise first.
I would definitely not recommend self rising flour in place of all purpose flour. I don’t really know how much baking powder is in the self rising flour. So there’s no way to know if you need more or less added to actually make them rise properly.
I split my dough to make different cup cakes with it, my first one also collapsed in the top, the second batch I added more liquids, and the dough was much more runny, but they came out beautifully. Maby you can play around with the amount of water you add to the mix? That might help?
I have tried this recipe and I loved it! Can I convert it to be a cake? Is there anything I’d need to change? If so, what size round pan and how many? Thanks!
So glad you loved it! Yes, you can make a cake. You can see how to bake those layers with this cake recipe.
I made these cupcakes for my daughter and she loved them so much for wants her entire birthday cake made using this recipe. Any thoughts on using this recipe for one large cake instead of cupcakes?
I’m glad she enjoyed them! Yes, you can see it as a cake in this recipe.
Can this recipe be converted to make chocolate cupcakes?
Yes, you can find the chocolate cupcake recipe here.
I’ve made this recipe a few times and it comes out perfect every time (well except the time i forgot to add the sugar and added it at the end)
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed them!
Hi can i half this recipe an if yes wats the flour measurement for half recipe an , il be able to determine the rest measurements but not flour an how much cupcakes wil half recipe make
I’ve made this recipe twice. First time they sank in the middle and had no taste. Thought it was human error so made them again. They sank again and did not have the moist consistency of cake. Not sure what is off in the ingredients to compensate for these issues but would advise not to make them
I love the crumb, moist and softness but wasn’t keen on the top.
Any advice on why my cupcakes peaked a bit rather than a nice level bake and it had a bit of a sticky top. I baked on 160° fan assisted oven. Another question please, do you use granulated or castor sugar? And can I use boiling water or do you use room temp?
These tend to have a little dome on top and that can actually vary a bit depending on your oven. The sticky top is just moisture from the cupcakes that makes the tops moist after sitting a while. I use granulated sugar. Boiling water isn’t needed here. Hot water benefits cocoa powder and brings out the chocolate flavor, which isn’t necessary here. You can use it, but it’s a wasted step.
Thank you very much Lindsay. Appreciate your feedback and sharing this amazing recipe. If I wish to decrease the sugar amount in this recipe, what’s the minimum quantity I can use with the same amount of flour and other ingredients that’ll still give it an amazing taste and texture?
I haven’t tested decreasing the amount of sugar to know for sure. You could probably reduce it by 1/4 cup without it being too much. You could try reducing it up to 1/2 cup, but I probably wouldn’t reduce it by more than that.
I love this recipe so much. Can I use non-dairy milk? I have to make some cupcakes for dairy free friends.
So glad you enjoy them! Non-dairy milk should be fine.
The first time I made this recipe it came out perfect. However, the second time it came out a little different. It was still moist but more dense. A slightly heavy sponge texture. I’m trying to think of what I did differently but all I can think of was the mixing. I’m going to make another attempt. Has anyone tried the recipe without water? If so, was there a huge difference in texture?
Can I substitute vanill Bean paste for vanilla?
That should be fine.