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
Best recipe!! Makes the best cupcakes
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I love this recipe! I’ve made them several times and they’re always a hit! Even made them for a lil girl who’s mom is a baker and she said it was the best cupcake she ever had!
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear that!
My batter was very runny. I added quite a bit of extra flour and they were great! I substituted 2 bananas for 2 eggs and still yummy!
The frosting is delicious, the cupcakes smell great, and it was so easy to make! A thing I always say is it depends on the baker how it turns out. But for me it turned out great!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Love this recipe! So easy and delicious 😀
Thank you for sharing! 🙂 🙂 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoy them!
Tried these cupcakes today! Used only 314g of CASTER sugar, and 390/400g of flour and they turned out perfect! SUPER Moist and delicious in both cupcake and big cake form.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I’ve read a lot of unkind comments about this recipe and I wonder if they read the whole article, including the notes, etc before baking. I’ve been using this recipe for a few years now and I’ve been grateful for them as the compliments I get from them were just one after another. Every baker would know that everyone’s flour, oven, skills etc are different and could result in different products. If this did not work for you, find another one that will rather than leaving such unkind remarks on someone’s work. She’s not trying to make you fail, the opposite instead. She is sharing a recipe for free that turned out wonderful for her and others. In such a wonderful world to read all those nasty comments, what a shame. Thank you, Lindsay and do not be discouraged. You are doing a wonderful job.
I appreciate that, Eileen. And I’m so glad you’ve received so many compliments on the cupcakes! I too get lots of compliments and people asking me if I make cakes for people (which I don’t) when I make these for my kids’ birthdays. I really do believe it’s a great recipe and wish I could figure out why some people have trouble with it. Thanks for the kind words!
Made this today, I am honestly surprised at how tasteless these are. The texture is also funky as it falls apart when it is taken out of the cupcake paper. Only made this recipe because I don’t have my family cook book anymore.
Maybe you made them wrong? Mine always turn out perfect!
I make min in my airfryer oven for 8 minutes a batch (6 large)
Good luck!! 🙂
Just made these for my daughters 3rd birthday, delicious and so so easy. Thank you! 5 stars
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
We made this recipe, it too sugary, watery. I didn’t like it, I couldn’t eat it.
1/2 cup of vegetable oil was wayyyyyy too much. I followed this recipe exactly and these cupcakes just taste like oil.
I use coconut oil and its perfect 😉
Hi yes i only want 1 cake and i dont like heavy cakes i dont like dense cakes an i dont like dry cake so thats why i want a well risen nice light moist fluffy cake without cracks and without dipping in centre an sometimes my cake come out as i expected but only sometimes but im not able to determine if il use my 1× 24cm or 1× 26cm or 1× 28cm , its alls my round springform pans i got 1 of each size an also wats bake time?
We don’t measure pans here by cm, but in inches. I believe a 24cm pan is like a 10 inch pan here. I *think* you could make this recipe as-is in that and be able to bake just one layer, but I haven’t done that myself. I’m not sure of the baking time.
Hi i got one each its round springform pans 24cm 26cm 28cm which size wil work for this recipe an also il use recipe as is ? An wats baking time
I’m not really sure what you mean. Are you wanting to bake this as a full sized cake?
i would not make this again, my cupcakes had no taste and if it had a taste somewhere it tasted watery, and the frosting was very bad, i made it and iced my cupcakes, but 30 mins after i made it, it turned brick hard
I’m sorry you had a bad experience with them. The frosting is a very standard vanilla buttercream. It does “crust”, but it certainly doesn’t turn brick hard. Did you refrigerate it, and therefore it was hard? Because that’s normal. When you refrigerate butter, it’s hard and buttercream is mostly butter, so it also gets hard. It’s not hard at room temperature unless you did something really wrong. As for the taste of the cupcakes, they are oil-based. Not everyone loves that flavor. So if you’d prefer a butter-based recipe, here’s an alternative vanilla cupcake recipe.
This is the fourth vanilla cupcake recipe I have tried, and these actually came out soft, moist and fluffy! The best vanilla cupcake recipe so far! The other recipes said the same thing, but they came out dense and dry and one recipe shrank from the liners
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Unfortunately this is the worst vanilla cupcake recipe I have tried😔 they are stodgy and “ugly” – no offence – I am just saying what they came out like for me😣