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
This recipe was perfect!! Just made 2 dozen for my son’s birthday, followed the recipe exactly and baked for 17 minutes!! Had to steal one fresh from the oven to try them myself! Well done Lindsay!
also I want to say that I always adjusted the final water measure, I think I decreased it almost by half. Other than that these are so delicious
I’ve been using this recipe since 5-6 years ago and I learned it already, now I haven’t baked in couple of years and came back because I don’t want to try any other recipes.
These cupcakes come out so fluffy like a sponge and also very moist tender and tasty, you can eat them without any frosting.
I used this recipe for baking cakes, pies (adding apple) and anything. I used to add salted caramel as a filling and top it with cream cheese cream. They were absolutely yummy and I’ve never tried any other cupcakes that tasty.
Came back to bookmark not to lose again!
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed them! 🙂
Horrible flop!!!!! Waste of time and money. Im furrious. Wish I could post a picture to show this utter disaster.
If you’d like, you can email the photo to me at lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com. I’d be happy to help troubleshoot. I know people sometimes have issues with this recipe, but I truly cannot recreate the problem people describe. I’ve had multiple friends and another professional recipe developer all test them with perfect results. If you’d like to help me figure out where people are going wrong, shoot me an email!
First try and my son is so happy to share these for his birthday!! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I have 1 question, hoe do i store them? In the fridge or outside😅 please forgive me, its my first time making these
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Without frosting, they can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature. With frosting, they can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 48 hours, then refrigerated. Serve at room temperature.
I like the recipe ALOT but if i want to make it as a cake should i oil my pans or use parchment paper?
I’m so glad you enjoy it! I would use parchment paper. I use the recipe as a cake in this cake recipe, if you’d like to reference it.
Total failure. I followed recipe and it was very liquidy. Cupcakes didn’t set very well
Did they just need more bake time? Ovens can certainly vary.
I loved this recipe so much but the only thing is it was REALLY liquidy and 15-17 minutes is not enough. But other than that it was amazing.
I’m glad you enjoyed them! All ovens can certainly vary and you should always adjust to your oven. 🙂
We haven’t tried it yet but so evpxcited for the result!! From 2 9year olds
I hope you enjoy them!
It’s a great recipe. If I wanted to use it to make a cake instead of cupcakes how long should I bake it for ?
I’m glad you enjoyed it! For a 3 layer 8-inch cake, bake for 24-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
These came out great. The vanilla were nice but I added some lemon extract and they were simply divine.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
If mine are a little too moist in the middle how much more time should I add?
It depends on how moist they still are. Without seeing it, I really can’t say. You don’t want to be opening the oven door too often, so if you aren’t sure, try looking through the oven window to see if more time is needed. It’s safer to just added 2-3 minutes, but depending on your oven, they could need longer.
Once we took them out, they sank imediently. When we tried to take them out of the casing they split and we saw the inside-gooey mush. PLEASE EXPLAIN!
It can be hard to explain from a distance, because I can’t see what you did or didn’t do. I understand why that would be frustrating though. If something isn’t fully baked, it’ll definitely sink when removed from the oven, since the structure of the cupcake hasn’t fully set or stabilized. Since they were gooey inside, it sounds like they weren’t fully baked. They can also sink if the oven is opened too soon during baking for the same reason. One thing you can look for during baking to know if it’s ok to open the oven door is to check the centers of the cupcakes through the oven window. If they still look underdone, you probably don’t want to open the oven yet.
This recipe honestly wasn’t the best the cupcakes are definitely moist but the taste isn’t there/that good
If you aren’t a fan of the flavor, it’s probably the oil. Some people like oil, some prefer butter. If you prefer something butter-based, I have a couple options. These homemade vanilla cupcakes use the creaming method and just have a touch of oil for moisture. These vanilla cupcakes are a more simple mixing method, similar to this recipe.
These are delicious and actually moist! Not too sweet, just the right amount of vanilla. I did have to bake them for 20 minutes, but every oven is different. My 7y.o. daughter approves and she’s my biggest critic! Thank you for this recipe, this is my go to forever!!
I’m so glad you enjoy them!
Turned out just as stated. I followed the recipe exactly except I added coloring to the icing.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I have made your chocolate cupcake recipe and they were so delicious and is my go to recipe now. But I am making cupcakes for a toddlers school party and those will be too soft and crumbly and messy 🤣 Are these vanilla cupcakes the same texture or will they hold together a bit better?
These hold together a bit more than the chocolate ones and I have actually made them for my kid’s school parties when they were toddlers and often make them for their birthdays. That said, if you’d like something butter-based and more solid, these homemade vanilla cupcakes would also work well.