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
So I just made these cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday party tomorrow. While I love the frosting, the cupcakes are a miss. I followed the recipe exactly but the cupcakes do not rise and they leave the cupcake liners very wet. The flavor is very good and I will serve them, but I won’t be making this recipe again.
I’ve never had that happen with these cupcakes. The method itself is pretty straight forward so I’m not sure what went wrong. Sorry you weren’t happy with them. Feel free to try out these vanilla cupcakes or the vanilla cupcake base of these.
Just made these for my daughter’s birthday party. The cake is super delicious and perfect flavor. The icing I didn’t care for however. I thought it was too sweet for me. Thanks for the recipe!
Unfortunately, I did not have a good experience with these. The cupcakes did not have any rise or fluff. They were dense with a doughy crumb. I tried baking a batch for a few extra minutes but it only helped slightly. Like another reviewer mentioned, I also had a lot of cake stick to the paper liners. The cake has a pretty good flavor and seems so easy to come together. Maybe I’ll try again but this batch was a sad waste.
This looks amazing. Do we have to use water at room temperature or warm??
Either is fine.
Hi! I am baking these cupcakes this weekend for a party, and I was wondering if you spooned and leveled the flour into the measuring cup or if you scooped the flour right out of the container with the measuring cup?
I actually weight my ingredients these days so that it’s accurate. But when using a scoop, I’d typically stir up the flour so it isn’t packed in and then scoop out of the container.
Hi Lindsay!
If I want to bake this as a cake in a bundt cake pan, how long do you recommend I bake it? I used this recipe for the cupcakes and they were so good!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes! I’m not sure how it’d do as a bundt cake. I’d guess you’d want to double it and bake for at least 45 minutes, possibly more.
Mine tasted like cornbread. ???? I mean, I like cornbread, just not as my cupcakes ????
What milk do you use in these, is it whole milk?
I use 2%, but whole should be fine.
Can I use Skim?
I prefer milk with a higher fat content for a better textured cupcake, but you could use skim.
How can we substitute shortening?
With additional butter.
this taste like egg.
I made these recently and they were so tasty! They’re perfectly moist and fluffy and my whole family loved them. So glad I found a great simple vanilla cupcake recipe because I’ll be using it again. 🙂
Hi Lindsay,
I’m new to baking and really excited to try this recipe and the similar chocolate cupcake one! Could I use almond milk? Would it change the recipe or texture?
Thanks!
Laura
I haven’t tried it. You could see how it does. Almond milk has different properties than regular milk, specifically fat content. Fat gives the cupcakes some of their moisture and texture, so it’d likely change it a bit if it does bake up well.
Just made these today with almond milk. Might have changed the color a bit (almond milk is a bit gray) and perhaps the flavor slightly but put some chocolate icing on top and no one will know.
Hi.
These cupcakes looked so good when they came out of the oven but upon cooling they all sunk down. What could be the reason?
Hmmm, not sure. Did they overflow at all? Sometimes that can cause them to fall as they cool.
Hi, I’ve been on the lookout for super fluffy, super moist cupcakes, but always failed.
I tried these and they are absolutely fluffy & I love it!
The only problem I’m facing is that they taste a lil gluey once eaten. What could be the reason?
Thanks,
Nash from Goa, India
Hi Lindsay,
My cupcake didn’t rise. I half-ed the recipe.
Ok I don’t normally comment but I feel like I need to. I am a total cake snob. I have been making wedding cakes and specialty cakes for about 14 years, so if it isn’t good cake what is the point of eating it? Don’t even get me started on the “doctored cake mix” cakes… Yuck. Anyways, I loved this. I just pulled them out of the oven, they were very light in color and I wasn’t sure if they were done. After testing I realized they were (so people, don’t overcook) . I feel like I just bit into a cloud! This is a fantastic recipe I will be keeping around. Good job, your hard work is evident and the price of the vanilla and butter it took to perfect this recipe wasn’t in vain.