Made with sour cream and melted butter, this vanilla cupcake recipe is easy to mix by hand and makes extra-moist, tender cupcakes filled with sweet vanilla flavor. They’re super simple to make and topped with big, pillowy swirls of homemade vanilla buttercream (or your favorite frosting). Don’t forget the sprinkles!
After baking and tasting about a million cupcakes over the years, I can say this: Everyone needs a delicious, simple vanilla cupcake recipe, one that can be whipped up even without a mixer present.
This vanilla cupcake recipe combines sour cream and melted butter for a smooth, flavorful batter. And here’s the best part: Making these cupcakes is as easy as whipping up a box mix, but the result is incomparably better.
These cupcakes are a bit denser than my oil-based moist vanilla cupcakes. Butter results in a tighter crumb and also makes these cupcakes a little richer. Meanwhile, the sour cream adds moisture and highlights the subtle vanilla flavor.
Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a beginner, this recipe is ideal for those looking for an easy, no-fuss batch of vanilla cupcakes. This cupcake recipe also makes a quick, simple base in desserts like these fresh strawberry cupcakes.
What Makes These Vanilla Cupcakes Different?
I have a few vanilla cupcake recipes on the site. Each one is delicious with its own unique ingredients, methods, and personalities. Here is what sets these vanilla cupcakes apart, and why they might be a great fit for you:
- Whole eggs. Unlike white cupcakes that rely on egg whites, there’s no need to separate the eggs for this recipe.
- This recipe uses sour cream. It tenderizes the cupcakes and gives them a wonderful springiness along with added moisture.
- A combination of baking powder and baking soda gives these cupcakes the best rise and texture.
- Melted butter mixes very easily with the other ingredients. It also means you don’t have to wait for the butter to soften to room temperature, as you would if you were using a creaming method like in my classic homemade vanilla cupcakes.
What You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make these simple vanilla cupcakes from scratch. You probably have most of the ingredients already in your kitchen. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for precise measurements.
- All-purpose flour – Be sure to measure the flour accurately, so you don’t end up with a dry cake. I always recommend a food scale, but the spoon and level method is also an option.
- Baking powder and baking soda – This is my only vanilla cupcake recipe that uses baking soda in addition to baking powder. Baking soda reacts with the sour cream, giving extra lift to the cupcakes. See my post on Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda for details. Avoid using leavening that’s old or expired.
- Unsalted butter – No need to bring it to room temperature. You’ll be melting it for the easy mixing method.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar not only adds sweetness, but also moisture, and it affects the final texture of the cupcake.
- Vanilla extract – A good quality vanilla extract is perfect for a vanilla-focused cupcake. You could also use an equal amount of vanilla paste.
- Eggs – Be sure to use large eggs, not small or extra large.
- Sour cream – I like the extra moisture and richness sour cream adds to these cupcakes. However, if you aren’t a sour cream fan or don’t have it in the fridge, you can replace it with additional milk or Greek yogurt.
- Milk – I recommend using 2% milk or whole milk.
How To Make Vanilla Cupcakes Without a Mixer
These simple vanilla cupcakes come together quickly. The batter is easy enough to mix by hand, though a mixer does come in handy when whipping the frosting. Here’s a quick look at how to do it. For more thorough instructions, scroll to the recipe card below.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Next, combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract.
Whisk in the eggs, followed by the sour cream, then the milk.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full.
Bake at 350ºF for 18-20 minutes. Then, place on a cooling rack to cool.
Frosting the Cupcakes
- Make the frosting. Beat the butter until smooth. Mix in half of the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla, 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream, and the salt. Finally, mix in the remaining powdered sugar.
- Get the consistency right. You can add a little extra heavy cream if you would like a thinner frosting.
- Frost. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Check out my in-depth tutorial, How To Frost Cupcakes for extra guidance. You’ll be a frosting pro in no time!
Frosting Options
Instead of vanilla buttercream, try frosting these simple vanilla cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting, Ermine frosting, or tangy cream cheese frosting.
Pro Tips for Amazing Cupcakes
- Don’t over-mix. When whisking the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mix just until everything is smooth and well incorporated. Over-mixing can cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop, giving you tough, dense cupcakes.
- 3/4 full. You will want to fill the cupcake liners just a little more than 3/4 of the way. If you overfill them, they will rise out of the liners and create a muffin top and/or fall in the middle, which you don’t want here.
- Get the frosting right. To get the buttercream to the proper consistency, you may need to play with the amount of heavy cream you add to it. You’ll find everything you need to know on the subject in my post on how to get the right frosting consistency.
- Cool before frosting. Allow your cupcakes to cool completely before applying the frosting. This prevents the frosting from melting and sliding off of the cupcakes.
Proper Storage
These cupcakes are best eaten within 4-5 days. Here’s how to store them for best taste and shelf life.
- Keep the cupcakes airtight. Seal the cupcakes in an airtight carrier or other airtight container that can accommodate the frosting. Store them at room temperature for up to 2 days so that they don’t dry out as quickly. After that, they should be refrigerated because of the buttercream.
- Freeze. You can freeze these frosted or unfrosted. If you’re freezing the frosted cupcakes, seal them in an airtight container tall enough to accommodate the frosting and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before serving. You can also freeze these cupcakes sans frosting and whip up a fresh batch of vanilla buttercream just before serving.
More Cupcake Recipes To Try
Cupcakes are the perfect sharable dessert. They bring everything you want from a cake to the table, without all the slicing and serving! Here are some of my other favorite cupcake recipes.
Download the previous version of this cupcake recipe here.
Print
Simple Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12–14 Cupcakes 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Made with sour cream and melted butter, this simple vanilla cupcake recipe is easy to mix by hand (no creaming!). It’s topped with creamy vanilla frosting, perfect for everyday baking.
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 2/3 cups (217g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (115g) sour cream
- 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (460g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2–3 tbsp (30-45ml) heavy cream
- Pinch or two of salt
- Sprinkles, optional
Instructions
Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract together until well combined.
- Add the eggs and whisk together until well combined. Next, add the sour cream and whisk together until well combined. Now, add the milk and whisk together until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and whisk together until combined, but do not overmix.
- Fill the cupcake liners a little more than 3/4 full (60g) and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove cupcakes from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
- Carefully add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and well combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and 1-2 tablespoons of the cream and the salt to the frosting and mix until well combined.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add additional cream as needed to get the right consistency.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I used Ateco tip 844. Add sprinkles, if desired.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 2 days, then refrigerate them. Best served at room temperature. They are best if eaten within 3-4 days.
Notes
See my newest Vanilla Cupcake Recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cupcake
- Calories: 459
- Sugar: 42.9 g
- Sodium: 176 mg
- Fat: 25.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 56.2 g
- Protein: 3.4 g
- Cholesterol: 46.6 mg
I tried this recipe for some wedding cupcakes I am making and it is PERFECT. Every gal needs a go to vanilla cupcake recipe just like every gal needs a little black dress. I have just found mine. Thank You!
Awesome!! I’m so glad you are happy with them!! 🙂 Thanks!
Dear Lindsay, I would like to say how much I enjoy your beautiful site, of course your recipes. I call it art. Obviously I am not the only one that thinks you are special. You are very popular. There is a lot to be attracted to your site for. Hugs and Kisses Sherie. I am about to make your vanilla cupcakes. Luv ya
Thanks so much Sherie! I hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
I am definitely going to try these! What type of milk should I use??
I use 2% milk.
I made these last night for a charity bake sale. They are very good. Best icing yet!
Thank you so much Lucie! So glad you enjoyed them!
Hi can i substitute white vinegar instead of sour cream?
That seems like it’d be a lot of vinegar. I don’t know that that would work very well. You might try subbing additional milk instead, if you don’t want to use sour cream.
Hi thanks for the response. I was using white vinegar for my moist chocolate cupcakes, that’s the reason why I asked if it’s possible. Another question would be what kind of milk will i use for the cupcake batter? And for the icing when you say water or cream, what kind of cream did you use? thanks….
I use 2% milk in the cupcakes. I usually use water in my icing, but you can use milk, heavy cream, or whatever your preference.
i didn’t mean chocolate chip cookies. sorry about that. what i meant were chocolate chips 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! It’s indeed moist and passed the test of my family!
I just have one comment on the icing. My icing didn’t quite turn out because I overbeat the butter but that’s really my error. But I was wondering if there is a typo with the amount of the sugar in the icing. I always try to use less sugar so I started out with only 2 cups. When I tasted it the icing was already so sweet that I started adding cocoa poweder to eleviate the sweetness somewhat. Unfortunately I ended up overbeating the icing at the end. I can’t even imagine the sweetness if you add 4 cups of sugar! So, is that a typo?! …. anyway, the cupcake itself is really awesome. This one is a keeper.
Hi Erika! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes! That actually isn’t a typo. 4 cups per 1 cup of butter (or butter/shortening mix) is pretty standard for a traditional buttercream. I’m glad you were able to alter it to your liking though. 🙂
Thank you for the clarification. I’ll look under your other recipes and maybe try other icings for the cupcakes. But once again, the cupcake is just amazing. You know how cupcakes are not as good (as fresh made ones) anymore when you put them in the fridge. Well, that’s not true for these cupcakes! Even after 3-4 days (small family!), I pull them out of the fridge and either let them get to room temperature or place them in the microwave for very short time and voila, they are (almost) as good as freshly made. Thanks again for sharing this awesome recipe. Like you mentioned in your blog, I have also tried different things to make the cupcakes moist and fluffy. My search is over now!
I made the vanilla cupcakes today they had a good rise while baking when taken out they sank quickly. the flavour was lovely. i used self raising flour and no raising agents, also dropped the oven temp by 20 percent.wat have i done wrong? please can u help!!!
The do sink a bit when they come out of the oven, but shouldn’t fall in the center. They should be somewhat flat on top. It’s hard for me to say what might be wrong, if something is, especially with the change in flour and temperature.
am gonna try cupcakes again and use the plain flour with rising ingredients. i used i kitchen aid to make these, the mix was lovely and light and fluffy, they just colapasedwhen out of oven. ps thanks for replying to last message x
hi! is it okay if i add chocolate chp cookies orlueberries in this recipe? thanks!!
I assuming you’d be chopping the cookies? I think it’d be alright, but haven’t tried that. The blueberries would work great though.
Hello,
I’m going to try your recipe tomorrow, but I want to make two 8 inch cake pans instead of cupcakes. Can you please advice how this works change the quantity of the ingredients? Thanks so much!
You shouldn’t need to change anything. I hope it turned out well Tammy!
I Thanks for the reply. Actually, to make two 8 inch cakes you need to double the recipe. The cake was delicious by the way.
Ahh, you’re right. I’m sorry. Some of my cupcakes recipes are already doubled, so I was thinking this one was too. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Hey there. Im making few batches of this recipe as I’m typing this out. first batch out was good. but second one slightly under cook i guess. making the third batch now. hope all will turn out good. thank you for a good recipe. i do get the fluffiness and the moistness out of them. 🙂
cheers from Malaysia.
Awesome! I’m so glad you like them! 🙂
Hi
I just made these and the batter was lumpy and the cake stuck to the wrapper.these were for my granddaughters 1 st bday party.
They taste good but embarrassing when. They try and take the paper off
Not very happy with this recipe.
Yum! I just made these with my kids tonight and they were delicious. I love that you only have to use one bowl…almost as easy as a box mix but a whole lot tastier. I was wondering, could you use melted butter instead of softened? I always forget to get the butter out early to soften and then in my efforts to try to soften it in the microwave, it melts. Thanks for this wonderful recipe! I will be making it again.
I’m so glad you enjoy them! 🙂 I’ve heard that the recipe still works well with melted butter, but I haven’t tried it myself.
Would there be any adjustments to the recipe if you were doing a sheet or layered cake?
I haven’t tried a sheet cake. I’ve made a layered cake with it without changing anything. One thing to note though is that as a cake, it shrinks a bit when cooling (width wise, not height). I love it as a cake though.
After my disappointing experience with Magnolia recipe book, I went on a thorough internet search for a moist flavorful vanilla cupcake. You are very correct! These are the best I have ever made! I am filling the little cakes with a little lemon curd and then topping them with your strawberry icing. Can’t wait – the srawberries smelled amazing during the puree. Thank you!!
What a compliment Lorna! Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Hello,
Should we melt the butter first or combine it with other while it doesn’t melt yet
I`ve just tried this recipe and it tastes great!!
But mine shrank after I took it out of the oven.
Do you know what could be the reason?
Hmm, the dome does shrink a bit, but they shouldn’t sink in the middle or anything.
it didn`t sink in the middle but overall the size of the cupcake shrank.
Maybe I had incorporated too much air when mixing?
About how long did you mix the batter?
I think they do kind of do that. I’ve noticed it when using the recipe to make a cake.
Hello
I’ve just made my second batch of these vanilla cupcakes and they are amazing! The first time I put 3 whole eggs in not just the whites – really lovely texture. Second batch I separated the eggs put the yolks in with wet ingredients and whisked the whites then folded them in at the end – kind of like a sponge
consistency to these ones. I love this recipe – have tried so many vanilla cupcake recipes but this one is
now my firm favorite. Thank you so much.
That’s awesome Ally! I’m so glad you like them and are having fun playing with them! 🙂