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.
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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
The cupcakes seemed really yummy in the picture so I tried the recipe out. While I was mixing the batter I noticed LOTS of butter. LOTS of it. I had to mix it for a while to get the butter down to small chunks. After I had done that it seemed okay, so I threw it in the oven and set a timer. When I pulled them out of the oven, they looked delicious, other than some somewhat disconcerting holes in it, it looked almost like a mini sponge. I over-looked this, but when I tried them, even the frosting couldn’t hide the taste. The cupcakes tasted like cornbread. What did I do wrong? Am I the only one who had this issue?
It sounds like the butter was too firm. It should be at room temperature, or you could melt it.
Thanks! 🙂 I will try melting the butter next time or using two bowls and creaming the wet ingredients before hand. 🙂
Any idea why the cupcake becomes dense overnight? :/ Otherwise, flavours were perfect!
It definitely becomes a little denser after it cools and sits, but that seems to be pretty common in a lot of the recipes I’ve tried.
Hi! I’m giving your recipe a try for my boyfriend’s upcoming birthday! just 2 questions though, may i know what cream specifically to be used for the icing- whipping cream or milk etc? And can i use this recipe to bake a cake instead of cupcakes? Thanks in advance dear! 🙂
You can use any kind of milk or heavy cream. It’s mainly used to thin the icing out, so it’s preference Whatever you have on hand. And this recipe will make a cake, though you may want to double it depending on how tall of a cake you want.
I tried this recipe and you saved Mother’s Day. The first recipe I tried for a vanilla cupcake was doughy and came out tasting like a really sweet biscuit. This was a homerun. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
I made this tonight and they were absolutely perfect! I couldn’t wait so I ate it without the icing and it was just lovely, wonderful vanilla flavor, light and buttery, super moist. I cannot wait until I make the icing next. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
I’m so glad you were happy with them! 🙂
My oven goes up to 250 degrees. Can i still use it.
I’m not sure that the cupcakes would bake well at a lower temperature. I haven’t tried it.
Thank you so much for your recipe. I’m very excited. I just won a cupcake bake-off at work. I added raspberries and white choc chips, and it was delicious. Thank you so much.
That’s awesome! Thanks for letting me know – and congrats on your win! 🙂
making them now, they where heaps of fun to make
Hello, I have a question/concern and wondered if you could advise. I know this is supposed to be a cupcake recipe and I did try the recipe the other day and totally loved it, so much so that I wanted to make this into a round cake. Well, it was a disaster. It was quite odd. The sides rose up, browned really fast and were very dried out before the center was even close to being done, at about 20 min. So I knew it was pretty much over then. At about 30 minutes of course the edges were totally inedible and the center was still not done, but I obviously didn’t continue. One thing at the start was, I’m totally afraid of over mixing so there were a lot of chunks in the batter, which there was some in the cupcakes too and they turned out great. Is it possible that it wasn’t mixed properly? Any other suggestions or a vanilla cake recipe you highly recommend? I never had this happen and a little afraid to try again. Thanks
Hi Lisa, I’m so sorry to hear that. I’ve made this recipe as a cake many times and haven’t had that issue. You’re right that the batter normally has bits of butter, so that should be fine. It’s really hard to say what the problem was. If the center didn’t rise, it could be a number of things. Did you open the oven too soon? Maybe the baking powder was left out accidentally? It’s very hard to say, but this should definitely bake well as a cake. I hope it works out for you next time.
Hi Lindsay, well after posting my comment I was really desperate to try again because I needed something for a birthday party the next afternoon and figured if it didn’t work Wal-Mart’s open 24hrs, lol. Anyway, I thought maybe the batter was too much for the 9″ round pan???? So I tried scooping out the equivalent of 4-5 cupcakes, putting that batter in a muffin pan aside and try that. Well, it seemed to work just fine, not sure why, but whatever, lol, it worked 🙂 Thanks!
I recently made your s’mores cupcakes for my son’s birthday party. They were so wonderful that I knew when I needed a vanilla cupcake for my niece’s birthday today, that I needed to get the recipe from you! As expected, they turned out amazing! They are exactly what I was hoping for. Thank you so much for sharing your talents.
Awesome! I’m so glad you you’ve ben enjoying the recipes! Thanks Kerri!
Hi, Can this be made into an 8 inch cake?
Yes, it can. Depending on how big of a cake you want, you’ll probably want to double the recipe to get two good sized layers. I think in 8 inch pans it bakes for about 20 minutes.
Hi! I came across your vanilla cupcake recipe and I am sold! I have liquid egg whites and was wondering how many tablespoons of those I need to equal 3 egg whites in your recipe!
Thank you
Gosh, I’m not sure. I’ve never measured egg whites that way.
I did the batter part for cupcake wars and the batter tasted good, I haven’t tried it cooked yet but can it last for 2 days like cooked ? And still not dry out?
If they are in an airtight container, they should be fine for 2 days.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe. I have been trying out other recipes and my search has come to an end. I am wondering if you have a recipe for a chocolate cupcake? I have found one for a very rich chocolate cupcake but I am looking for a lighter one…
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂 This chocolate cupcake recipe is the chocolate version of these vanilla cupcakes. You could leave out the ganache filling, if you prefer. I have another chocolate cupcake, but it’s richer.
Maybe this has already been asked but what have you found is the best way to freeze cupcakes? Huge party next month and would like to get a head start…Thanks!!
Any time I freeze cake or cupcakes, I wrap them twice – once with clear wrap, then again with aluminum foil.
I was just wondering if you combine the butter and cream mixture into the flour mixture all at once or cream it together and then add the flour mixture to it.
You add it all at once. Just make sure your butter is fairly soft so that it incorporates better.