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
These actually turned out to be some of the driest cupcakes I have ever made. It’s a shame because the flavor is nice. I stumbled upon this recipe by googling ‘moist cupcakes’. I’m not sure where I went wrong as I followed the recipe exact but I can see it has happened to some others so there must be something we’ve done that has given us a different result to all the other positive reviewers. Guttered!
These are the most moist and fluffy cupcakes ever, I added some cinnamon for flavor and they turned out great, thank you! Made some for my best friend’s birthday and she loved them 🙂
hi! I know this is probably a terrible thing to ask, but I just have to – I’m thinking of making this for my almost one year old’s first birthday, and while I’m okay with giving him sugar, I would still like to cut the amount of sugar in this recipe because this ratio of flour to sugar ( 1 2/3 C to 1 C) would result in a fairly sweet cake. Do you think I would be able to get away with say 2/3 C sugar?
Thanks! If I am asking a sacrilegious question do let me know… And I will search for another recipe, though I think I will try baking this cake when I next have the chance to bake a cake. 🙂 looks and sounds so lovely
It’s not terrible, don’t worry. 🙂 You certainly can reduce the amount of sugar. I think they’ll still bake ok. 1/3 less cup shouldn’t be too bad, though it will affect the texture of the cupcakes a bit.
I tried five different recipes trying to find a great vanilla and a great lemon cupcake recipe, and this one worked perfectly, as did the lemon version. Thank you! These were delicious!
I just have to come back to comment that I realized the first three times I made these and the lemon cupcakes, I kept putting in 2/3 of the butter (1/2 c instead of 3/4 c) somehow. But the last time I made them, I used the full amount of butter, and they were much much too buttery. The texture just wasn’t the same, and the liners were coated in grease, I thought it was surprising, and just wanted to share in case anyone else had the same experience.
Yum!! These are beautiful, nice and moist and still fluffy, awesome work!!! The icing is delicious too, thank you for sharing!
Hi, I’m baking these tomorrow for a group of little girls. I am using SMALL cupcake patty pan liners. Often American cup cakes are about a normal muffin size. I was thinking I would cook my small cupcakes for about 10-12 mins. Any thoughts?? Thanks and I’ll let you know the outcome.
Are they mini sized? I haven’t actually made these mini before, so I don’t know for sure. 10-12 sounds like it could be right, but I’d start looking around the 8 minute mark, just to be sure they don’t over bake.
Hi!
I just want to tell you your cupcakes look great and I can’t wait to try them!
But can I please check with you what is the reason behind of not using the egg yolks but only the white? Does it contributes to the fluffy-ness?
Can’t wait to hear from you! (:
Yes, the whites add more softness, as well as a little different flavor and color.
Can cake flour be used?
I have never tried it, so I can’t say if it’d work.
what nozzle did you use for your piping?,because they really have a tasty and comfortable size. :3
It’s Ateco tip 844.
Thank you for this recipe it was definitely light and fluffy…however when I made it the cupcakes didn’t peel off the cupcake wrapper andstuck to the wrapper too much. Any advice on how to have it peel off?
Thanks again!
Hmm, I’ve never had that happen. Maybe it was something with the wrappers?
The best vanilla cupcake recipe. While ihavent used your icing, the cupcakes are perfectly moist. I also love the fact that you can make them the night before and they are still so fresh the next day. Often, I find that some recipes become quite firm and not AS fresh. Have made them about 8 times already.
Thanks for sharing
Your cupcake recipe is fantastic!!! I have tried so many recipes and failed so many times… I was just about to give up when I read your blog. At first I was quite skeptical… all in one bowl?? will it works??
It really works!! I The most fluffy and moist cupcake I have ever baked! ! am so happy now that I have finally found a great recipe ! Thank you.
szel
Terrific! I’m so glad you were happy with it!
Hi there! I just loved this recipe, I’m gonna try it tomorrow for sure!
I was wondering (sorry if I say something wrong, I’m from Brazil and my english is not really good) about the egg whites, do you whisk them before (until stiff or not) or just add them to the batter? And what if I use the whole egg? Will it change too much?
Do you think that adding chocolate chips would work?
Thank you so much! Your website is beautiful!!
The egg whites are just added to the batter. You could use one egg and one egg white, but it will change the texture just a bit. The batter is thick enough to hold chocolate chips well. Enjoy!
I made these for a friend’s birthday, and added some sprinkles to the mix. I even messed up the recipe and didn’t use enough butter, but they still came out really good! Many people were sneaking back for seconds! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes! 🙂
Hello! I was wondering if this recipe could be doubled? I need 24 cupcakes, so i would like to know if i should make two separate batches, or if this recipe can be doubled.
Yes, you can double it
I have to admit- I was so wary of making a (cup)cake batter without doing the traditional creaming of the butter and sugar as the first step. I did beat the liquid ingredients by themselves, then added the whisked-together ingredients dry in three batches, mixing a little after each one, but not mixing for long at all. They turned out delicious. Thank you!