This traditional, straightforward vanilla cupcake recipe is delicate and moist with a definite vanilla taste. No difficult elements and fewer than an hour from begin to end! Recipe features a how-to video!
Why You’ll Love This Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
- Primary elements are finest: a complete egg, common all-purpose flour, all butter, and no oil. Buttermilk is as difficult as this ingredient record will get!
- Delicate and moist texture with a buttery, distinct vanilla style. A little bit of brown sugar enhances the vanilla amazingly and offers these cupcakes an unparalleled taste.
- Pairs effectively with any frosting, like chocolate fudge frosting, strawberry frosting, salted caramel frosting, and even fruity pebbles frosting! I embody a couple of extra concepts within the recipe notes beneath 🧁
- Simply doubles if you could feed a crowd! Or, make this recipe and my chocolate cupcake recipe for a bit little bit of each flavors.
- Rigorously researched and examined. As with all of my recipes, this one went via rigorous trials and taste-testing. Scroll down for a sneak peek of the behind the scenes of one of many recipe testing periods.
Each good baker wants a great vanilla cupcake recipe. Whereas many individuals have transformed my vanilla cake into cupcakes (and it really works nice!), I simply needed a devoted, standalone cupcake for this area.
It took months of working to excellent this recipe, about 8 Google Doc pages filled with notes, and a number of take a look at runs previous my taste-testers, however we lastly nailed it. With its mild, moist crumb, a buttery, vanilla-infused taste, this vanilla cupcake recipe holds its personal as one in every of my favorites a few years later!
Immediately I’m re-sharing this traditional with an up to date frosting (the profitable core recipe stays unchanged–it was excellent as written!). My favourite chocolate frosting nonetheless pairs simply as properly, however I’m altering issues up with a vanilla bean buttercream at the moment. I can’t wait to listen to what you suppose!
Elements
My vanilla cupcake recipe makes use of all primary elements that you simply most likely have already got in your pantry:
- Butter. Typically when making cupcakes I like to make use of oil for one of the best texture and a moist crumb. This vanilla cupcake recipe, nonetheless, was fastidiously crafted to be made with all butter and nonetheless be completely delicate and moist with a light-weight, flavorful texture!
- Sugar. We’re utilizing each granulated and brown sugar at the moment. The brown sugar enriches the flavour and makes the cupcakes extra moist. Don’t skip it!
- Flour. I take advantage of all-purpose flour and advocate you do the identical. You can substitute cake flour, however I really don’t choose the outcomes (extra on this beneath!).
- Buttermilk. Buttermilk is one other key ingredient that helps makes these vanilla cupcakes tender and flavorful. When you don’t have buttermilk useful, my straightforward buttermilk substitute can work in a pinch, however actual buttermilk is finest.
- Vanilla extract. These cupcakes have a terrific vanilla taste (nevertheless it’s not overpowering). We’re utilizing a beneficiant 1 ½ teaspoons for 12 cupcakes.
SAM’S TIP: Use room temperature elements! This helps your elements to mix correctly when mixing. Elements of various temperatures might depart you with an inconsistently combined batter and dense cupcakes. I’ve a trick to rapidly deliver eggs to room temperature in the event you overlook to set yours out forward!
Bear in mind, that is simply an summary of the elements I used and why. For the total recipe please scroll right down to the underside of the put up!
Behind the Scenes: Recipe Testing
I rigorously examined many totally different variations of this vanilla cupcake recipe to ensure it actually was one of the best it may very well be. Listed here are notes on a couple of of the numerous variations we tried. Since readers usually ask me if they will make adjustments I assumed this may be useful for these of you interested by substituting oil or cake flour or decreasing the sugar, and many others.
- Profitable recipe: the softest cupcakes with finest construction.They preserve their buttery taste and delicate texture effectively into the following day (and past!).
- Oil as a substitute of butter: I anticipated these cupcakes to be softer and to remain softer, however they weren’t. The flavour additionally wasn’t nearly as good because the profitable recipe. When you have been refrigerating the cupcakes, maybe it could be softer, however I nonetheless advocate the profitable recipe.
- Cake flour: this model had a tighter crumb and extra cottony texture than the model made with all-purpose flour. It additionally appeared extra dry than the others, which I attribute to the best way the finer crumb melts on the tongue.
- Much less sugar: utilizing 2 tablespoons much less brown sugar resulted in additional domed, but in addition extra dry cupcakes. It wasn’t well worth the taste or texture sacrifice for increased cupcake tops.
- Reverse creaming technique: these tasted good, however they sunk and had a tighter crumb. I used to be shocked at how effectively they didn’t do, actually!
The way to Make Vanilla Cupcakes
Make the Cupcake Batter
- Cream the butter and sugars till mild and fluffy. This step is crucial for one of the best mild and fluffy texture, so don’t be shy about it!
- Stir within the egg and vanilla, ensuring each are effectively integrated.
- Whisk collectively the dry elements in a separate bowl, then step by step fold in about ¼ of the dry elements. Don’t use your mixer for this–swap to a spatula!
- Fold in ¼ of the buttermilk till simply mixed.
- Repeat this course of till you’ve added all of the flour and buttermilk and your batter is totally mixed. Bear in mind, watch out to not over-mix!
- Divide the batter into your cupcake liners, filling ⅔-¾ of the best way full. Don’t overfill your liners, or you should have a large number in your arms. It’s higher to discard any leftover batter versus attempting to cram it into the liners.
- Bake till the tops spring again when evenly touched and a toothpick within the middle comes out with a couple of moist crumbs or clear.
SAM’S TIP: Over-mixing when including the flour and buttermilk will trigger your cupcakes to be dense and dry. You don’t need to under-mix (that is simply as dangerous!), however do be sure to aren’t too overzealous both.
Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting
- Beat the butter till creamy, then stir within the salt. Regularly add the powdered sugar till utterly mixed.
- Stir within the vanilla bean paste till integrated.
- Add the heavy cream as wanted till you’ve gotten a clean frosting, then beat on excessive till fluffy.
- Pipe over your utterly cooled cupcakes. I take advantage of the Ateco 848 tip for this!
SAM’S TIP: When you don’t plan to pipe your frosting as generously as I do right here, you’ll be able to halve the recipe. As written, it makes numerous frosting!
Regularly Requested Questions
Frosted cupcakes shall be fantastic at room temperature for two days or refrigerated in an hermetic container for as much as 5 days, however be aware that the fridge tends to dry out the cupcakes.
You can even freeze the cupcakes; simply be certain that to wrap them effectively and retailer in an hermetic container. If you’re attempting to freeze frosted cupcakes, it’s possible you’ll need to let the frosting agency up within the freezer for 10-Quarter-hour earlier than wrapping and storing.
Sure! When you want 24 cupcakes as a substitute of 12, be happy to double this recipe. You have to to double all elements (together with the leavening brokers and vanilla extract).
You can, and it’s even the idea for my birthday cake, however my private desire for a traditional layer cake is my vanilla cake recipe. It’s been one in every of my hottest recipes for years, so I feel you’ll prefer it simply as a lot as this one!
Observe that in the event you do select to make this batter right into a cake, it’ll make a single 8″ or 9″ spherical layer, you’ll want to double the recipe for a two layer cake.
Which frosting do you favor in your vanilla cupcakes–chocolate or vanilla?
Take pleasure in!
Let’s bake collectively! Subscribe to my e-newsletter to be notified of all the latest recipes, and discover my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Energy: 493kcal
Forestall your display screen from going darkish
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners. Put aside.
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Mix butter and sugars within the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a big bowl — and use an electrical hand mixer) and beat very on medium pace till effectively creamed and light-weight and fluffy.
6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) mild brown sugar
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Add egg and vanilla extract and beat effectively.
1 massive egg, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
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In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk collectively flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
1 ⅓ cup (167 g) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon desk salt
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Use a spatula (not a mixer!) to step by step fold in about ¼ of the flour combination till simply mixed.
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Add about ¼ cup of the buttermilk and use spatula to fold in till simply mixed.
¾ cup (175 ml) buttermilk
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Proceed to alternate till flour combination and buttermilk are utterly mixed (I add the flour in 4 components and the buttermilk in 3) — combine till batter is mixed however make sure to not over-mix or your cupcakes might find yourself dense and dry.
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Fill cupcake liners ⅔-¾ of the best way full with batter (don’t over-fill, when you have any leftover batter discard it) and bake on 350F (175C) for 17-18 minutes or till tops spring again when gently touched and a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out with a couple of moist crumbs or clear.
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Permit cupcakes to chill in pans for five minutes earlier than fastidiously eradicating to cooling rack to chill utterly earlier than frosting.
Vanilla Bean Frosting
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Beat butter with an electrical mixer till creamy. Sprinkle salt over butter and stir once more to mix.
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon desk salt
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Regularly, about ½ cup at a time, add powdered sugar, ready till every cup is totally combined earlier than including extra.
3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar
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Stir in vanilla bean paste.
1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
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With mixer on medium-low pace, add the heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time till you’ve gotten a clean consistency. As soon as elements are effectively integrated, step by step enhance pace to excessive and beat for about 30 seconds.
1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream
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Pipe or unfold frosting over cooled cupcakes. Prime with sprinkles, if desired. This frosting shall be fantastic at room temperature for two days or refrigerated in an hermetic container for a few week.
Notes
Doubling the recipe
This recipe doubles effectively; double all elements.
Frosting
This recipe makes sufficient frosting to generously pile the frosting on every cupcake (as proven in photographs). If you need a modest quantity of frosting, merely halve the recipe.
Observe that I beforehand used my favourite chocolate frosting to brighten these cupcakes as a substitute of vanilla bean buttercream. Be happy to make use of that recipe if that’s what you favor, or browse my frosting library for extra choices like:
Vitamin
Serving: 1vanilla cupcake | Energy: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 4g | Fats: 29g | Saturated Fats: 18g | Trans Fats: 1g | Ldl cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 269mg | Potassium: 159mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 739IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg
Dietary data is predicated on third-party calculations and ought to be thought-about an estimate solely. Precise dietary content material will fluctuate based mostly upon manufacturers used, measuring strategies, cooking technique, portion sizes, and extra.
I initially shared this Vanilla Cupcake Recipe 05/15/2017. Publish has been up to date and a video added. The recipe stays the identical.
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