Perfect Vanilla Cupcake Recipe (VIDEO)
Everyone loves cupcakes! This is the only vanilla cupcake recipe you will need. They are super easy to make and the texture is light, fluffy, and melt-in-your-mouth good.
Watch the video tutorial below and you will be a pro in no time. We love these with our Cupcake Frosting because a cupcake isn’t a cupcake without frosting.
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Watch Vanilla Cupcakes Video Tutorial!
These cupcakes are perfect for birthday parties and baby showers and they always disappear fast which is why I always make a double batch for gatherings. They are quick and easy to make and homemade cupcakes taste way better than boxed cupcake mix.
Ingredients for Vanilla Cupcakes:
This recipe makes exactly 12 cupcakes and requires simple ingredients: all-purpose flour, butter, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, baking powder, salt and vanilla. The combination of softened butter and buttermilk creates an amazingly soft cupcake crumb that just melts in your mouth. Also, if you haven’t tried our (2-ingredient) Homemade Vanilla Extract, it will take your baked goods to the next level.
How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes:
These cupcakes are easy to master and you will be making bakery-quality cupcakes in no time.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a second bowl (or bowl of your stand mixer), beat together softened butter and sugar on medium-high speed 5 minutes until thick and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs 1 at a time, mixing to incorporate with each egg then blend in vanilla and scrape down the bowl.
- Reduce mixer to medium speed and add the flour in thirds, alternating with adding the 1/2 cup buttermilk and beating well between additions.
- Pour batter into 12 lined muffin tins, filling 2/3 full. Bake in the center of the oven at 350˚F for 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for the BEST Cupcakes:
- Room Temperature Ingredients – eggs, buttermilk and butter must be at room temperature to keep your batter an even consistency.
- Alternate Adding Flour and Buttermilk – this keeps the mixture uniform and well blended. If you add in all of the flour or buttermilk at once, it can saturate the creamed butter and cause the mixture to separate. Mix well between each addition.
- Measure Correctly – be sure to use the proper measuring cups for wet and dry ingredients. Watch our video on measuring ingredients to ensure great results every time.
- Don’t Overfill – Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full or they will overflow and cause a muffin top. If you divide evenly between 12 cupcakes, you should have exactly enough batter. A trigger release Ice Cream Scoop makes portioning easier.
How to Decorate Cupcakes:
Once your cupcakes are cooled to room temperature, it’s time to decorate. This is a great vanilla cupcake base for just about any kind of frosting and toppings. We pipe frosting on with a pastry bag and our favorite Wilton 1M Tip. We have so many frosting options so pick your craving:
- Vanilla Cupcake Frosting – our go-to cupcake frosting
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream – well worth the extra effort
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting – whipped and decadent
- Blackberry Frosting – you’ll love the flavor and color
Common Questions:
Can I Make Cupcakes Ahead? Once cupcakes are at room temperature, cover and keep at room temperature overnight or refrigerate if storing for longer. After cupcakes are frosted, refrigerate until ready to serve. Cupcakes are great served chilled or at room temperature because they don’t harden with refrigeration.
Can I Use This Batter to Make a Cake? We’ve had great results turning it into a Vanilla Cake. You would need to double the recipe for two 9-inch cake layers.
Can I Substitute the Buttermilk? Plain kefir will also work well instead of buttermilk. You can also make your own buttermilk at a ratio of 1 cup whole milk to 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice. Combine and let it sit 10 minutes to curdle then stir and use.
How Long to Bake Cupcakes? Bake until the tops are springy and a toothpick inserted int the center comes out clean. These were perfectly baked at 350˚F for 22 minutes in a conventional oven.
More Cupcake Recipes:
Who can resist a cupcake? They’re just so cute and easy to love. We enjoy getting creative with cupcakes and they are one of the easiest desserts to make. These are our top-rated cupcake recipes:
- Moist Chocolate Cupcakes – this is a great base and so easy
- Pumpkin Cupcakes – with a marshmallow-soft frosting
- Honey Cupcakes – with a cherry filling
- Dark Chocolate Cupcakes – with white chocolate frosting
Perfect Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or plain kefir, room temperature
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 1/4 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Set flour mix aside.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed 5 minutes until thick and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
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Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition then scrape down the bowl. Add 2 tsp vanilla and beat to combine.
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Reduce mixer speed to medium and add the flour mixture in thirds alternating with the buttermilk, mixing to incorporate with each addition. Scrape down the bowl as needed and beat until just combined and smooth. Divide the batter evenly into a 12-count lined muffin or cupcake pan, filling 2/3 full.
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Bake for 20-23 minutes at 350 °F, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature before frosting.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
This recipe was first published in June 2012 (below is the original photo). After testing countless batches, we improved the recipe, swapping out oil for softened butter and took out the baking soda to create a super soft crumb. Everyone agrees, these are the best cupcakes. Just read the reviews!
P.S. Thank you all for trying this recipe and sharing it with the people you love.
Natasha Kravchuk
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (VIDEO) 
Cherry Surprise Honey Cupcakes Recipe 
Cupcake Frosting Recipe (VIDEO) 
How to Make Cake Flour (Video Tutorial) 
Apple Banana Muffins 
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi Natasha,
Just wondering, how many grams of all purpose flour is 1 cup? I’ve seen websites like King Arthur Flour say 120g. Other websites say 125g. Can you clarify this for me?
Thanks!
Hi Ashley, we follow the flour packaging guide but Google also shows 120g.
Hi Natasha, I have been using your vanilla cupcake recipe for years and have adapted it to make birthday cakes for my kids over the years. This is a great recipe and thanks for sharing it. If using this recipe as a sheet cake, increase the bake time to 25 minutes (I always rotate my cake tins around 14 minutes)Made a day ahead it is super easy to cut into shapes to be decorated). Adding confetti to the cake batter transforms the cupcakes into a funfetti experience as well.
That is so great, Sodhi! This is such a perfect Birthday cake and I’m just glad that you’ve been using this recipe. Thanks for sharing that useful info with us too!
So fun!! How much confetti sprinkles would you recommend adding? I never thought of this. I will be making birthday cupcakes for my son and funfetti cake would be so fun!
Just found this recipe today and gave it a shot. I have to agree with some of the other users that say these cupcakes have a funny taste to them. I’ve never made cupcakes with vegetable oil before and I expect that this is the culprit.
They have a very light color and are very fluffy but I can’t stand the taste in them, sorry.
Hi Tyler, I have never noticed a funny taste to these. Vegetable oil should be flavorless. Maybe yours was old which would give off a rancid aroma. You might try extra light olive oil which is my go-to for baking and most of my cooking.
So good! Will use recipe again. Easy and fit a 12 smaller cupcake tin perfectly. I had more than my fair share of those 12 cupcakes.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Thank you for this great feedback!
Hello! I’m so excited to try this recipe but wondered if I could use cake flour in place of the all purpose. If so, do I use the same amount?
Thanks!
Hi Carla, these already have a very soft crumb – they might be overly soft with cake flour. I haven’t tested it with this particular cupcake though.
Can You Use This Recipe And Bake This In [3] 6 Inch Cake Pans?
Hi Sarah, I haven’t tested this in 3 6-inch pans, but we did convert this to a vanilla cake recipe here.
I had the perfect vanilla cupcake recipe, soft and moist. It was my grandmothers. It called for sour cream. Missplaced recipe book during move. Do you have one using sour cream on your site? Could use for this week and keep looking as unpacking.
Hi Garcon, that sounds nice! I don’t have that version yet but feel free to share it with me if you find it. You may email it to hello@natashaskitchen.com.
Hi Natasha,
in April 2019 I made some vanilla cupcakes of yours that were absolute outstanding, everyone raved about them. they were made with oil i remember but i went to find the recipe to pass on to my Mum and noticed that it is not there i think? What happened to that recipe?
Hi Angela, we have updated and improved the recipe. This one has an even better, softer texture.
The best vanilla cupcake recipe ! So soft and fluffy
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
So I love using this recipe but I feel like I’m going crazy I’ve been using it for a bot a year now can’t always remember the quantity for ingredients so I always look at the recipe and I could have swore you had it listed cake flour not all purpose and oil not butter? I understand you had updated it for the oil for butter but can I have the old recipe please
Hi Faythe, you can search sites like this and plug in the URL to view the old version of the recipe. This video is the updated version. The printed recipe card is also now the updated and improved version. We only update recipes when we feel they are significantly better and this definitely is. The texture turns out so fluffy, soft and phenomenal. I hope it becomes your new favorite.
What size of cupcake did you make? Regular or mini? Thanks in advance I want to make it today
Hi Christine, we made regular ones. I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha! I Tried these on my Sister’s Birthday with chocolate Ganache and coffee cream..My sister and my family loved it …..Thank you so much for sharing…Natasha
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you all enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha! I made these cupcakes today and they are the best vanilla cupcakes I have ever made!! I have made heaps of cupcakes for many years but this is a superb recipe!!! Thank you so much! I am learning so much from you for free! God bless you!! –
Love, Sheila from Australia
You’re welcome, Sheila! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
i tried these on my sisters birthday..with chocolate ganache and coffee cream…it was a family hit…thanks natasha for sharing the recipe
You are most welcome, Maryam. That sounds perfect, thanks for sharing that with us!
Can i double this receipe?
Hi Saira, a double recipe should work great!
The cupcakes came out very bitter. I followed the recipe scrupulously. I think the amount of baking powder/soda is excessive. For this amount of flour it should be 1/4 of tsp not 1 and 1/4.
Hi Kate, be sure you are using baking powder and not soda. If you used soda that is likely the culprit since it is 3 times stronger that baking powder.
Hi natasha,its me again i just want to say thank you for sharing your vanilla cupcake and frosting. They are super yum yum.i just tried making them today for my uncle’s bday and oh my gosh everybody loves it! Please keep making more cupcakes. Next week in going to try the vanilla cake and vanilla frosting. So excited here
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me Joy!
Hi Natasha!
I will be trying out this recipe tonight and I just want to make sure of something. I watched your video and it looks like you are only using a half stick of butter but the recipe calls for a full stick of butter. Just want to make sure I’m using the right measurement. Can you please clarify?
Hi Lisa, we most definitely used a full stick. It may be the brand used that looks shorter. We have the full closed butter pack posted.
Hello! Is it ok to use cake flour instead of all purpose?
Hi Jessica, I’ve use cake flour before and it works but they are not as soft.
Hi! I was looking for a vanilla cupcake recipe and came across your website. I read the recipe and watched the video but I am confused since you had this note below the recipe:
“This recipe was first published in June 2012 (below is the original photo). After testing countless batches, we improved the recipe, swapping out oil for softened butter and took out the baking soda to create a super soft crumb. Everyone agrees, these are the best cupcakes. Just read the reviews!”
So which one is the final recipe? I don’t see oil in the list of ingredients or in your video. I hope you can clarify.
Thanks!
Hi JC, the video is the updated version. The printed recipe card is also now the updated and improved version. We only update recipes when we feel they are significantly better and this definitely is. The texture turns out so fluffy, soft and phenomenal. I hope it becomes your new favorite.
Can you bake cupcakes without baking soda or baking powder? If so, could you upload the recipe? Thank you in advance!
Hi Alyson, I haven’t tried that yet to advise.
Hi Natasha,
I would like to make these for a baby shower and was wondering if i could bake the cupcakes and freeze them (before frosting of course, haha)? Thank you.
Hi Denise, you could freeze or refrigerate them. If it’s up to 3 days, I would cover and store in the refrigerator.
Thank you so much for the reply. I plan to make a week ahead so I will freeze them. Do you defrost at room temp or the refrigerator? Does it matter if i frost right away or wait for them to defrost?
Hi Denise, in this case, it doesn’t matter whether you thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. The cupcakes will be the softest at room temperature for serving, so it depends on when you plan to serve them.
Hi Natasha,
Could you please clarify if 3/4 cups of sugar is 150g?
I’m tuning in from Australia 🇦🇺 and our measuring cups are a little different than US. Looking forward to your reply ASAP.
Many thanks in advance
Hi Nataliya, this weight chart should help. When you’re also at the recipe you may click Jump to Recipe and click Metric to convert the ingredients.
Hi Natasha. I would love to know if your vanilla cupcake recipe is ok with adding coloring as one woyld stir colors in after main mixing. Does it not damage the texture. Please advise.😊
Hello Sam, I haven’t tried that to advise but I imagine that should work. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Use gel food coloring
Hi Natasha, have you updated this recipe at all? I wrote down the cupcake recipe back in July 2018 and when I went to use that today, there were so many different things than this current recipe? Or was there a perhaps another recipe before that I can’t find anymore?
Hi Ana, we updated and improved it this year, adding a video tutorial. After testing many batches, this is our best one yet.
HI NATASHA DO YOU LIKE MUG MEALS THEN GO TO BIGGER BOLDER BACKING AND TYPE UP MUG MEALS
Hi Koniah, to be honest, I have not tested mug meals to advise on.
hi natasha, i am excited to make this next week for my uncle’s birthday. however, i want to ask if i can use cake flour instead of all-purpose? thank you.
Hi Joy, I’ve use cake flour before and it works but they are not as soft.
I see… ok thank u for the heads up. I will use all purpose flour then. Thank u very much
could i use normal vanilla instead of pure vanilla extract?
Hi Sumayyah, are you referring to vanilla bean by chance? I have not tested this without using an extract.
Do you think I would be able to add sprinkles and make this a confetti cake?
Hi Emily, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hello Natasha,
I tried this recipe today with the frosting and it turned out delicious! But after i placed them in the fridge, the cupcake harden 😔 I read that I can place them there so I did. Did i do something wrong or missed something with the recipe?
Thank you!! Love watching your videos!!
Hi Bernice, the cupcakes will always be softest at room temperature but they shouldn’t really harden with refrigeration. If you are referring to the frosting and used buttercream frosting, that is normal for the buttercream to harden in the fridge and it will soften as it comes back to room temperature.
Hi,
I have tried your recipe today. The taste was good but the cup cakes didn’t come as fluffy and light weigth. It came as dense. I don’t have any mixer. I mixed everything with my spatula. Where did I go wrong??
Hi Sai, It is most likely due to changing the process of making the batter. It would be difficult to blend the butter and sugar the same way without an electric mixer.
Flavor was good and it was nice and spongy but it was also very dry
Hi Victoria, thanks for your feedback. Did you change anything about the recipe? Also, did you possibly over-bake? I’ve had them taste denser and almost cornbread-like once when I over-baked. Over-mixing could also cause this. I hope that helps!
These are great! Easy to make and simple recipe. I added purple food coloring to have purple cupcakes and I sifted my flour to make it lighter. Turned out great! Thanks for this recipe and will definitely use it again!
Oh wow, I can imagine how beautiful it would look if it’s colored purple. Thanks for sharing your great feedback with us!
No doubt it’s perfect recipe for super soft vanilla Cupcake ( with heavenly taste ). It was difficult to stop on it. Love it. Thanks dear Natasha for This awesome recipe. Stay blessed
You are most welcome! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyd the vanilla cupcakes!
Highly recommend this! Tastes soo good!
Thank you, Sam. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Yum! I made this recipe yesterday, as a cake instead of cupcakes. I used one 8inch pan and baked it for about 30 minutes. I wanted it thick enough to cut in half as a small layer cake. It’s so good! Very light and airy and exactly what I’ve been looking for. I will definitely be making again!
I am so glad that worked well! I also have a Vanilla cake recipe if you want to check it out.
hi natasha, m a complete beginner in baking can u plz tell me if i were to make any flavour cupcakes would dis be the basic recipe for all flavours or how can i make flavoured cupcakes .
Hi Sana, I usually keep this recipe the same and would modify the frostings with different flavors. Check out our cupcake recipes for inspiration.
Hi! Do you have any alternatives for buttermilk?
Hi Angeline, check the post above where I mention how to make it yourself. You just need milk and lemon juice to make a quick buttermilk substitution.
Can I find the old recipe anywhere?
Hi Renee, the best way to look at old versions of a recipe is to go to this site https://archive.org/web/ and paste the URL of the recipe in the search bar. I hope that helps!
It is soo good they are so nice and smooth. I couldn’t make your frosting cause I didn’t have heavy cream. But still delicious.
Our most popular and favorite cupcakes! Thank you for this wonderful review, Isabella!
Hi Natasha!
We absolutely love your cupcake recipe. It turned out perfectly. We will be making them again for my daughter‘s seventh birthday this weekend. I just have two questions for you. First question: should the toothpick come out perfectly clean, meaning no crumbs when checking for doneness? I feel like I often overcook my cupcakes, mostly because it always comes out with little crumbs when I insert the toothpick so I place it back in the oven. Is crumbs, very little ones mean it’s not done? I would assume if it looks wet it isn’t ready, am I right?
Second question: could I add gel food colouring to the icing recipe or would this jeopardize the texture?
Thank you so much!
Hi Jissell, you might have some moist crumbs stick to the toothpick but should not have wet batter on your toothpick. Gel color should be fine. You could put a small amount in a separate dish to see if it is to your liking before applying it to the entire batch of frosting. Our Vanilla Buttercream takes on color really well also.
Hi there,
I have featherweight pipping tool you use. Do you use any connector at bottom? I feel like it doesn’t stay in place. I have it with out it. Once I place frosting it sorta stays lol. Let me know what you use. Thanks
Hi Samantha, sometimes I use the connector but most of the time I just push the tip into the end of the piping bag and it seems to work ok.
What size pipping bag do you use?
This is the piping bag that I used.
i am doing 30 cupcakes can you tell me the measurements for it.
Hi Alicia, at the recipe, you may click “Jump to recipe” and click on the number of servings to adjust the ingredients.
thank you
If I bake and frost the cupcakes the night before and refrigerate them, will they still be soft and moist or will the texture change and become hard and dense?
Hi Christine, they will still be moist and soft. If you want them to be soft, I recommend letting them come to room temperature before serving, but they are also really good right out of the refrigerator.
These cupcakes are delicious, moist, light and airy. There are delicious cupcakes and would diffidently make these again!!! my moms boss’s kid loved them. The only thing that I would note is that I could not find the frosting recipe except for on the video. But other than that it was excellent!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Elijah! We have the frosting recipe linked several times to the recipe blog post but you can also find it HERE.
These were THE BEST in the world. Super moist and fluffy, tastes like a GOOD store bought cupcake! Thank u!
Super! We love your comment and feedback, thank you so much!
Perfect recipe, thank you, the cupcakes were delicious. I used yoghurt as I didn’t have buttermilk.
Hi Roselle, thank you for sharing your wonderful review. It’s great to know that it works well with yogurt as well.
Hi Natasha,
I have made these cupcakes many times in the past and always remember using cake flour and it always came out great. Why has that changed to all purpose flour?
Hi Neepa, I’ve use cake flour before and it works but they are not as soft.
The 5 star reviews on this recipe are well-deserved! First time to bake cupcakes fr scratch and this recipe turned out great! Didn’t have a chance to frost them as husband and I gobbled on most after the cupcakes cooled down. The few left were shared with nephews. Will have to bake this again coz while both nephews enjoyed the cupcakes, they didn’t get to ice and pour sprinkles on them anymore. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us! Stay safe.
You’re welcome Alex! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!!
Natasha–love watching your videos & thank you for sharing so many great recipes! The best recipes are the favorite “tried & true” ones! Have you ever put together a cookbook that would be for sale? You should…I’d be the first to buy a copy!! Let me know!
Thank you for that wonderful feedback Kathy! We have a book in the works! Stay tuned!
They turned out really good Natasha , no disappointment! Thank you
That is wonderful to hear! Thanks for sharing your great review with us.
I do not have buttermilk. What can I do?
And I do not have whole milk, just 2%.
Hi Elmis, check the post above where I mention how to make it yourself. You just need milk and lemon juice to make a quick buttermilk substitution.
Hi..Can use cake flour instead of all purpose flour for this recipe and if so how much..what would be the ratio for the vanilla cupcakes?
Hi Rebecca, I’ve done it and it works but they are not as soft. If you have corn starch and all-purpose flour, you can make your own cake flour easily.
As a vegan I really didn’t appreciate finding out that this recipe uses egg and milk. It is also very hard to find a good cupcake recipe. I and many others would appreciate it if you did a vegan recipe so everyone can go by God’s law and not use animal products.
Thank you for sharing that feedback, Kathy! Have you tried our eggless Chocolate Cake recipe?
You don’t aprecite? Like someone owes you a vegan receipe. Create your own
Delicious recipe! For some reason the cream is too much for 1 batch of cupcakes. Almost enough for 2 batches. I made these twice and I believe the 1st time I had to bake another batch to use up the cream.
This time I made again but forgot about amount of left over cream. So I just eat the cream by itself slowly with tea 😉
Hi Olga, you are correct, the frosting recipe makes enough to frost up to 24 cupcakes and the vanilla cupcakes recipe makes 12 cupcakes. I have the serving size in the recipe card towards the bottom if that helps. I’m glad you enjoyed the cupcakes enough to make them twice! Have a wonderful week.
This is an outstanding recipe. I loved them! My guests loved them!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi! Recipe looks delicious! Can you use a mini cup cake mold? Or the same muffin tray you used in video? Can’t wait to try it! Thanks
Hi Samantha, that should work. It will make 36 mini cupcakes from one batch, just be sure to fill them only halfway and bake mini cupcakes for 10 minutes.
If I make your vanilla frosting will it be alot for mini cup cakes? Extra frosting? Would you cut recipe in half? If so
If so what recipe measurements? Can’t wait to try them! Thanks
Hi Samantha, I haven’t tried that yet to advise on the measurements. You might have to do an experiment on that one. Please let us know how it goes if you try it.
Delicious! I tried these for my sons birthday and they were amazing! I hope to try more of your yummy recipes again!
I hope you do too! Thank you for that lovely review Katy!
Hi Natasha, can I use half of the vanilla batter and convert it to chocolate cupcake batter? Let me know please. Thanks
Hi Lea, I haven’t tested that with chocolate but I think it could work. One of our readers wrote: “It is super moist and fluffy with a light vanilla flavour. After trying out the vanilla cupcakes a few times, I decided to ads a tbsp of cocoa powder for a chocolate cupcake and it still turned out great.” I hope that helps.
My cupcakes ended up sticky instead of moist, and a bit wet, I think it might have been because I used to much buttermilk on accident, but they were ok
Hi Rachel, that could possibly be the cause. Just make sure to follow the right measurements and it should be better next time. Please share with us again how it goes the next time you try it!
please how long will you bake it as 1 cake for? am 12 and i want to try it.
Hi Annah, I have not tried making this into a cake but the original recipe author said that if you double the recipe you can make an eight or 9 inch round cake. It seems as though she kept the baking instructions the same.
Hi Natashia! Can you use this recipe for a cake? Would you double the ingredients? Thanks!
Hello Jodi, check the notes in the recipe on converting this to a cake.
Hey Natasha can I use Greek yoghurt instead of buttermilk? This recipe looks so fascinating, cannot wait to try.
Hi Lakshay, I haven’t teted that with yogurt but I do recommend reading through the comments. One of our readers wrote in: “Just a side note, the reason you need buttermilk (or the vinegar/milk mixture) is because the baking soda will only work if it has an acid to react to, producing bubbles which help your cake rise and get fluffy. Buttermilk has lots of lactic acid in it, you can also easily substitute sour cream or yogurt. Just FYI 🙂 Kefir should work just fine because it does contain lactic acid producing bacteria which ferments the milk much like sour cream or buttermilk!” I hope that helps.
Since the new version of the recipe does not have baking soda (just baking powder) do I need something with acid like buttermilk? With the new version, can I just use whole milk? That’s what I have. I was going to add lemon juice or vinegar to make it a buttermilk substitute, but maybe now I don’t need to? Thanks much
Hi Karen, I haven’t tested this with plain milk. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes.
Hi Natasha…
Love your recipes, they are truly delicious. On these cupcakes, to make them a bit more fun for birthday parties, do you recommend food coloring on the frosting?
Hi Marisa, that should work as long as you don’t go overboard with the food coloring
Hi I tried this recipe twice each time it came out pale, it did not brown. And it was fluffy when i took it our of the oven but went flat. How do I fix that? P.s. the taste was awesome.
Hi Hartlyn, you might check to make sure your leavening is still active.
I’ve been using this recipe for a few years now, and I’m sad to see it was changed. Just wondering why?
Hi Anna, we updated the recipe and posted a new video tutorial. I hope you have a chance to watch the video. I think thew updated recipe is significantly better and I hope it becomes a new favorite for you.
I was so impressed with this recipe! I love that it was for 12 cupcakes instead of 24. However, I’m an avid Aldi shopper and I couldn’t find buttermilk or plain kefir. However, Aldi carries a lemon kefir so I cut the sugar to 2/3 cup and used the lemon kefir. As a foodie, I couldn’t detect any lemon flavor in the cupcakes. Thanks for a great recipe!
That is so great! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, Amy.
Hi! I put the cupcakes into the oven for the allotted time, but they were very pale. I increased the baking time by a 10 minutes, but is this supposed to happen?
Hi Dinah, Ideally, it should not but it may happen when your oven is not calibrated to the correct temperature. These will be a little more on the pale side as you see in the recipe photos. I do recommend using an oven thermometer to make sure it is calibrated.
I want to make them in the mini muffin tins. How long do you think they should go in the oven for?
Hi Sarah, that should work, if I recall correctly, I believe it makes 36 mini cupcakes form one batch, just be sure to fill them only halfway. Also, bake mini cupcakes for 10 minutes.
This recipe is perfect! I tried making two vanilla and chocolate on the same batch (just split the batter in half) and it turned out really good! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy that worked! Thank you for sharing that amazing feedback with us!
I love the original recipe better, can you please add a link on here or just have them both available here I’m dying to make them again, trying to avoid added dairy
Hi Kseniya, the best way to look at old versions of a recipe is to go to this site https://archive.org/web/ and paste the URL of the recipe in the search bar. I hope that helps!
These are amazing! They almost taste like a cupcake sugar cookie. Not too sweet, wonderful flavour. Wow. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Sarah! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
How many does this recipe make?
Never mind, I found the amount. If anyone is wondering it’s 12.
Hello, i love this recipe as i added to it craisins (dried raisins & bluberry) i also grated some lemon skin to it and it came out so fresh and super tasty. You can tell by the smell while its baking in the oven.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Lulu! Thank you for the wonderful review!
12 cupcakes
Can I add flavor to vanilla cupcakes like blueberry
Hi, I haven’t experimented with that but that should work fine to add fruit and different flavorings to this batter.
Hey Natasha! These cupcakes made my mouth water and I want to make them tomorrow for my moms birthday! Is it ok for me to add sprinkles to the batter?? Thanks!
I imagine that should work. Happy Birthday to your mom!
Hi Natasha! Can cake flour be substituted for the all purpose flour? Or would they not turn out as well? Thank you, I love your recipes!
Hi Stephanie, I’ve done it and it works but they are not as soft. If you have corn starch and all purpose flour, you can make your own cake flour easily.
These really are perfect. They are light and fluffy and yet buttery. I have made this thrice in the last ten days and they are a big hit!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Jais!
Made the cupcakes today and both my kids love them! They are just super yummy! Thank you, Natasha for posting this recipe online.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Vivian! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Hi! I am making these cupcakes for a graduation catering, is this recipe going to be ok if I times it by 4.5? Making 54 cupcakes.
Hi Brianne, I bet that much batter would overwhelm the mixer. I would make it in batches of maybe double the recipe at a time. I hope you love this recipe.