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
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
We made these cupcakes and they were absolutely amazing! Can I add sprinkles into the cupcake batter to make it into a confetti cupcake?
Awesome, thanks for the great review! I’m sure that will be a good addition to these cupcakes.
The cupcake was really good, but the icing came out soupy. Any advice?
Hi Brie, there are several factors. It could be because o using too much cream, overbeating the mixture, or using more egg white than necessary. I recommend rewatching the video and making sure that the ingredients were all measured correctly too.
Amazing!!! I am usually not a great baker because I don’t have patience to follow all the steps but this time I did – followed the recipe to a tee and they were absolutely perfect!!
Very nice and great job! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.
Would these cupcakes taste good with oreo frosting?Great cupcakes though i personally dont like vanilla added so i dont put it and it tastes great.
Hi Emma! This recipe is versatile. I think Oreo frosting would be great.
Making these tomorrow! I bought all of the ingredients but forgot buttermilk. 🙁 do you think that it would be possible to substitute it with plain yogurt? It’s a organic brand and pretty runny.
Hi Kristina! I haven’t tested it but that may work. You can also make your own buttermilk with 1 cup milk and 1 tbsp vinegar. Stir and let sit for 5-10 mins until it curdles and its ready to use.
Hello going to try soon. Is it possible to use whole milk instead of buttermilk? Would it make a difference
Hi Misa! Buttermilk gives this the best texture and flavor. You could use whole milk to make your own buttermilk. 1 cup milk and 1 tbsp white vinegar, stir and let sit for 5-10mins until it curdles and its ready.
If I’m using Jumbo cupcake liners/pan what does bake time change to? Thanks
Hi Mo! I have not made this in the jumbo version to advise. You will have to keep an eye on them and start with an extra minute at a time.
Thanks so much Natasha for another amazing recipe!
I am about to make this for my son’s birthday for his classmates. I am wondering is it ok if I double the ingredients to make 24 cupcakes? Or better to do each dozen separately?
Yes, you may double the recipe. If doubling the recipe, I would recommend using the same ingredients without substitutions, otherwise, it’s a guessing game and needs testing.
I usually use a scale to measure how many grams I need when I bake. May I ask how many grams is equivalent to your 1 cup？
Hi Lolo, click on “metric” in the recipe card and you will be able to see the grams.
Hi Natasha
can i substitute the butter with sunflower oil?
Hi Carlyn, I haven’t tested that so I can’t make that recommendation.
Thank you for your response Much appreciated kind regards xx
These were delicious, and I already had all the ingredients — double win! (I used oat milk because it’s what my husband and I drink, and I can report that these still turned out great!). The batter was thick and silky and the cupcakes are dense but moist and soft. Extra tasty with strawberry buttercream frosting!
Perfect timing! Thanks for sharing your experience trying out this recipe, we appreciate it!
I just turned 10 and I made these cupcakes with my mom for my birthday party. They are the best cupcakes I’ve ever made! Thank you for the amazing recipe!
Happy Birthday, Cora! I’m so glad you loved the cupcakes. Thank you for sharing that with me.
My husband and I made these and as he is a diabetic, we used 1/2 Splenda and 1/2 sugar. Our cupcakes turned out dry. Could that be why? The batter looked like the picuture and we baked for 22 minutes. We are new to scratch baking so am curious why they are dry. Any advice?
Hi Keely. I have not tested Splenda in this recipe to know if that could be the cause. The most common reasons for dry cupcakes is using too much flour and overbaking. Be sure to measure your ingredients using this tutorial. I also highly recommend using an internal oven thermometer to check the accuracy of your oven temperature. I hope that helps.
Quick comment – I followed the recipe exactly, and my cupcakes overflowed. I used large sized muffin tins.
Hi Jan, that shouldn’t happen, but I am always happy to help troubleshoot. Did you bake 15 of them and fill them half full? If you overfill them and don’t give them room to rise, they can overflow. Also, if you filled them correctly, are you certain you didn’t switch the baking powder and baking soda measurements? Baking soda is much stronger than baking powder and that could cause a similar situation. I hope that helps for next time!
I made these tonight for work tomorrow. I really didnt think they would turn out because the batter was so thick but they turned out great. So light and moist. I doubled the recipe for 24 cupcakes. I was looking for a vanilla cupcake recipe for so long that i really love. This is it! Thank you Natasha
I’m so glad you found this recipe, Penny! Thank you for the review.
I was craving vanilla cake and chose this recipe because I love buttermilk in baked goods. The only change I made was to swap out the vanilla extract for 1 tablespoon of my homemade vanilla bean paste.
Cake itself is light and fluffy with the finest crumb. Thanks for sharing it.
You’re very welcome, Allie! I’m so glad you enjoyed this cake. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks from an 🇮🇹 italian granma. My 4y grandoughter asked me cupcakes: never did it. I immediately looked out in the web for a real american recipe and chose yours. I made buttermilk with lactose free cooking cream and lemon and added finally whipped egg whites. 👌 really perfect dough
That’s wonderful, Linda! Thank you for sharing that with us. 🙂
What type of butter did you use? For the baking powder did you use 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp?
Hi Elizabeth, I always use unsalted butter unless I state it otherwise. For the baking powder, I used 1 and 1/4 tsp, or 1.25 tsp. I hope you love the cupcakes!
if you use salted butter you might as well just not add salt.
I have tried this recipe several times over the past few weeks with my grandchildren. it’s the best cupcake recipe quick and easy.
That’s wonderful, Pauline! So glad it’s being enjoyed! 🙂
I was trying to make an Ube cake last night and I tried 4 recipes, ran out of ube jam and burned ube powder while trying to hydrate it and I am 7 months pregnant with twins so I was feeling done and sick and tired. So I decided to look up a vanilla cake recipe and just add ube extract and purple food coloring and call it a night and this recipe was amazing for my needs! I tried two vanilla cake recipes, swapped out vanilla for ube extract and I put oil instead of butter because I wanted to save my butter for my frosting. Anyways this recipe came out perfectly purple and dense enough to use for cake and it was such a relief to have found it. Thank you.
Hi Ashley! I am so glad you came across this recipe. Thank you for sharing your experience.
These cupcakes are unreal!! So good!! I just tried one once it cooled and it was so perfectly moist. Only thing I changed is I lowered the temp to 345 and baked for 20 minutes. In the photo, the bottom looks a little dark for my liking so I figured lowering the temp might remedy that. They were perfect, inside and out.
That’s great! Thank you for the feedback and review.
These cupcakes were delicious, I followed the recipe exactly. Baking time in my oven was only 18 minutes!
Glad you enjoyed them, Sherry!
My job has been understaffed for a bit and I’ve been getting a lot of decorating videos on my feed so I decided to treat my coworkers. No feedback from them yet as my second batch is baking right now but these check all the boxes. Simple recipe, easy to make, and delicious. The fun part will be decorating them, but these make the perfect flat tops for something delicate yet intricate.
Hi Shelby! Thank you for the review and feedback. I hope that your coworkers love the cupcakes.
Perfectly most, light, and fluffy!!
Made them mini cupcakes and baked for about ten min 💯🙌🏼
Also added sprinkles for a confetti look 🎉
Thanks for the best recipe!!
Great feedback, Evelyn. Thank you for sharing. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂
Thank you for the information about mini cupcakes and baking time!! 🙂
Baked these for a friend today, put the mix in the pans and then pushed a few choc chips in some of them. The rest, I waited until baked and put a small slit in the top to hid a sour jelly bean! Topped them all with condensed milk frosting.
Hi Sandra, that sounds wonderful!
Followed the recipe.
The only thing I didn’t let set to room temp were the eggs. Turned out dense and a little dry.
Glad I baked them the day before to test them out!
Hi Brittney. This is often due to using too much flour. Be sure to measure your ingredients correctly by viewing this tutorial.
I was looking for a good vanilla cupcake recipe. I tried this one and I LOVE it. I ended up making a second batch and added sprinkles to the batter for a funfetti cupcake. Turned out fabulous. Thanks for the easy and delicious recipe 😊
Hi Cheryl, thank you for your good comments and feedback. Happy to know that you loved these cupcakes!
Been looking for the best vanilla cupcake recipe. Finally got the very best, tried this recipe and it’s everything i love about vanilla cupcakes. Thank you Natasha!
Sounds like you found a new go-to! That’s so great, Amty! Thank you for your wonderful comment!
I was wondering if you have the measurements in grams instead of cups? I prefer to weigh my dry ingredient-much faster! Thanks.
Hi Charis, If you scroll down to our printable recipe card, most of our recipes have a metric conversion option on the printable recipe card. We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes, but it is taking some time to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient! In the meantime, check out our post on measuring which should help.
Hi what is buttermilk? and what is the amount in milliliter?
Great!! They came out absolutely delicious! They were insanely fluffy and the perfect light, airy, cakey(?) Consistency, however, I did have to bake them for about 25 minutes, so a bit longer than it said but still perfect! I put cherry vanilla swirled buttercream on them after they were done, my whole family loved them! Which is quite rare so 10/10 for me! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hi Kayley, love the awesome review! Thank you for sharing that with us and for giving this recipe a perfect rating!
I substituted regular sugar with monk fruit, thinking this is the reason my cupcakes came out dense and dry. Are these cupcakes only moist and fluffy the day you make them? I made them in the evening and the next morning is when I tried one to find that it was dense and pretty dry compared to the box mix that always comes out moist and fluffy and does not turn dense and dry. I baked them in the middle of the oven at 350F for 20 minutes so slightly less than the recommended 22 minutes. I believe I did not overmix the batter but I certainly cannot rule this out. Suggestions?
Hi Regina! I have not tested monk fruit so I am not sure if that was the reason. In general, cupcakes are best on the day they are made, they do start to dry out. But I have enjoyed these for a few days without an issue. Be sure to keep them in an airtight container. A couple of things that could help as well, make sure you are not adding too much flour, you can see our tutorial on how to measure your ingredients, HERE. I also recommend an internal oven thermometer to check that your oven is heating properly and not over-baking your cupcakes. Lastly, I like to bring my cakes and cupcakes to room temperature before I eat them. I’ve noticed it makes a difference. I hope these tips help.
Anyway you can share previous recipe? It was the best! I regret not saving screenshot of it…..
I was worried these would be a little dense & dry because they had extra eggs and all butter. Unfortunately I was right. They aren’t horrible, just not a light cakey texture. More comparable to a pound cake texture.
Hi Crystal. I’m sorry you had that experience. These cupcakes have excellent reviews. Cakes that use butter are generally denser than those made with oil, however, we have had these be moist and fluffy with a soft crumb. Over mixing the batter and using too much flour can cause them to be dense and dry, and over-baking can dry them out. Be sure to watch our tutorial on how to measure your ingredients HERE. I hope these tips help.
Hi Natasha, I love how spunky you are on your videos and they’re just fun to watch. I’ve made these cupcakes a couple of times and I really like them! I plan to make them for my son’s 1st birthday on Sunday too! I have a couple of questions for you. Would it be possible to use the same batter for making a cake? If so, how much of it should I make for a 9″ 2 layer cake?
Second question, when I store these overnight, they tend to get denser. Is there a specific way to store them to avoid this? I have left them on the counter covered by towel for one night and they got denser.
Hi Betty, you might put them into an airtight container once they have cooled to room temperature. Being exposed to the air without being frosted will dry out a cupcake. Also, great news, I have a Vanilla Cake recipe that we made from this cupcake recipe.
I’ve made these vanilla cupcakes a few times to take to a birthday luncheon with tennis friends. They always get rave reviews. Even my friend who claims she doesn’t like sweets loves them! I might try your blackberry icing on them next. Thanks for a great recipe!
That’s so great, Joanne! Thank you for your kind review! I bet the blackberry icing will be great on these cupcakes!
I have been making many of your recipes for about a year now and have loved them all. I have had an irrational fear of baking cupcakes. But these magnificent morsels I made for the first time at Christmas. Spectacular. I haven’t stopped thinking about them and will be bringing them to my daughters for dessert tonight.
Hi Sally! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy my recipes. Thank you so much for sharing.
Is there a reason you don’t use weights in you recipe?
It makes getting it as close to yours as possible. Thanks
Hi Jerry, If you scroll down to our printable recipe card, most of our recipes have a metric conversion option on the printable recipe card. We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes, but it is taking some time to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient! In the meantime, check out our post on measuring which should help.
BEST cupcakes I’ve ever had in my entire life 😁. This was my first time making them as my daughter wanted to bake something so we decided to make cupcakes. EXCELLENT recipe 👍 with basic ingredients.
Great job too for achieving excellent results! Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe and for sharing the results with us.
When I made these cupcakes, they cae out thick and moist. I don’t know if it was the butter or any other ingredients, but thank god it didn’t taste bad!
Hi Lily! By thick, do you mean dense? This is often due to using too much flour or overmixing the batter. Be sure to check out my instructions on How to Measure Ingredients.
Thanks! I remade the cupcakes and they came out perfect! I made them for my neighbors graduation and I got so many compliments!
Hi Lily! That’s great, I’m so glad that was helpful and you were able to remake them and have good results. Thank you for sharing.
I’m making your cupcakes for my sons open house and I really wanna try this frosting but I’m worried cause it’s about 80° out is the frosting gonna melt off the cupcakes??
Hi Debbie! This frosting is whipped with cream cheese and heavy cream, it will not be as stable. If they are refrigerated and get served and eaten right away, it shouldn’t be a problem. But, if they need to sit out, I would recommend using my vanilla buttercream frosting as it holds up better in heat. They still should not be in direct sunlight and it would be best to eat within 1-2 hrs. I hope that helps.
Hello I was wondering if you need to use buttermilk? I don’t have any and I need to make cupcakes now!!! Can I just use the milk and butter for substitute? Thank you!
Hi Lucy, you can make your own buttermilk if you have milk and lemons at home. The ratio I used to make buttermilk was 1 cup to 1 Tbsp fresh lemon. So you will be 1/2 cup of the buttermilk mixture if the recipe calls for 1/2 cup 🙂 I hope that helps.
I saw where you said this recipe was updated switching out oil for batter wish you had shared the old recipe as well because I prefer making cakes using oil.
Hi Nicola, You can always view previous versions of a recipe on this handy internet archive site: https://web.archive.org/web/20191119070343/https://natashaskitchen.com/perfect-vanilla-cupcake-recipe/, just scroll back at least to 2019.
Thanks for a great recipe. I loved it. Can I replace the butter with oil?
Hi Nicola, you might try extra light olive oil which is my go-to for baking and most of my cooking. I haven’t tried that specific substitution here though, so I can’t speak to that. Substitutions may hinder the recipe outcome.
Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Can I replace plain kefir with vanilla kefir.
Hi Mikki, I havne’t tested that myself. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Didn’t feel like making cupcakes and wanted a cake so I used this recipe and made a sheet cake then layered it with the icing between the layers and it is so good. Icing was perfect. I put whipped cream in refrigerator till I was ready for it.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Beverly!
Wish the original recipe was left up. With substituting the canola oil in the original with a healthier oil they were AMAZING! These are good but definitely can only eat the day you bake since they get dry and crusty the next day. My kids always ask for the original ones over these.
Hi Natasha! I would like to decorate these but need a flat top cupcake. What do you recommend so that I don’t get a slight dome shape? Maybe a lower temp?
Also, I suspect the person who said that she saw 1/2 a stick in the video instead of 1/2 a cup was confused by the appearance of the brand of butter that you bought. When I buy Trader Joes butter the sticks are wider and shorter but when I buy Land O Lakes, the butter sticks are more narrow and longer.
Thanks!
Hi Meghan! Thank you for the feedback. As for the cupcakes, I have not personally tested this to advise. Generally baking at a lower temperature for longer can help get flat cupcakes, however, this can also result in a denser, dryer cake. You’d have to experiment with it and it really also depends on the way your oven bakes. Good luck! Let us know your results.
Good Day!
How do you do?
A question from a beginner if that’s okay? If I want to make a batch of 1&½ cup flour (combination of oil and softened butter)
Would 1&½ tsp baking powder (or ¾tsp / 2tso?) + ¾ cup Laban instead of buttermilk (not available here) be okay?
50g softened butter
¼ cup oil
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1&½ cup flour
1&½ (?) tsp baking powder
1tbsp vanilla essence
¾ cup Laban
Are the amounts okay I would be thankful for your help! Apologies for the bother!
HI, I really haven’t tested that combination so I am not able to advise on that.
I was very excited to try this recipe based on the reviews. I doubled the recipe for my daughter’s high school graduation. They came out very dry & dense. I looked back over the recipe to see if I missed something. I noticed that the recipe is written for 1/2 cup softened butter which would be one whole stick. After watching the recipe video I see that she only used half a stick of butter for the recipe but referred to it as 1/2 a cup. If that is the case I used 1 extra stick too many when I doubled the recipe. If it does actually call for only 1/2 a stick of butter please update the written recipe. That is the only thing I caught that wasn’t accurate. I followed everything to a t.
Hi Jennifer, I’m not sure where you saw 1/2 stick of butter, I re-watched the video and I added a full stick of butter or 1/2 cup in the video and also said 1/2 cup of butter. Can you let me know where you saw half a stick written out so I can correct it? 1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter is correct. Did you add the ingredients in the order listed, alternating the liquid ingredients as directed? Also, make sure to double the leavening as well and make sure that baking powder isn’t expired. One tip for troubleshooting is to watch the video and see where your batter started to look different. Also, make sure to bake on conventional mode and not convection oven mode which would overbake them with the same timings. I hope that helps!
Hi Natasha,I’ve tried many of your recipes they were amazing so I tried these and they were perfect they are so easy that I,a 12 year old made 70 of this for my school bake sale but there was just one problem it had really pungent egg scent even though I didn’t cook it in a outdoor draft area.So,next time I make it is there any way I can avoid it and is there a egg substitute.
Hi Karina, I haven’t had that experience. Did you possibly have the cupcakes cooking in a drafty area? Some people (like myself) are bothered by an amplified eggy smell when baked goods cool in outdoor draft, although that is usually more with sponge cakes and meringues that are mostly egg-based. Did the cupcakes bake long enough?
I absolutely cannot stand baking, but bit the bullet to make freeze-ahead cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday party. These were so easy. I quadrupled the recipe and ended up having to add extra buttermilk to thin the batter, but they turned out perfectly.
That’s wonderful, Sarah! Thank you for sharing your experience.
Great tasting cupcakes, do they freeze well without icing as it doesn’t mention that option in storage ?
Hi Kathy, you could freeze or refrigerate them. If it’s up to 3 days, I would cover and store it in the refrigerator. I haven’t tried freezing with the frosting, though, so I’m not 100% sure on how that works, but I would store them in the freezer in an air tight container or or a ziplock freezer bag. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes.
I made these for my son’s 3rd birthday….and we’ll just say that it’s only lunchtime and they’re halfway gone!! They turned out perfect, and I topped them with your buttercream frosting. I don’t normally keep buttermilk in the fridge, so I just substituted milk and vinegar. Yummy and super easy!
That’s awesome, so happy to know that the recipe was a huge hit! Thank you for sharing that with us.
These are wonderful immediately after baking, great taste and texture. However, even if they sit for 9 hours they turned dense and a tad bit dry (stores covered). Again really great if serving immediately but to sit and serve later they still taste good but the texture completely changed.
I love these cupcakes, if I am serving them right away, the taste and texture are perfect. However, when I make them the night before, cover and serve the next day, they tend to get sort of dense and a tad bit drier. Not really sure why, have never had that happen before but again if served right away they are fantastic.
Best vanilla cupcakes ever. I bake these all the time. My daughter just love them. Thank you Natasha for this awesome recipe.
That’s wonderful to hear! I’m glad this is your go-to recipe for vanilla cupcakes, thank you for sharing.
Hi this is my favorite cupcake recipe but the other day I made and they turned out very eggy any tips on how to avoid that?
Hi Gemma, I haven’t had that experience. Did you possibly have the cupcakes cooking in an outdoor drafty area? Some people (like myself) are bothered by an amplified eggy smell when baked goods cool in outdoor draft, although that is usually more with sponge cakes and meringues that are mostly egg-based. Did the cupcakes bake long enough?
Can i use self rising flour? If so how will that change the recipe?
Hi Allie, I haven’t tested self rising flour so I can’t really say without trying it first. I do know it works well with Canadian all-purpose flour and cake flour. I have an easy tutorial linked in this post for how to make cake flour; all you need is flour and corn starch.
I did this last week, and am about to make another batch in a few minutes! I used self rising flour, salted butter, and omitted the baking soda and salt. It came out great and there were less steps to keep track of.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Renee!
Perfectly moist, fluffy and melts in the mouth. The best vanilla cupcakes recipe I’ve come across after trying a whole bunch that simply always lacked something. Thank you so much Natasha my search stops here!
That’s wonderful, Kay! Thank you so much for sharing.
I made these twice, they were sooo dry I refused to gift them to people!!!
Hi Carolyn, I’m sorry to hear that. These cupcakes have excellent reviews. Common reasons they can be dry are overbaking and using too much flour. If you’d like to attempt them again, I recommend watching our tutorial on how to measure ingredients. You may also check your internal oven temperature with this thermometer, if your oven runs hot, you may need to adjust the temperature or baking time. I hope this helps.
They were probably the best batch of cupcakes I have ever tastes they came out so evenly and I am only 11 and make them on my own!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Aubrey!
I made these for the son’s second birthday and they came out amazing. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome! Happy Birthday to your son!
My god I accidently did a bit of mistakes, but these cupcakes are delicious. Thanks for helping.
Oh no, what happened? I hope you’ll be able to still make it work.
Hello,
This may seem silly to ask but is the buttermilk cultured? I am not familiar with it and working on my grocery pickup order.
Thanks!
Courtney
Hi Courtney. buttermilk is a fermented dairy and most buttermilk is cultured. If you have trouble finding this, you can make your own buttermilk using 1 tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk.
Is there a recipe for frosting? I couldn’t find it on this recipe, and I really would like frosting for this treat
Hi Renegade, we have this frosting recipe linked in the recipe, but you can also find it HERE.
Yes there is, here’s the Cupcake Frosting Recipe.
Definitely the most delicious cupcakes ever! Thank you so much for sharing 💜
Love if, thanks for the awesome feedback!
Could I successfully double this recipe?? I will be making 24 cupcakes at a time
Yes, you may double the recipe. If doubling the recipe, I would recommend using the same ingredients without substitutions, otherwise, it’s a guessing game and needs testing.
Will all of these cupcakes turn out good if i turn up the recipe to 24 cupcakes instead of 12? Or will it mess the cupcakes up?
This recipe makes exactly 12 cupcakes, you will need to double the recipe to make 24.
Can I add lowfat 1% buttermilk? Can’t find the full fat at my grocery store.
Hi Haiqa, I haven’t tried this with 1% buttermilk. Any substitutions may hinder the outcome of the recipe. If you happen to experiment with this, please let me know how you like that.
Amazing!!!! So light and fluffy. My mom loved it, deserves a five star rating.
Awesome! Thank you for the five stars and great feedback.
The best cupcakes I’ve ever eaten! I was bored at home with my friend and we didn’t have much stuff to bake with. So we decided on a classic. Vanilla Cupcakes! We searched the web for recipes with basic ingredients and good reviews and we decided this was the best one. I never thought the best cupcakes I was going to eat would be the ones I’ve baked.I used Betty Crocker Vanilla Icing, I was scared it would ruin the cupcakes. but it also tasted amazing with it. And we didn’t have buttermilk so we just added some lemon juice and it was amazing! 100% making this again.
Hello Suki, nice one! I’m glad it turned out great, thank you for sharing that with us.
Look so yummy! Does the frosting tastes more like cream cheese or can you taste the vanilla?
Hi Lilth, the taste is just right. Not too much of the vanilla and cream cheese. I hope you can try this!
Best cupcakes ever!!!
Light, fluffy, moist. Can’t get enough. Thank you thank you
Love from South Africa
Thank you for the awesome feedback, Jenny!
Can we omit the egg yolk to make the cupcakes white not yellowish
Hi Saosan, I have not tried that to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
hi there , i was wondering do you have to use buttermilk ?
i making these for easter and i only have whole milk will this work ?
thanks so much.
Hi Elsie, the combination of softened butter and buttermilk creates an amazingly soft cupcake crumb. You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tbsp white vinegar to 1 cup of milk.
Driest cupcake I have ever made in my 5 years of baking. I was looking for a new recipe to tweak for my cupcakes, and have a different for cupcakes vs cakes. And this is by far the driest ones compared to my novice baking days even
I’m sorry you had that experience. These cupcakes have excellent reviews. Dry cupcakes could be a result of using too much flour or overbaking. Be sure you are measuring your ingredients correctly. I also recommend an internal oven thermometer. Your oven may run a little hot causing them to bake faster and dry out so you may need to adjust your oven temperature or baking time.
You are so fun to watch. I’m making your chocolate cupcakes tomorrow and wondering if this frosting pairs well with them. They’re going to be bunnies so I want a white frosting.
Thanks so much
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Liz
I’m hoping to make one large “cupcake” in a large 5 oz ramekin (3.5″ x 1.5″) for my daughter’s smash cake. How long would you recommend I bake it?
Hi Melanie, I havne’t tried those substitutions so I can’t speak to that, but maybe our Vanilla Cake would be a better alternative? If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi! I made these cupcakes and they came out very good, but the last few times I made these, they were dense. Is there anything I should do to fix this?
Hi Riley, 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. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup. I hope that helps; it’s hard to say without being there.
Natasha coming in clutch for my Ukrainian Bake sale. Outstanding cupcakes, FINALLY A RECIPE THAT ACTUALLY WORKS THAT I DON’T HAVE TO WASTE TIME TWEAKING.
I hope they’re a hit, Dort! Thank you for your fantastic review!
Loved this recipe! But I did notice the cupcakes get a bit hard with refrigeration. But other than that, it was tasty. 🙂
Thank you for sharing, Paula.
Hi Natasha, thank you for this recipe! I am so excited to give it a try tomorrow for my neighbour’s 70th birthday party.
I just have two questions:
1) Can I use margarine (70% fat content) instead of butter?
2) Can I double this recipe to make 24 cupcakes? If yes, do I beat it for the same amount of time?
Hi Dee, you’re welcome. I have not tried using margarine to advise. Yes, you may double the recipe. If doubling the recipe, I would recommend using the same ingredients without substitutions, otherwise, it’s a guessing game and needs testing.
Hi Natasha, I love your recipes 😊 I have a question, do you have the old recipe of these vanilla cupcakes?
The best way to look at old versions of a recipe is to go to this site and paste the url of the recipe in the search bar. I hope that helps!
Just to experiment can I add vanilla pudding to the mixture to bring out the vanilla taste more?
I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe, Cree!
Hi Natasha! Quick question – can any extra unfrosted cupcakes be frozen for later use and if so, what’s the best way to freeze them?
Thanks!!
Marianne
Hi Marianne, you could freeze or refrigerate them. If it’s up to 3 days, I would cover and store it in the refrigerator. I haven’t tried freezing with the frosting, though, so I’m not 100% sure on how that works, but I would store them in the freezer in an air tight container or or a ziplock freezer bag. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes.
Hi, Natsha! I made these cupcakes and they came out heavy. The bread was dense. Can you tell me what I did wrong? Maybe mixed to long or speed of mixer too high? Please help!
Hi Anna, 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. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup. I hope that helps; it’s hard to say without being there.
Thank you! Im pretty sure I followed the recipe. I’m going to give it another try cause its possible I over baked. Cupcake frosting was amazing though!!!
Natasha, my cupcakes came out delicious the second time around. I’m not sure what I did wrong the first time. They are filled with flavor and so fluffy! Definitely making them for Easter you!
I’m so happy it all worked out Anna! That’s so great!
Hi Natasha!
First off every single recipe of yours is my husbands FAVORITE and he is very picky. So thank you! ❤️
2nd, we live in Colorado so I was wondering if you think we would need to change anything for high altitude?
Thanks so much!
Wow! That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Brittnei! I don’t have experience with high-altitude baking but you can find more tips on High Altitude Baking HERE.
Great recipe!
Do you think I could add fresh strawberries to the cupcake batter before cooking?
Hi Maria, I haven’t really tested that to advise but feel free to do an experiment. If you give that a try, please share with us how it goes.
I tried this recipe, the flavour was perfect but my cake sunk in the middle, the top was sweet and moist and the edges were hard.
Hi Kezia, Do you happen to live in a high-altitude area? For some reason, this recipe doesn’t bake up as well in high altitudes. Also, did you measure the baking soda and powder exactly? I ask because my sister’s came out sunken once and she admitted that she “eyeballed” the ingredients. lol. I’m not saying you would, but it’s the only other thing I could think of.
Hi Natasha
I have just a small question for you 😅 about the recipe and now am little bit confused about the buttermilk in the video you say 1a1/2 buttermilk and on the recipe written at text only 1/2 cup .
which is the correct one?
Please let me know I was to start doing and now am not sure from buttermilk how much .
Thx
Regards
Djordje
P.s:You are amazing 🤩
Hi that me again can you please cancel this comment am so stupid I realised that correct 1/2 cup not more .
Sorry for that 😅
Regards
Djordje
No worries at all!
Hi Djordje, we used 1/2 cup buttermilk!
The best cupcake recipe ever! They came out delicious, vey light and moist, this will be my recipe to go! Thanks from Israel!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipe!
Hi I made these cupcakes and these where delicious. Can I use this recipe for a cake also and like what size cake would it make thanks
Hi Shalima, so glad you liked it! I actually have a Vanilla Cake recipe here that you can use.
I tried this recipe with almond milk instead of buttermilk (Allergies :/) and it turned out amazing!
Thank you, Sarah, for sharing that with us. I am so glad it worked out and that is great to know.
Hi Natasha.
Do you think I could use Greek yogourt instead of buttermilk?
I have yet to get a perfect vanilla cupcake that’s fluffy and delicious.
Hi Jane, I haven’t tried that substitute, but one of my readers mentioned that it works well in the comments. I recommend reading through them to see if you can find more tips on the yogurt substitute! 🙂
I made this recipe and they were indeed very nice. I used sour milk in place of buttermilk
Thank you so much for the wonderful review!
I found these cupcakes to be too dense. I like cupcake to be light and fluffy with a moist crumb. These were dense, reminded me of a texture closer to a pound cake than an actual cupcake. Flavor was fine but won’t be making these again.
Hi Karen, did you possibly add too much flour or change any ingredients? Check out our post on how to measure ingredients for baking which may help.
Looks delicious!Can you substitute eggs with anything else? Egg beaters or applesauce?
Hi Cindy, I honestly haven’t tried any substitute for eggs to advise. I don’t see any comments below too that they used any substitute.
Is their something else you can use instead of butter milk or kefir?
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.
I have a friend that is allergic to dairy in their cupcakes. Can you substitute almond milk for buttermilk?
Hi Eva, I don’t know of any non-dairy substitutes, maybe others can share if they have successfully tried something else? You can also check the comments section below if someone else has tried it.
How many cupcakes does this make? I’m accustomed to seeing that listed at the top of recipes. Thank
Hi Emily, we have that listed at the top of the printable recipe card. This recipe makes 12 cupcakes. I hope this helps!
Hi! I made your recipe, but I replaced a couple of ingredients. First, I used all purpose gluten-free flour. Second, instead of buttermilk or kefir, I used Chobani blueberry yogurt. All in all, I ended up with delicious gluten free blueberry muffins. They turned out great! Thanks!
I’m so happy to hear it all worked out, Tricia! Thank you for sharing that with me!
I have your “perfect vanilla cupcake” recipe printed from 2015 (printed bc I must have loved it!). This Recipe is exactly the same except for the butter. Mine has 1/2 c oil instead of 1/2 c butter. We don’t like too much of a butter flavor. Just wondering why you changed it? I may do 1/4 & 1/4. Have you don’t that?
HI Diane, we found the texture to be better with the update. We only update when we feel it is a significant improvement. I’m so glad you love the cupcakes!
I made this recipe, and unfortunately the cupcakes were inedible. 2 tsp of vanilla is way too much and overpowered the whole thing.
Very disappointed.
Hi Claire, I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve never had that experience. Could it be the type of extract that you used? You can always use less as some can be more potent than others.
Hi Natasha,
What will be the baking time and temperature if I make these into mini cupcakes?
Hi Avi, I haven’t tried making a mini version of these cupcakes. I recommend checking out the other comments as others share how they made these into mini cupcakes!
Oh I tried with mini cupcakes and I just did what the recipe said which is 350° and baked them for 15 minutes. My oven is strong so depending on your oven it’s around 15-20 minutes at 350°. My cupcakes came out so good and so soft. You should really try it.
I’ve made these cupcakes 3 times…twice with the vanilla frosting and once with the chocolate buttercream frosting. My family likes vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting and chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting. To be honest you can’t go wrong no matter what, it’s a personal preference. I will say IF you follow each step exactly as instructed you will LOVE these! These are my go to vanilla cupcakes!! Everyone loves them! Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you for your thoughtful review, Vivian!
Do you think the icing could be made with Nutella instead of cream cheese? I need a Nutella icing recipe. Thanks.
Hi Helene, I haven’t tested that but if you happen to experiment, I’d love to know how you like that!
Hi Natasha! I made these cupcakes, and they turned out awesome! Instead of making ‘cupcakes’, I made the dough into cake pops! They were amazing!! Thank you so much!
(PS: My name is Isabela, and I love all your recipes! I have been a long time subscriber, too! I am 14 years old :)) I am a huge supporter of your business, and you inspired me! Now I own a home-bakery. (And by the way, I am Russian😊) Thank you!!)
Hi Isabela, nice to know that it was awesome as cake pops too! Thank you for sharing that with us, that is so useful.
beautiful flavour and texture! And they rose so perfectly too, will definitely be using this recipe again in the future!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Manu!
I love the cupcakes I make them a lot and my family loves it thanks for the amazing recipe
By the way, I’m 11 and u explain really well
Wow! That’s amazing, keep it up. I am so happy your family enjoys these cupcakes.
Do you have any gluten free cake recopies? very hard to find and expensive Thanks you
Hi Linda, my Almond Cake is gluten-free and so is the chocolate souffle recipe.
These cupcakes are the best!!! Yesterday I tried a different cupcake recipe… and it was a horrible fail – I had to throw them out. (Part of it was my fault…the butter was not at room temperature.) So I was determined to find and bake a better cupcake and came upon your recipe. I was specifically looking for one that didn’t use vegetable oil. I carefully followed the directions and oh my, they are delicious and the texture is PERFECT! I never have to use a box mix again!
Thanks for trying out this recipe, Peggy. I’m glad you loved it! Thank you so much for your awesome comments and feedback.
I had really high expectations for this one as it has very high reviews. But the cupcakes were dry and crumbly even though I followed the recipe as per instructions.
The frosting recipe was good though and saved it from going into dustbin.
I’m sorry to hear that. One of the most common reasons for dry cake/cupcakes is overbaking or using too much flour. Flour settles easily and becomes tightly packed in its container. Make sure you’re not scooping up packed flour, fluff it up a bit beforehand using a large spoon, then spoon the flour into your measuring cup and scrape off the excess making it level by using the back of a butter knife. I would also check the cupcakes a couple of mins earlier, as soon as a toothpick comes out clean, they are done! I hope this helps.
Hi I finished the batter but it looks really seperated will it be okay after baking it or do I have to start over. Please tell me what I didi wrong.
Hi Stella, it can look a little grainy if the temperature of the ingredients was a little too cool. I have had that happen and it still worked well in the end product.