Perfect Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
You have to try this vanilla cupcake recipe! This is the first cupcake recipe I’ve posted. Ever! I’ve posted muffins but not a true cupcake. I guess I’ve been waiting to discover this. My sister Alla introduced me to this recipe. She’s made it several times and each time it was perfect (naturally, if I eat at least 3 cupcakes, I request the recipe).
The original dough recipe is from Glorious Treats who tested scores of cupcakes before arriving at this fantastic and truly perfect cupcake recipe. She has also recommended cake flour for best results.
I decorated these beauties with raspberries or halved strawberries and basil leaves and the colors were so striking and lovely. They went fast at the baby shower. I suspect people ate more than one because not everyone had a chance to try them (and there were 45 since I tripled the recipe!). I don’t blame you for sneaking multiples ;).
P.S. F.Y.I. Readers who live in high altitude areas have reported that the cupcakes don’t rise as well in high altitudes.
PPS. According to the original recipe author, you can create a 9″ cake out of this recipe. I have not tested this but several readers have reported good results turning it into a cake. You would need to double the recipe for two 9-inch cake layers.
Servings: Makes 15 regular-sized cupcakes
Ingredients for Vanilla Cupcake Recipe:
1 1/4 cups cake flour *measured correctly (Watch How to Make Cake Flour) or Canadian all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup canola oil (vegetable or extra light olive oil also work)
1/2 cup buttermilk or plain kefir
Click here for the Best Cupcake Frosting Recipe (as photographed here), or try this new Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
How to Make the Best Vanilla Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 °F and line a cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners.
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups cake flour (or Canadian flour), 1 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Set flour mix aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 2 eggs with the whisk attachment on medium speed (15-20 seconds).
3. Add 3/4 cup sugar and continue to beat on medium speed (30 seconds).
4. Add vanilla and oil and beat on medium speed (1 minute)
.
5. Reduce mixer speed to medium/low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture, mixing until incorporated. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk. Beat until just combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed. The batter will be thin.
6. Pour batter into a lined muffin pan. I use a level ice cream scoop for even measuring. Fill liners to about 1/2 full (do not over-fill).
7. Bake for 12 -14 minutes at 350 °F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. My oven takes 14 minutes. Let them cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then remove. Note: if baking mini cupcakes, bake 10 minutes.
Once the vanilla cupcakes are cooled to room temp, pipe on the frosting. I used this amazing cupcake frosting recipe. When piping on the frosting, I didn’t have the right frosting tip so I just used the coupler and made about circles working from the outside in. It was perfect and super easy!
P.S. Use lots of frosting. No one likes a gimpy cupcake.
Perfect Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups cake flour or Canadian all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or plain kefir
Instructions
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 cake flour (or Canadian flour), 1 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Set flour mix aside.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 2 eggs with the whisk attachment on medium speed (15-20 seconds).
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Add 3/4 cup sugar and continue to beat on medium speed (30 seconds).
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Add vanilla and oil and beat on medium speed (1 minute)
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Reduce mixer speed to medium/low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture, mixing until incorporated. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk. Beat until just combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed. The batter will be thin.
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Pour batter into a lined muffin pan. Fill to about 1/2 full (Do-Not overfill)
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Bake for 12 -14 minutes at 350 °F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then remove. Once the cupcakes are cooled to room temp, pipe on the frosting.
Recipe Notes
A note about the flour: all-purpose works, it just doesn't produce a cupcake quite as soft as cake flour or Canadian Flour.
P.S. Thank you all for trying this recipe and making it so popular! We’ve had to turn the comments off on this one after reading 1,231 of your amazing comments and reviews. Thank you all for trying this recipe and sharing it with the people you love ❤.
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This recipe didn’t work for me, it started out good but when I took it out of the oven it sunk down. I was disappointed because I’m positive I followed every instruction. The cupcake itself was eggy, and had some holes in it. any tips?
Hi Livia, is there a chance you might have swapped the baking powder with baking soda? My sister has done that before and had the same results. I hope that helps to troubleshoot!
I have never been so grateful for a series of posts that I am for these *right now.* such a perfect recipe of vanilla cupcake.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Elon!
Hello Natasha I truly love this recipe hands down its the best vanilla cake I’ve tasted thus far. I have once changed the vanilla extract to strawberry and added pink coloring to it to create a layered cake, it was amazing. Now I have a strawberry two layered half sheet cake request… so my question is how many times should I multiple the batter to full the half sheet pan? Or do you have another wonderful recipe that I can use for the strawberry sheet cake?
How cool! Thank you for sharing your strawberry version with us!
Hi, I was going to make these, but I couldn’t find any vanilla beans. Do I need to add them?
Hi Lilly! If you don’t have vanilla beans to make your own vanilla, vanilla bean paste or extract will do. Hope this helps!
The easiest and most perfect cupcake recipie. Thanks Natasha!
Thank you for this amazing review!!
Hello, can you substitute the oil for unsalted butter?? If so how much?
Thanks😊
Hi there! I haven’t tested butter with this recipe so I can’t really recommend it. My experience with butter in certain cupcake recipes is that it tends to make them firmer, especially after refrigeration. This is why I prefer oil over butter for cupcakes.
This recipe turns out so beautifully! the cupcakes are perfect!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Blandine!!
I make these.all the time. Always a hit. I pair the vanilla cupcake with a dulce de leche cream cheese icing. Or sometimes I take out 2 tbsp of flour and replace it with 2 tbsp pumpkin spice and top it with cinnamon cream cheese icing! Yum!
Could you convert this revipe to a chocolate cupcake?
That sounds amazing! I haven’t tested that 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.” Thank you for sharing this great review with us!
Hello! I absolutely loved this recipe! It’s my absolute favorite vanilla cupcake recipe however they turned out a bit salty… it also amazed me they tasted so buttery when there was no butter in them!
Hi Anna. I didn’t notice that they were salty but you can cut down on the salt without negatively affecting the recipe. I’m happy that was the case, many readers used butter instead to allow a more buttery flavor! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I would love to make these for a bridal shower. Do you think I should make them and freeze or make the batter and freeze it?
Thanks much!
Hi Joy! I haven’t tried freezing them, but they should freeze well before adding the frosting
Hey, could I use vegetable oil instead of canola oil, if not then what other substitutes could I use?
Hi Tatyana! Yes it sure can!
Hey dear! The recipe is amazing, frosting and all! Can I put the berries and basil on tonight for a wedding shower in the morning or will it bleed in to the frosting? Thank you!
Hi Natalie! These can be stored for 2-3 days ahead in the fridge. After being washed berries don’t last that long in the fridge and the moisture may cause them to bleed a bit. I would recommend adding those as late as you can so they fresh and crisp.
These cupcakes are awesome, never thought about using oil instead of butter, great recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Hey Natasha, George here! I was just wondering if i can use just plain all pourpose flour instead of Canadian or cake flour! Thank you in advanced! <3 :)(:
Hi George, 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. 🙂
George thanks you very much!
Hi Natasha,
I’m from Australia and haven’t heard of Canadian flour.
So what is the ratio of the corn starch colour and all purpose flour?
Hi Thi, here is our recipe for how to make cake flour.
I had just made those cupcakes and they were delicious and fluffy!
My kids loved it!
Thank you so much!!!!
That’s so great, Patricia! I’m so happy you all enjoyed that!
Hey! Mine came out super moist and fluffy but almost like they had a sweet corn muffin taste/consistency… Is that what they are supposed to be like or if not any idea what I may have done wrong? Thank you for the recipe!!
I figured out my mistake! Going to try again! 😂🤣
Hi Selena, did you change anything about the recipe? Also, did you possibly over-bake? I’ve had them taste more dense and almost cornbread-like once when I over-baked. Over-mixing could also cause this. I hope that helps!
I made these today for my great grand daughter’s 4th birthday party tomorrow. I made a double recipe and made 1/2 in white, then to the rest of the batter I added 1 TBSP cocoa powder and they are delicious as well. They rise beautifully and are so light and delightful. This will be my go to recipe from now on.
Hi Betty! Sounds like you found a new favorite! Thank you for sharing this wonderful review with us!
Love how these turned out; would like to make chocolate ones with the same ingredients, but not sure how to go about it, looked at your chocolate recipes but I can’t have coffee.
Hi Maryanne, I haven’t tested that 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.”
Hi I made these cupcakes today and It taste great. One issue is the cupcakes are rising in the oven but deflated and ugly once cooled.
What could be wrong?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Yvonne, I haven’t had that happen before – did you use a conventional oven (not convection) and also make sure the baking soda and baking powder weren’t switched – I’ve done that before and my cupcakes ended up concave in the center. I hope that helps!
Definitely going to try this recipe ! Looks yummy
Thank you for that wonderful compliment! Enjoy!
My two little ones had been asking to do some baking for the past 2 days, finally I gave in and instead of making our go to choc cupcake recipe I decided to google “quick, easy, plain cupcake recipe ” and found this recipe. My 5 year old daughter, 3 year old son & I gave this recipe a go and ohhh my goodness, not only is this recipe quick and easy this is the most delicious, light, soft cupcake we/I have ever made, this is our new favorite cupcake and we will be making this all the time. Thank you for sharing. Happy Tummies
Ivy, Luke and Mum (New Zealand)
Aww that is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great! Thank you for the wonderful review and sharing that with us!
I tried to follow this recipe but I have the impression I made a mistake because my cupcakes taste eggy, has anyone experienced this?
Hi Kriz, I haven’t had that experience. It could be due to a substitution or change in the recipe? It’s difficult to say without being there.
Hi. I have made a lot of different cupcake recipes over the years and this one was by far the best. Thank you for sharing yours with us.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Can this recipe be used to make a cake when doubled?
Hi Marakie, yes 🙂 I have a note on that towards the top of the recipe post.
So I baked these for a school assignment, but I realized that I actually didn’t need them today, more rather, I needed them for next week. How can I save these cupcakes? Or should I just use this batch for something else and make a new one for when I actually need it?
Hi Sitapa, I haven’t tried this yet, but they should freeze well before adding the frosting.
Oh my goodness. The BEST cake ever! At the last minute this morning, I made a 9 in cake for my (surprise;) 3rd baby’s 1st Birthday party today with this recipe and it was to die for! I had already made 24 cupcakes, but I wish I had made cupcakes with this recipe instead of King Arthur’s Chocolate Cake mix (GF)- not that the cake box mix is bad but it’s not as pure as this. I used my favorite Cup4Cup Gluten Free flour that I always use when baking or cooking, and you would never know it’s GF. Also didn’t have buttermilk, so used sour cream and water in place of buttermilk. I have bookmarked this page!!
Thank you Alisha, for such a nice review and for sharing your version of the recipe 😀
can i use veg. oil instead of canola oil?tnx
Hi Cecille, yes a vegetable oil will work.
Just made these almost exactly and they were delicious! Used regular flour instead as I didn’t have cake flour or corn starch. Made them into little Minnie Mouse cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday. Frosting was light and yummy but not as stiff as I had wanted.
Hi Anny, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! For the frosting, it helps if the ingredients aren’t overly softened and also to beat your cream straight out of the fridge while it is chilled until it is stiff and spreadable. If you start folding in the whipped cream while it is too soft, the frosting will also be soft. I hope that helps for next time! 🙂
Thank you so much for the amazing recipe, I loved them. I was just wondering if you could freeze the batter for latter, and if you can how would you do that. thank you 🙂
Hi Julie, I honestly have not tried freezing the batter so I’m not sure if it would work. I wish I could be more helpful with that, but I don’t know if the leavening would still work after freezing and thawing. It’s usually best to bake soon after the mixture is combined.
I froze another cake batter and the cupcakes came out great.
So happy to hear that, Kathleen!
Can you use yoghurt instead of buttermilk/kefir?
Hi Anneke, one of my readers, Anna, wrote in with the following helpful review: “you can also use plain yougurt thinned with water. This was an amazing recipe-my cupcakes have never been stellar, but this was an incredibly delish cupcake. Thank you!”
Made these a couple of days ago and they were delicious!!!!!
Yay, I’m happy to hear you enjoy the recipe Lena! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Natasha,
I have made this as cupcakes/layered cakes countless times and always turned out wonderful.
I have got some caramel flavouring (store bought) lying around and wondering if I can use this in place vanilla. Would you think it will be overpowering if I use the same amount as Vanilla Extract?
Hi DS, I haven’t tried adding caramel flavoring instead of vanilla but I think it would be worth experimenting. You might google substituting vanilla with caramel flavoring. I haven’t tried that product so I can’t give any specific advice on it.
Living here in Colorado you have to altitude adjust anything that requires baking soda or baking powder. I altitude adjust mine and they come out just right. It’s a learning process, something I had to learn as I’m from Texas.
I’m glad the recipe is a success! Thanks for sharing your helpful review! 🙂
The best vanilla cupcake recipe that I have found. Thank you for sharing.
Wow, that’s quite the compliment! I’m glad you love the recipe Alice, thanks for sharing!
Made these cupcakes and they were amazing! Everyone had positive things to say about them. Would this batter still produce the same light fluff texture if it were made into a cake? Can it be used for a 6″ three tier cake? If so, how long would I bake the layers for?
Hi Paige, 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.
I’ve always been searching for the Perfect Vanilla Cupcake. But all turn out to be either not enough flavour, or the top of the cupcake are usually “harden”. But! I’ve finally found the Perfect Vanilla Cupcake! I made it yesterday and this cupcake was super moist, super soft. And now i’m just gonna used this vanilla cupcake for the rest of my life 😀 Thank you so much for the recipe!
Elyn, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review and you are welcome 😀.
DELISYOSO!!!
Just made a little tweak. I did used cake flour. I used just 1/2 cup sugar. I realized that I don’t have buttermilk so as Asian as me, I used coconut milk. I used olive oil instead of canola oil.
For the frosting, I used your Prague frosting recipe with lots of tweak. I used 1/3c coconut milk, 3eggs,1/4c honey and a cup of chocolate chips. The end result was so soft & silky. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for sharing your review and how you improvised. I’m sure that will help others who may not have something on hand. Now I want to try your variations! 🙂
I have been searching for a long time for a good vanilla cupcake recipe & tonight I found it!!! Thanks for the recipe! Made two dozen & most of them were gulped down by two of my grandsons before they were even frosted! Yum!
That is the best when kids love what we parents make. Thank you for sharing that with me 😀
This is a great recipe! 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.
That’s so awesome, thank you for sharing your wonderful review and your idea for making them chocolate. It’s great to know it works 😀.
I baked mine for 14 min and they are still runny with batter… what am I doing wrong? 😮
Followed recepie to the t and filled to half. Is my oven broken?!? LOL
How many am I supposed to get frön one batch? TIA
That is definitely unusual. Do you have that experience with other baked goods? It’s hard to say without being but it really may be your oven based on how you’re describing it. 1 batch makes 15 cupcakes.
I had the same problem. Though I kind of expected it since it normally takes about 22 minutes to get a nice fluffy cupcake from my oven.
Has anyone ever doubled this recipe? If so, did you double all the ingredients or just some?
Hi, I just doubled the recipe and it came out fine 🙂 I doubled all the ingredients… Some people say that doubling recipes is an issue, but I have worked in pastry for a while and have never seen an issue with it.
I’m afraid that the recipe would become dense so I’m adding 2 tablespoons of sour cream for moisture…
Hi Nikita, I haven’t tried that modification so I can’t really say how that would affect the recipe. They always turn out fluffy and soft without needing sour cream. I’m curious though how the sour cream works out for you.
Would I need to make any adjustments to this recipe to make a 6″ round cake? And do you think it would stack well? I’m thinking about doing 4 layers
Best recipe ever!! I used your recipe to make cupcakes for the first time and are delicious!! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy you loved the recipe! 🙂 Thank you for sharing your awesome review!
Hi Natasha! I’ve made these using cake flour & they have turned out fabulous! I’m making your Strawberry Layer Cake for my son’s upcoming birthday (I’ve made it for all birthdays this year and it’s been a hit!), but I wanted to do gluten-free cupcakes for those in my family with allergies. Do you think a gluten-free flour would work with these?
Jacy, I haven’t tried with gluten free but few of my readers have reported great results using gluten free flour for the cup cakes and for the strawberry layer cake. Let me know how it works out for you!
Hi Natasha. Wondering if I can use egg whites instead of whole eggs for this recipe? That is all I have on hand. If so, what are the measurements?
HI Maymay, I haven’t tested it that way so I can’t say for sure how it will affect the recipe. I hesitate to recommend it though since in general, yolks add fat and moisture to baked goods and help to create a smoother batter.
Natasha,
Can I substitute melted margarine instead of Canola oil?
Hi Azka, I haven’t tried that substitution so I can’t say for sure. If you experiment, let me know how it works out 🙂
Wow, looks delicious and so easy to make! Can i replace this flour with almond meal?
I’ve never tested it that way but I imagine you would have to make other adjustments to make that work.
I just made these cupcakes today. I filled them with a salted caramel filling and then frosted with a salted caramel buttercream. They were wonderfully moist and light, but still held up well with the filling. I will definitely use this recipe again in the future. Thanks Natasha!
Lev, that’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and you are welcome 🙂
These are amazing! Only change I made was to use half butter, half oil for buttery flavour. Thanks!
Rosie, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Hi Natasha , thanks for a great recipe – mine did taste a tad bit floury though- could u help with the flour measure in grand – I’m kind of addicted to using my kitchen scale ☺thanks so much
Hi Ambika, it is unusual that it would taste floury. I haven’t measured it that way and I actually don’t have any ready made cake flour to weight it for you at the moment. Here’s a good chart you can reference. 1 cup is about 120 grams.
Hi. these look great and I hope to try them for my son’s birthday. I wanted to ask if you can use a food processor instead of a mixer to combine the ingredients? Will the regular knife attachment work?
Also do you think it will work if I sub a xylitol/stevia mix instead of sugar? Thanks!
Hi Mo, you could even do these cupcakes by hand with a regular bowl and whisk, you’ll just need to increase your mixing time (which really isn’t long to begin with) 😉 I don’t use sweeteners because I don’t like the flavor of them but that is a personal preference. I haven’t tested it to say how it would affect the recipe to substitute.
Hi Natasha! I love your recipes! I’m really into baking muffins and cupcakes, so I was wondering if you could make more recipes for those. I would greatly appreciate it, Thank you!
Delish flavor and great with the suggested frosting. I made two batches and both came out pretty dense, almost like corn bread/muffin consistancy. How can I remedy this? Any tips?
I used King Arthur cake flour.
Hi Corina, did you change anything about the recipe? Also, did you possibly over-bake? I’ve had them taste more dense and almost cornbread-like once when I over-baked. I sure hope that helps!
I plan on making these the day before my son’s birthday party. Should I store them in a lidded container in the fridge or are they safe at room temp?
I think they would be OK at room temperature for a day, but I always refrigerate them anyways. 🙂 You can also frost them with the cupcake frosting and refrigerate them fully done and it works really well!
I accidentally bought fat free buttermilk. Will that work? Or should I return for regular buttermilk so they taste better? I am excited to try this recipe.
Hi Cara, a fat free buttermilk should still work fine. I usually use low fat but I think it will be fine with fat free 🙂
Thank you Natasha!
I also used a higher protein all purpose flour, since cake flour tends to dry out baked goods at high altitude.
I was impressed at the fluffiness of the cupcakes. I wish that it had a more buttery taste, but it is the tradeoff for using oil I guess. However, the cupcakes did hold up better the next day. I did make your cupcakes following the recipe and baked at 375 degrees instead of 350 since I live in Colorado at 5000 ft. The cupcakes came out with a flat top and was very light and fluffy. I then adjusted the baking soda and powder to account for the altitude difference and the second batch came out more mounded and prettier in my opinion. I had reduced the amount of both by half. Baking power at 1/2 tsp and baking soda at 1/4 tsp. I wish I could attach pics for you. The texture did not change, and they baked at around the same time. I did feel that the first batch was saltier than the second. Not quite sure why.
Thank you so much for sharing your review and tips about high altitude cooking. I’m sure that will be very helpful for those who live in high altitudes. You’re awesome!
I just made these and they we so light, fluffy, moist and DELICIOUS! Everybody in the house said they only wanted one…we all ended up eating 3 and I’m seriously considering going back for another..lol
Thank you so much for this recipe.
That is awesome! I’m so happy you all enjoyed the cupcakes 🙂
I just made these this morning. I doubled the recipe and made 100 mini cupcakes. I didn’t have to change the oven time, and the tops of the cupcakes stayed almost perfectly flat- great for icing! Lol! I wasn’t sure about the batter because it was very runny but they turned out light and beautiful. Thanks so much for a great and easy recipe!!
Rebecca, thank you for such a nice review, looks like you might have a new favorite cupcakes recipe 😁.
I have made the cupcakes and they are great I have tried many different recipes but these are the best THANK YOU SO MUCH
I’m so happy you liked the cupcakes! You’re so welcome 🙂
Preparé estos panquecitos y quedaron deliciosos. Muy fáciles de hacer.
I’m so glad you liked the cupcakes! 🙂
Maybe someone has already mentioned this… but: If you dock, these cupcakes are 50g each for 12 cakes, recipe as stated.
Love this recipe! Going to use it over and over, thank you 🙂
Natalya, thank you for such a nice review, looks like you might have a new favorite 😄.
I just made these and they are fantastic! The problem with cupcakes is when they don’t rise well and look all flat and hard, but these are perfect! they rise really well and stay like that! The only thing is that they are really light and I like them a bit denser, but overall, this recipe is definitely a go-to and it’s really really good!
By the way! the number of cupcakes is very accurate! I made the double amound of batter and exactly 30 cupcakes came out 🙂 so if I only made the amount that you indicate in the recipe exactly 15 would come out. Thank you!
Cindy, thank you for the nice review, looks like you might have a new favorite 😀.
Can I add butter instead canola oil? If yes, I must add also 1/2 cup ?
Hi Alexis, I haven’t tested butter with this recipe so I can’t really recommend it. My experience with butter in certain cupcake recipes is that it tends to make them firmer, especially after refrigeration. This is why I prefer oil over butter for cupcakes.
I tripled the recipe to accommodate a large crowd, and they were very eggy! I really don’t know if I can serve them. 🙁
Oh no! Did you make the full batch of batter and have it sit on the counter while the other cupcakes baked or did you get them all in the oven at once? This recipe works best if you make each batch separately. Also, several readers have reported that this recipe needs to be adjusted for high altitude baking. I sure hope that helps! That is a bummer though 🙁
2 eggs in essentially what is the equivalent of a single layer vanilla cake recipe adapted to cupcakes is very standard. No offence but if they came out eggy you did something wrong. Don’t rate a recipe 1 star if it failed for you because you don’t know what you’re doing.
Truly wonderful recipe… the best I have found! My 11 year old daughter made it by herself with no help from me for the first time, and I was amazed by how well it turned out. Will be saving this as my go-to recipe from now on!
That’s so sweet! Thank you for sharing that with me 🙂
The best cupcakes ever! I’ve finally found a trusted recipe that’s flop free.
Please recommend a red velvet cupcake recipe as perfect as this. ’cause Im still looking for a the perfect red velvet cupcake recepe
Oh I’m so happy you discovered it and loved it! I don’t have a recipe for red velvet yet but thank you for the suggestion! 🙂
Can I freeze these cupcakes? And how long can I freeze them for?
I haven’t tried freezing them so I can’t say for sure. If you try it, let me know how it goes. It sounds like a good idea. 😋
Love this recipe. I’ve been looking for the perfect vanilla cupcake for some time now, and I am in love with these! Also, the cake flour turned out beautiful. Thanks for the recommendation. It’s unexpectedly hard to find good cake flour in Spain.
Maria, thank you for such a nice review and you are very welcome 😀.
Hi Natasha! I really want to make these for my brother’s birthday. How many mini cupcakes would one batch yield? Also, how could I turn these into chocolate cupcakes? Thanks!! 🙂
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.
I don’t have a whisk attachment can I just use the beaters? Maybe I should just buy a new mixer 😀!
Hi Tina, yes, with the handheld electric mixers, the whisk attachment and beaters are interchangeable :). Some recipes like the European sponge cake may take longer to beat with a handheld mixer but overall, you can make it work for most recipes 🙂
Great recipe.Thanks.
You’re welcome 🙂
I have tried this recipe. I did not taste it my self because I cannot use acid but my daughter gave it a tumbs up. Great, I will be making it for clients. Thanks
I am so glad your daughter liked the cupcakes! Thank you for sharing that with us 🙂
Great recipe. Works everytime…my son’s favourite cupcakes, so I end up making them at least once a month…
Sini, thank you for such a nice review, I’m so happy to hear that he loves them 😁.
hi I made these for canada day, and while i loved your siteand photos the cupcakes went flat. They tasted good, but were a bit heavier than ‘light, fluffy’ cupcakes. Not sure what Idid wrong. But anyway thanks for the recipe, with the frosting on the cupcakes, people were happy to eat them!
Hi Cj, It’s difficult to say without being there but I am alway happy to help troubleshoot :). Are you possibly in a high elevation area? Also, what kind of flour did you use? Did you measure the ingredients out using dry ingredients measuring cups/spoons, leveling off the tops for even measurements?
Hi Natasha
I used all purpose unbleached flour and measured carefully. But I live in Calgary so perhaps it’s the high elevation that is the culprit!
Love your blog, the photos are super helpful!
Thanks
Cj
Was thinking bout trying this recipe for Fourth of July but was wondering if I could use self rising flour instead of all purpose? Would I leave out the baking soda and salt then? Also do you know if I can make these chocolate as well? I wanted a batch vanilla and a batch chocolate.
Hi Vicky, since baking is so much a science and any changes can drastically alter results, I can’t really give you a recommendation on those changes without testing them myself. For chocolate cupcakes, I would recommend this recipe.
How would powdered buttermilk work? I never keep liquid on hand, but have plenty of powdered.
Hi Amanda, I haven’t tested it with that substitution but I think it should work.
I would like to add blueberrys to the batter, should I add a little more flour so that they don’t sink?
Hi Erin, I haven’t tried it with blueberries so I’m not sure if it would sink in this batter since the batter isn’t very thick. Adding more flour may affect the overall consistency of the cupcakes and again, without testing it, it’s hard to give you a recommendation.
I tried putting fresh blueberrys in after I put the batter in the cups and using my finger to push them down a little and cover with batter. It worked really well, they fell a little, but not to the bottom. I might try coating them with flour next time just to see how that works too. They were amazing!
if you coat fruit with flour prior to putting into batters they don’t sink. 🙂
Thanks Laura! I’ve done that before but not with this recipe so I wondered if it would work since this batter is pretty loose.
I made the cupcakes for my son’s party and they are delicious!! my only problem is that they came out flat I’m sure it’s a user error, any suggestion on what I’m doing wrong.
Hi Mimi, did you use standard measuring spoons and scrape off the top for an exact measure?
I usually don’t leave reviews, but this is the first recipe that worked perfectly for me! I am at a higher altitude so baking is harder, but I rose the oven temperature by 25 degrees and they cooked and rose perfectly! Thank you so much I will be using this recipe forever. They truly are the Perfect Vanilla Cupcake!
Dakota, thank you for such a wonderful review, I love getting comments like these 😁.
tried the cupcakes last night and they were really good and fluffy! tried other recipes before but this is thee best! good even without the frosting! keeping this recipe on my book! thanks for sharing!
I’m am so happy you loved it! Thanks so much for sharing that with me 🙂
Tastes too much like baking soda. You can add more baking powder and less soda to avoid that. It’s also a little dry. Otherwise it’s a good recipe.
Hi Ann, are you certain you did not accidentally switch the measurements for baking soda and baking powder? I’ve never sensed baking soda in this recipe and I don’t recall anyone mentioning that before. If you try making it with less soda, keep in mind you need more baking powder when replacing it since baking soda is 3 to 4 times stronger than baking powder.
Natasha, dear, first I have to tell you that I made these as cupcakes & it was amazing. Second, I turned it into a cake (2 batches, as 1 batch only makes one layer) and it was DELICIOUS. I paired it with a homemade caramel icing and ascended to heaven. Yes. I died and my death was deliciously gorgeous, lol. Your vanilla recipe is my go-to/base for EVERYTHING. 💜
Oh my goodness that’s quite a review! Lol. You know one of my readers just asked about turning it into a cake. Did you bake the layers separately and how long did you bake for?
I had to fight my friends away from this cake with a stick! Lol.
To turn it into a cake, I prepared two batches of batter in their own bowls instead of doubling the recipe. I poured both bowls of batter in their own 8 inch pan and placed both pans in the oven at the same time for about 28-29 minutes exact. It works very well in 9inch pans also.
I do suggest that if any of your readers are using springform pans that they line the pan bottom with parchment or wax paper (the batter is thin!) BEFORE they seal the springform around it. Make sure the ends of the paper are sticking out so that when you “release” the bottom you can easily lift the cake from the base once COMPLETELY cooled using those paper ends.
I also didn’t notice the star rating so, ahem, five big golden ones from me!
NOTE:
The temperature used for my cake worked because of the behaviour and temp of my oven. Oven temperatures vary so adjust your bake time accordingly, fellow bakers! <3
Great tip! thanks again! 🙂
Ha ha that’s awesome! 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing how you turned it into a cake!
I’ve made these cupcakes (with your perfect frosting too) and they are fantastic. I’m going to be making some again for my daughter’s 1st b-day party in a couple of weeks. I was also debating about making a cake for her as well with this recipe. Have you made this as a cake before and if so how does that affect the cooking time?
Hi Heather, I haven’t tested it as a cake before but several readers have. You’ll need to double the recipe and bake in two 9-inch cake pans. I can’t say exactly on the baking time without testing it myself and I don’t recall anyone giving those specifics. Bake for the time in the recipe, then test with a toothpick. If it’s wet, add 3 to 5 minutes.
How far in advance can these be baked for a party and how would you store them. If you are making more than 15 would you double the recipe or just do each set one at a time? Thanks a million!
I think it’s best to make 2 separate batches. You can store them in the fridge frosted or unfrosted and covered for a couple of days.
This is the best recepie you can find! Amazing! Everybody loved it!
Hi Paula, I’m so glad you loved the recipe! 🙂
Everything looked good going in, but I pulled them out after 15 min. and they were still batter in the middle. I popped ’em back in, they came out overly browned but alright otherwise.
Hi Herman, Just to be sure, is it possible that you may have overfilled the cupcakes? Did you fill them half full and end up with 15 cupcakes?
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for awhile, but I was planning to use silicon cupcake liners. Do you think it will change the bake time or temperature at all?
Thank you!!
Hi Madi, I haven’t tried these in silicone but I think you may need to bake 2-5 minutes longer. make sure to do the toothpick test to check for doneness. I don’t use the silicone liners often because they tend to stick and if I’m lining them with paper anyways, I just use a regular cupcake pan.
This really is the perfect vanilla cupcake. I’ve been testing recipes for five or six years and none were even close to the flavor and texture of this one. As a bonus it also has a lovely crown.
I was careful not to over mix, in fact I stirred in the flour and buttermilk by hand and then ran the mixer only to smooth the batter. I also added 1/4 teaspoon of Wilton’s butter flavoring. I baked an extra minute to achieve slight browning.
Thank you, it is the only yellow/vanilla cake recipe I’ll ever need.
I am so happy you loved it and thank you for the wonderful review! 🙂
I need gluten free. Could I use my fav all purpose gluten free flour recipe and add the cornstatch? Do you work with GF at all? I am gong to give it a go and will post if it worked on here. I substitute for dairy too as I am celiac and dairy intolerant.
Hi Karrie, I haven’t tried with gluten free but 2 of my readers have reported great results using gluten free flour. Let me know how it works out for you! 🙂
I have made this recipe a few times and have had rave reviews each time. Thank you Natasha, having made quite a few different recipes yours is definitely my favourite!
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! 🙂
LOVE this recipe! I substituted a bit of the liquid with lemon juice and orange juice and cut some of the vanilla to make lemon and orange flavored cupcakes. They came out so moist and fluffy, we couldn’t stop eating them, and they were gone by the end of the day!
That’s awesome to know it works with the orange and lemon juice. Yum!! Thanks so much for sharing that :). Did you use the same frosting?
AMAZING fluffy not too sweet delicious cupcakes to die for my new go-to recipe using it every time
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
I just made these delicious cupcakes and they came out perfect. I live at 8500 feet in Aspen Colorado. The trick to high altitude baking is: reduce the baking powder by 20%, reduce the baking soda by 20%. Increase the canola oil by 2 Tbs. Increase the buttermilk by 2Tbs. Cook on convection bake.
Thank you so much for sharing that! I’m certain it will help others in the future 🙂
With picky eaters at home whether it come to desserts or anything,I gave this cupcakes a try.
AWESOME..
I’m so happy to hear that! thanks for the fantastic review 🙂
I’ve never posted a comment on recipe blogs before, but these cupcakes are so good I had to add my 2 cents.
I baked them for a baby shower on the weekend – used vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract, and iced with vanilla bean swiss meringue buttercream. They got RAVE reviews – several said I should be charging for them.
I’m about to try the recipe again, but use lime zest instead of vanilla for a lime-flavoured cupcake. Have you tried this?
I haven’t tried it but it sounds like a really good idea. Let me know how they turn out and thanks for the really awesome review 😀.
Update: I used the zest of three limes and the cupcakes turned out well! Fairly subtle flavor but definitely there.
Thank you, these turned out terrific! I used the cake flour, subbed coconut oil for the canola, and used vinegar/milk instead of buttermilk. This will definitely be my go-to cupcake recipe from now on.
Hi Jacquelyn, thank you so much for the awesome review! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Hi, I need to know for how long can I store them in the fridge before frosting and will the cupcakes still taste fresh.
Thank you
Niveshny
You can store in the fridge frosted or unfrosted for 2-3 days for maximum freshness but keep them covered so they won’t absorb odors from other foods.
This was an easy and tasty recipe.i used all purpose flour and they still turned out soft and fluffy. I did beat the eggs and sugar quite a bit before adding the other ingredients. I also used half a bottle of sprinkles and folded them into the batter to turn them into funfetti cupcakes. They turned out great!
I love the idea of funfetti cupcakes!! Thank you for sharing that with me 🙂
This roulette is amazing! Cupcakes came out fantastic. I want to make two 9 inch round cakes with this recipe. Should I double it?
Hi Tracey, I haven’t tried it myself but according to the original recipe author, you should double the recipe to make 2 (9″) cakes.
Fantastic! I’m in Florida where I’m sure the conditions are quite different from Canada. I needed a vanilla recipe that didn’t give me a sugary, crusty top and this is it! I noticed while it was baking it smelled like the box cupcakes and it tasted like it too! I did use vegetable oil and butter-vanilla emulsion as substites though. So easy, so quick! And I LOVE that it doesn’t take a half carton of eggs and half a box of butter! Superb!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review! You might have a new favorite 😀
Oh my G! I’ve been looking for the best vanilla cupcake recipe and I finally found it! My vanilla cupcakes used to turn out crumbly or dry. With this recipe, they came out soft, fluffy and oh so good! Even my 3 year old who couldn’t eat half a cupcake finished a whole one in seconds. This is my go to recipe from now on! Thank you!!!
Anne, that is music to my ears! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
Hi Natasha,
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe….it will definitely be my first choice when baking cupcakes for any occasion.
M
Thanks Mirna! I’m so glad you like the recipe 🙂
What would you recommend for cooking time if I want to make these as mini cupcakes for a party? Thanks so much!!
Hi Pamela, I haven’t tried these as mini cupcakes but one of my readers recommended 10-11 minutes.
Great, thanks! I’ll let you know how it goes.
These cupcakes tasted very strongly of oil! I used canola oil and it was not expired. Very disappointing.
Hi Courtney, normally you should not be able to taste Canola oil unless it has become rancid. I don’t recall anyone else reporting the same thing so I would suggest trying a different oil.
I thought I was the only one. I also tried the recipe and had the same problem. I thought my oil was bad (because the bottle was nearly empty). Are there any subtle oil alternatives ?
I’m not sure why else you would be able to taste canola oil, but you might try extra light olive oil (not extra virgin) – I purchase it at Costco and find it to be a really great all-purpose oil which works well for baking and higher heat cooking.
This is an amazing recipe! I had about a 15-16 min bake time, but that may have been because I used milk instead of buttermilk (I was too lazy to go to the grocery store). I also upped the vanilla by 1/2 tsp. for a total of 2 tsp – I really love the flavor!! I’ve seriously been looking for the perfect vanilla cupcake recipe for so long now and I think yours just might be it! Thanks so much for sharing!!
And by milk, I mean the milk substitute with vinegar!
I’m so happy you loved the recipe! I’m sure yours were scrumptious with the extra vanilla!
WOW!! These cupcakes are amazing! Everyone said the frosting was like a cloud! It was beyond tasty! This will be the only vanilla cupcake recipe I will ever use. It made 14 cupcakes. All 14 were gone the day after making them. Thank you for always having the most great tasting recipes. I even posted it on Instagram! That’s how delicious they were! =)
Thank you so much for that awesome review and for sharing on Instagram! Did you by chance hashtag it #natashaskitchen in the comments so I can find it? Sometimes my feed cuts off after a certain amount of activity and I can’t go back to find it.
I shared the post as #thankstonatashaskitchen
Thank you again!!!
Thanks Tina! I checked that tag and I’m just seeing a chocolate cake. Instagram has been so weird with tags lately!! Anyway, thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
No Problem!! I edited my post to tag you as #natashaskitchen
Thanks again!
Thanks Tina!! 🙂
Hey Natasha!
This is the first time I’ve wrote something about anything but I just had to. These are so so delicious my family loves them. Not too sweet but just the right amount. I use coconut oil instead and a splash of almond oil and oh my it makes them amazing. Thank you so much for sharing such a great recipe. I have searched and searched for a good recipe and finally found one! Thank you!! Oh I must say they also go amazing with strawberry frosting. Purée the strawberries and cook with a bit of sugar to make a reduction and use in place of milk in the butter cream. Soooo delicious!
Sorry I meant almond extract not almond oil! I use a splash of it as well with the vanilla
Thank you so much for the fantastic review! I’m so happy you liked the recipe 🙂
Hello,
What company of Canadian flour do you use? The link no longer works.
Thanks!
The one I used was called red rose. It is sold at Cash and Carry and some Winco stores. Cake flour works really well also – check the link above for the tutorial on how to make it with just 2 ingredients! 😉
I just made a bath of cupcakes following this recipe , the result is awesome. Such easy to follow and extremely delicious recipe 🙂
I’m so happy you liked it! 🙂
I love this recipe! I do have a question though, can they be made and refrigerated for 2 days?
Hi Kelly, yes that would work fine. You can even frost with the cupcake frosting that I linked above and refrigerate for 2 days 🙂
I did this recipie and my cupcakes spilled all over the oven. =(
Hi Gaby, wow that is definitely not normal, 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!
Hi Natasha!!
Apparently I messed up with the measurements of the baking soda and baking powder from tsp to tBsp. 🙈
Oh no! That will definitely do it! It happens to everyone – tonight I totally burned a full batch of bacon – shh! don’t tell! 😉 Thanks for reporting back.
Hello Natasha! This is the first time I have ever written to a blogger. I pride myself on being a “self-made chef”. So to say I am high-maintenance when it comes to food, is an understatement. That being said, I wanted you to know that I find myself looking and trusting only 2-3 folks for recipes that I may not just create myself. Bobby Flay, Ina and YOU! Yep! You have wonderful recipes and I think this cupcake recipe is perfection. So easy, and just plain GOOD! Thanks for always being my back up when I want a recipe that I do not create on my own!!
Awww that’s so sweet. You’re so nice! I read your comment to my husband and I’m all smiles right now. Thank you for your vote of confidence 🙂 It really means a lot to me!
Hi if you make it a cake instead of cupcakes what size cake will it be? I need to make a 9×13 so if I need to alter the measurements please tell me what it would be. Thanks
Hi Kendra, According to the original recipe author, you can create a 9″ cake out of this recipe. I have not tested this but several readers have reported good results turning it into a cake. You would need to double the recipe for two 9-inch cake layers.
Hi Natasha:) I have made these cupcakes twice now for my co-workers and they are a HUGE hit!!! The frosting is so addictive – as one of my co-workers put it, it’s like biting into a cloud!:) I absolutely love your recipes! They are fool-proof!
Emily, that’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
Hi- do you think I could bake this recipe into a cake instead of cupcakes? Thanks 🙂
Hi Julia, I haven’t tried but several readers have reported good results. You would need to double the recipe for two 9-inch cake layers.
Yes, I’ve made it into a cake, I’ve used this recipe as a cake and as a base to a homemade ice cream cake.. Both turned out great!!! It takes longer to cook baking as a cake though!!
Hi I’m just wondering how long these will stay good for? And how much in advance I can bake them? Thanks 🙂
Hi Ashlee, you can keep them at room temperature on the counter for a day, after that I would put them in tupperware and refrigerate. If you frost them, you need to refrigerate until ready to serve since there is dairy in the frosting.
I have made these many times, and whether I frost them or not, I throw them straight into the freezer.. They stay fresh for about a month….
I feel like I’m writing comments here every other day, but I just can’t stop cooking these days)) thank you so much for this recipe, it is really good and super easy, I didnt make a frosting though. My son loved them! I can’t believe I can cook so well!))) thanks again
I love hearing from you! 🙂 Thank you again for the fantastic review!
Thank you for sharing this recipe, made it tonight and we love it. I struggled with many others. This one’s a keeper.
It’s sounds like you’ve found a go-to cupcake recipe. That’s awesome! 🙂
These were just lovely and so quick to make! Thanks so much.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the great review 🙂
I love the texture and consistency of these cupcakes! But for some reason, mine tasted very strongly of flour (I used the cake flour recipe to turn my AP flour into cake flour). I’m a bit neurotic about details, so I followed your instructions to a T. Any ideas on how to tame the flour taste in the future? I don’t want to give up on this recipe because I loved everything else about it!! Thank you!
Hi Mary, I have never tasted flour in my cupcakes and I regularly make my own cake flour. You have me stumped. When you measured the flour, did you scoop it into the cup and scrape off the top? If you dip your measuring cup into your flour container, it will be compressed and you will end up with an inaccurate flour measurement.
Oh! That’s got to be the problem! I did dip it in and then leveled off with my finger. I’ll try the scooping method next time, and hopefully that will fix it. It’s such a great recipe all around, so I was really hoping you could help me to figure it out! Thank you so much!! 🙂
You’re very welcome 🙂
Would food coloring affect the out come of the cupcakes? I want to try to make rainbow cupcakes!
They should work as long as you don’t go overboard with the food coloring 🙂
In English gimpy means lame, as in broken limb of some kind.
I meant lame but not in the broken limb way. It seems I’ve been schooled. lol. Thanks Chad!
Can I make a cake instead of cupcakes with this recipe? I made the cupcakes and they were delicious, but now I was wondering if I could just make it into a cake.
I haven’t tried it myself but other readers have reported good results doubling the recipe for two 9-inch cake pans.
I love these cupcakes! Will use this recipe forever! They turned out so beautiful and soft, and moist– almost sponge-like. Thanks! <3
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! 🙂
The detailed instructions on when/how long to mix, beat, etc. were very helpful. I used whole wheat pastry flour and increased measurements by 1 1/2 to make 24 beautiful and tasty cupcakes. Great recipe for an inexperienced baker (me!)
I’m so happy you loved the recipe! Thank you for sharing your great review 🙂
I made a test batch of these yesterday (I am planning to make them for Mother’s Day) and they turned out wonderful! The only change I made is to the buttermilk. In addition to the milk and vinegar substitute, you can also use plain yougurt thinned with water. This was an amazing recipe-my cupcakes have never been stellar, but this was an incredibly delish cupcake. Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing your awesome review and your tip about using plain yogurt thinned in water. It’s awesome to know that it works well with that substitution!