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. 
Amazing!!!!!!!!!
Thank you!
Hi can I use cake flour for this recipe?
Hi Ani, these already have a very soft crumb – they might be overly soft with cake flour. I haven’t tested it with this particular cupcake, though.
Have you tried making these ahead (ie freeze for 5 days and then thaw)? Once thawed, then ice them?
Hi Caroline, you could freeze or refrigerate them. If it’s up to 3 days, I would cover and store it in the refrigerator.
I don’t have buttermilk on hand, and wan’t to make it the way you said to. (1 cup milk, 1 tbsp. lemon juice.) Since the recipe only calls for 1/2 cup of buttermilk, do I use half of the “diy” mixture or the whole “diy” buttermilk mixture? (since it makes 1 cup)
Hi Brittany, I would make the amount you need for the recipe. At 1/2 cup.
These were seriously delicious! Made them for my daughters first birthday today and everyone loved them. I think they were a little dense but I think I know why. I’ve never been much of a baker but lately I’ve been into it more and more. Can’t wait to make them again!! New to this site and excited to explore for some new recipes 😊
Hi Angie, I’m glad these cupcakes were a hit! Thanks for sharing that with us and I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.
Hubby says best cupcakes ever. Thanks Natasha- recipe saved!
Hooray! I’m so happy you loved the cupcakes.
These are so tasty! Not too crumbly either which I really like. I did not have buttermilk but I did have sour cream and used that 1:1 and they turned out excellent! I can always trust in your recipes to be the best!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Mary! I’m happy you’re enjoying my recipes.
I think not as delicious and fluffy as yourd 🙁 Because i use evaporated milk and lemon for buttermilk and used confectioner sugar not granulated, then salty buttee too… It is soft inside but bit hard outside… And the texture is bit thick but soft
Hi Cris, it’s hard to say what made it dense, but the substitutions are likely the denseness’s culprit. I’m glad you still enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha,
I made this recipe as a cake and it turned out delicious! I am about to make it for a seocnd time, and I was wondering if this cake would work to make cake pops (I own a cake shop business, and I love finding new great recipe’s! I will credit you!)? Normally any cake works to make cake pops but I’ve had a few that didn’t turn out so great.
Let me know!
Skyler Garcia
Glad you liked it! I honestly haven’t tried making that yet to advise, you would have to do an experiment on that one. If you give that a try, please share with us how it goes!
These cupcakes were really good also you are beautiful 🙂
Thank you for that sweet compliment! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes.
Hi Natasha,
I made this recipe as a cake, and it turned out great! I’m about to make it again – but I was wondering if I could use this cake for cake pops (I own a cake pop business, and I’m always looking for new great recipes! I will credit you!)? Normally any cake works but I’ve had a few that don’t turn out well when mixed with the frosting. Let me know!
Delicious
I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Beverly!
I lovell your recipes, I wish you would of put the frosting wit the cupcakes, but I loved them, keep up the good work.?.
Hi Lorraine, We have it linked in the second paragraph of the recipe. You can also find it HERE.
Hi Natasha,
I tried these yummy cupcakes today, followed every step mentioned in your recipe and they turned out great in taste.
I baked until the toothpick came out clean approx 24 min on the temperature you mentioned.
But even after the toothpick test..I felt my cupcakes remained a little moist at the center. Any tips to get a perfect result next time??
Hi Beverly, 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 or raw in the center. I hope that helps!
I baked them in the conventional oven. But will try baking for a few extra minutes next time☺️ thanks Natasha.I am a big fan of all your recipes. Will try out the vanilla extract soon 😉
You’re welcome! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try, Beverly.
Can I substitute edamame beans for butter milk? I added balsamic vinegar too it was delicious! definitely recommend trying it!
Hi Menso, I haven’t tried that substitution myself to advise. If you happen to experiment, I would love to know how you like that.
How long would I cook these cupcakes if I was making mini cupcakes
Hi Debbie, this recipe works great for mini cupcakes. It will make 36 mini cupcakes from one batch; just be sure to fill them only halfway and bake mini cupcakes for 10 minutes.
How ling would I cook these cupcakes if I was making mini cupcakes
Hi Debbie, I haven’t tested that yet to advise of the timing. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hello Natasha, I’ve tried this recipe before and it turned out fantastic! I was wondering if it would affect the cupcakes at all if I added sprinkles to the cake batter? Thanks so much!
Hi Nadine, I haven’t tested that but I imagine if folded in carefully that may work
Hi Nadine,
I wanted to make these cupcakes and add sprinkles as well, how did yours turn out? How much sprinkles did you use?
Thanks,
Kristie
Best cupcakes ever! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
You are very welcome! Thank you for your awesome feedback.
OMG OMG… These came out amazing… One of the best bakes I ever made.. Better than store bought.. Highly recommend..
I’m so happy you loved the cupcakes!
I’ve been trying loads of vanilla cupcake recipes this last month or so. Overall, this recipe is good. The cupcakes baked perfectly, came out super moist & had a beautiful smooth top. But..I feel like it missed the mark as a vanilla cupcake. It was really lacking that “vanilla”. I like sour cream in my cupcakes but this recipe created an interesting aftertaste..the sour cream came through more then the vanilla, which in this case isn’t a good thing. Yes, I did use a food scale for each ingredient. If I do try this recipe again..I would have to tweak some things.
Hi Thanh, I’ve never noticed any strong taste of the sour cream, it really should only add moisture and some balance to the sweetness. Did you possibly use low fat or some other substitution? Or maybe cut the sugar which would make the sour cream more pronounced. I hope that helps to troubleshoot.
Wonderful recipe! They were perfect!
Thank you so much! I appreciate your great review, Alpha.
I’m confused with this comment. I don’t see sour cream in the ingredients?
Hi Natasha,
I tried this recipe a few days ago and although they were great , they were a bit dry.
I did store them in the fridge uncovered, not sure if this was the culprit or if I did something wrong?
How do you suggest storing them as I usually make cupcakes a day before I frost and serve them.
Hi Sameeha, storing them in the fridge uncovered will make them dry out faster, especially if they are not frosted. I suggest covering in the refrigerator.
I made these for easter but they tasted like cornbread! Do not recommend 🙁
Hi Alex, I’m sorry to hear that, but these are normally supposed to be very soft and fluffy. Consider if maybe some substitutions were made or maybe there was a change in the order ingredients were added or mixed? I highly recommend watching the video to see where things started to look different.
Hi, how are you I am just about to try a bite but I feel terrible, I really don’t want to ruin the cup cake they look so great! I will continue to use these recipes . . .
I hope you love it! It really is one of our favorites and most popular recipes!
Hello! I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. Can I substitute real vanilla bean for vanilla extract? Thank you!
Hi Mercedes, yes, If you don’t have vanilla beans to make your own vanilla, vanilla bean paste, or extract will do. I hope this helps!
Light, fluffy and buttery! Very easy to make too. Thank you for the great recipe!
Where’s the previous recipe? It was the absolute best and I lost it!! 😫
Hi Andrea, yhe 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!
Hi Natasha,
can I use milk instead of buttermilk, or Kiefer?
Hi Keidi, you still need the acidity. One reader reported the following results: “I used homemade buttermilk (1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 tbsp lime/lemon juice) and it turned out well”
I make my own buttermilk using a tsp of vinegar per 1/2 cup is milk…so I put in the vinegar first then fill up the milk to the half cup line. Wait about 5 min and you have buttermilk! This recipe is delicious!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
These have been my go-to cupcakes for a couple years now. They turn great every time and I’ve made them adding lemon zest and poppy seeds or orange zest and chocolate. I have a question though, if I wanted to swap the butter for the oil, how much oil would I need? I know the recipe before used to call for oil, but I don’t recall the amount. Can you please let me know?
Thank you!
I’m glad to hear that! You might try extra light olive oil using the recommended amount in ingredients. This is my go-to for baking and most of my cooking.
Hi Natasha,
I made vanilla cupcakes and vanilla cake today and taste was awesome. However, my cupcakes have sunken terribly. There’s indent on top and bottom too. Not sure what went wrong. I used cake flour and confectioners sugar rest I followed your ingredients. I doubted if it was baking powder so I tested in hot water and it started fizzing like the way it should. I did not open the oven midway and it’s at right temperature. Also the butter was at room temperature. So I’m clueless why they deflated. Taste though was 10/10. These were baked for a birthday party and I’m scratching my head what to do with them 😉
Please help with suggestions. You have great recipe collection and your videos are quirky and funny to watch. Please continue to inspire us 😀
Thanks in advance
Hi Swathi, Do you happen to live in a high altitude area? For some reason, this recipe doesn’t bake up as well in high altitudes. I haven’t tried that brand of cake flour, but it should have worked fine. Did you measure the baking soda and powder exactly? I ask because my sisters 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.
The most delicious vanilla cupcakes I have ever made!! Super soft and moist, and not too sweet! Will definitely be making these again!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
If I were to put mini chocolate chips in the cupcakes, will it change the cupcakes, fluffy-wise?
Hi Grace, I haven’t tested that, but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Made these yesterday and the are great! Can I double the recipe? Thank you 😊
Hi Elizabeth! I’m so glad you enjoeyd them! Yes, you can double the recipe.
I was really sad to come here looking for the vanilla cupcake I loved to find it replaced by a new recipe. The first time, I went through the archive link that you had posted in response to someone else’s comment and just made the old recipe. This time I decided to stop being skeptical and made a batch of the new recipe and a batch of the old recipe. I gave them to 3 different people to taste to see which one they preferred and everyone preferred the old recipe. I also prefer the older one as well.
That being said, these are still very yummy vanilla cupcakes. Anytime I have something I want to try, I always come to this site for the recipe. Since the new recipe had a thicker batter, I used this and mixed in fresh raspberries. I used your white chocolate frosting recipe to go with it and it was delicious! I made the old recipe and when it was done, I filled them with a raspberry fruit spread and then topped them with the white chocolate frosting. They both were delicious!
While I do prefer the old recipe, the thicker batter on this one is nice for mixing things into it! 5 stars either way 🙂
Thank you Amanda for your comments and feedback. 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!
I’ve tried to bake the new version on your cupcakes (with butter) twice, plus vanilla cake based on this recipe, but unfortunately they do not produce moist and fluffy result as old version (with oil). With butter it’s soft but so much drier! However, thank you for sharing the way to find the old recipe 🙂 it was the best!
What’s the url of the original recipe? I loved the original recipe made with oil 🙂 Thank you!
Hi Tracy, you can search sites like this and plug in the URL to view the old version of the recipe
Hi, I made these cupcakes and they were heavy not fluffy. I followed your instructions, tips to the letter. What did I do wrong? Icing was delicious.
Hi Anne, 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.
These are perfect vanilla cupcakes! So soft and fluffy and yummy! They were a huge hit in my house. My grandma and grandpa even want the cupcakes for their anniversary. We all loved them!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
I absolutely love this vanilla cupcake recipe! It is soft and fluffy on the inside and a bit crunchy on the outside. The cupcakes have just the right amount of sweetness too. The frosting was also divine and enhanced the tasty cupcakes even more. Everybody in my family enjoyed these delicious vanilla cupcakes and they disappeared quickly. These are by far the best homemade treats I have ever made.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! I’m so glad you loved the cupcake recipe and frosting.
Hi! Can I use home mande buttermilk for the recipe?
Hi Karla, I haven’t tested that but that may work if its similar to what we used.
I used homemade buttermilk (1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 tbsp lime/lemon juice) and it turned out well
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha, I made this cupcakes many times and they are amazing. Do you think they will work as a mini cupcakes?
Hi Lanka, that should work. It will make 36 mini cupcakes from one batch; just be sure to fill them only halfway and bake mini cupcakes for 10 minutes.
Hi dear Natasha! I’ve made this cupcakes and they turned out wonderful! I’ve a question though,this time I don’t want to frost it and I want to know that should I keep it in the room or fridge?(which one is better?) and can I add some chocolate chip to the batter?
Thank you
Hi Elnaz, once they are frosted, I keep them refrigerated. I haven’t tried adding chocolate chips to the batter, but if you do, I suspect the mini chocolate chips might work better so they are less likely to sink while baking.
Hie can I substitute butter with vegetable oil?
Hi Betty, you might try extra light olive oil which is my go-to for baking and most of my cooking.
Hi Natasha. I tried making these cupcakes many times but it always comes out packed and dense. I’m not able to get the fluffy texture like yours. I notice the batter start slightly watery when I add eggs. I’m also not sure whether I’m beating the butter and sugar to the correct texture. I beat the sugar and butter for about 1 min on low speed. Is that enough to achieve thick and fluffy? I tried to beat it for 5 mins and batter became slightly watery. Please help.
Hi Cheryl, I highly recommend watching the video to see the consistency and how it turns out. Also, are you using large eggs? Not extra large?
I used large eggs. The weight of the egg is 56g-57g. I watched the video many times and the difference between mine and your video is the butter and sugar. Is it normal for the butter and sugar to be slightly watery in the beginning? Will it change to thick and fluffy later?
Hi Cheryl, yes, it gets fluffier as they beat together.
I would say your butter might be too soft. It use to happen to me, quite often actually as I live in the tropics. However, not anymore. The butter should be around 21 degrees celsius or to touch, it should leave a slight dent. This way when butter and sugar are mixed together, you will get a fluffy mixture. Good luck!
Hi Shailaja. Thanks for the advice. My butter is at room temperature. It leaves a small dent when I press it but it still retains its shape. Everytime when I beat the butter and sugar together it always turns slightly watery even for a few seconds. I’ll try it again with longer mixing time.
Hey, I’ve been making eggless cupcakes for a while now but wanted to try the egg one. This was the easiest recipe I could find and so well explained. I really enjoyed following this recipe and making the cupcakes. They turned out amazing, soft, moist like a little cloud. Loved it!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! I’m so happy you discovered our blog.
Delicious end result. I was worried I’d done something wrong because it’s not like any cupcake batter I’ve ever worked with before, very thick! I kept up with it and they are terrific. Light,fluffy & just sweet enough. I used one less egg and about a quarter cup less flour and still got 36 cupcakes! Thanks Natasha!
I’m glad the results were great, Robyn. Thanks for sharing your great review with us!
I made these for my mom and step mom’s anniversary and we all loved them! My stepmom has requested this recipe as a two-layer birthday cake. Since this makes 12 I know enough to double the recipe and split the batter into two pans. If I were to do this do you think this would bake properly and how long do you think I should bake it for at 350º? I love your recipes by the way! Your creampuffs are my favourite!
Hi Sophia, you can definitely make this as a cake. In fact, I have a vanilla cake recipe too.
Hey Natasha,
I can only find light cultured or reduced fat cultured buttermilk, is that ok?
Hi Sue, I haven’t tested with that specific kind, but it may work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I made these cupcakes yesterday night and they these turned out amazing. I used a stand mixer since I don’t have a hand mixer so I had to scrape the bowl and the whisk attachment which made the process longer but I recommend these cupcakes. They are 5 stars. This is my 2nd time making cupcakes and the last recipe was good but this is much better.
I also wanted to know if you scoop 1/4 cup of batter into each liner? I wanted to order the scoop you use but the link you put down sent me to a hand mixer instead of the scoop. Anyways I love your channel.
Yay, thanks for your perfect rating. I’m happy to know that these cupcakes were a hit!
I also wanted to know if you scoop 1/4 cup of batter into each liner? I wanted to order the scoop you use but the link you put down sent me to a hand mixer instead of the scoop. Anyways I love your channel.
Hi Hemna, can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE. 1/4 cup sounds about right.
Thank you so much.
In the video, how long can the frosting stay in the fridge for?
Hi Cuimin, 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.
Hi!
I made these 3x followed the instructions exactly and they are just not the same as your old recipe. I’m not sure why you decided to change a good thing, i noticed from the comments I’m not the only one disappointed. That OLD recipe was truly the best, with vegetable oil and all 🙂
Hi Sammi, many people struggled with the two types of leavening and I suspect people switched them by mistake, but we only update recipes when we feel it is a significant improvement. You might watch the video to see where things started to look different which may help troubleshoot.
Hi Natasha i’m thinking of trying this out i don’t have the following
Baking powder
Vanilla
Electric whisk
cupcake pan but i have reular pan and i can put the cupcake mix on it
could i still make it i don’t want to waste my flour so without hose ingredients will it still be good
Hi Navia, you can use a handheld whisk, but I would not suggest making this without baking powder and vanilla.
Hi i bought an electric whisk baking powder and cupcake pan still no vanilla can i make it now
Hi Navia, I would suggest using a different extract at least, otherwise, it would not taste like a vanilla cupcake and would be a little bland.
Natasha my vanilla extract just got delivered i’m going to try it later today also some people say sour cream makes it soft should i use it?
THat’s so great! I hope you love this recipe! 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.
I’ve made this new version as well as the old and really prefer the old version so much more. When I first made the new version I hadn’t realized you changed the recipe. The batter was so much thicker (because of the butter instead of the canola oil?)and the cupcakes weren’t as light and fluffy. I have since tried to remember/recreate the old recipe.
Hi Jennifer, we only update when we feel it is a significant improvement. I highly recommend making the recipe as written without any modifications or substitutions. These have a softer crumb than the original.
Hey there, I was watching your video on mixing the ingredients and you added a half of a stick of softened butter to the sugar, but your recipe calls for a half of a cup? Could you clarify? My batter seemed really runny and I’m going to try them again?
Hi Vickie, we used 1/2 a cup of butter which is equal to 8 Tbsp of butter.
Hi Natasha, saw your video on YouTube last night and just made my batch of cupcakes. This will be my go-to recipe from now on. Amazing cupcakes. Thanks so much 😋😋
You’re welcome, Gillian! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Can you please add a link to the old recepie? I loved it so much!
Hi Julia, this is the updated and improved version. We only update recipes when we feel they are significantly better and this definitely is. The texture turns out so fluffy, soft, and phenomenal. I hope it becomes your new favorite.
Ever since I found this cupcake recipe, it has been my go-to! They’re absolutely delicious and soft on the inside but a bit crunchy on the outside. Absolutely love it! Thank you so much!!!!
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Helena! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Wanted to make your vanilla cup cakes please can you tell me with what can I substitute the eggs
Waiting for your reply
Thanks
Hi Muneeza, I haven’t tried these without eggs so I can’t speak to that. I do have a great egg-free chocolate cupcake recipe as well as chocolate cake.
Would these cupcakes be okay to freeze?
Hi Shannon, you could freeze or refrigerate them. If it’s up to 3 days, I would cover and store it in the refrigerator.
Made these tonight and halved the recipe to make 6 cupcakes and they turned out great! Soft, moist and delicious!
Halving the recipe worked, but I did need to scrape the bowl of my mixer a lot.
Thanks for the recipe!
Hello Rachel, I’m glad it was a success! Thanks for your great comments and review!
Hi, I had made these cupcakes today. I followed the recipe exactly, and watched the video as well. My cupcakes were pound cake like, and were pretty dense. I measured the ingredients properly (flour was fluffed and then measured). Would u know where I went wrong?
Hi Melina, 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.
hi – does this double well? Making them in the morning !
jacqui.
Hi Jacqui, I always make these as a single batch, but I think it would work to do a double batch as long as you could bake them all at once; otherwise, if baking one batch at a time, I would make the batches separately, so the batter isn’t sitting for that long before it goes into the oven.
Can I use milk instead of 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.
These cupcakes were a hit and SO moist. The only thing I changed is I added 1 tbsp of canola oil together with the butter as oil together with butter always makes cakes etc. extremely moist.
So good to know that you loved it! Thanks for your great review, Mary, and for sharing the substitute ingredient that you used.
Hi Natasha,
Is there any way to omit the egg yolks from this recipe in order to make cupcakes that are less yellow? Would I need to add something to make up for the missing yolks such as oil or more buttermilk?
Hi Corey, great question. I haven’t tested it that way, so I can’t say 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.
Seriously THE BEST cupcakes. So moist, melt in your mouth. DELICIOUS!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Heather! That’s so great!
Hi Natasha!
These look so yummy!! Would this frosting recipe work for a cake? Also could I use butter instead of cream cheese? Do you know if it would still taste good if I added butter? Also I love your videos and all of the food to make looks SO good! 😋
Hi Lisha, yes it would. In fact, I have a vanilla cake recipe too.
Hi Natasha, I was don’t see the recipe for the frosting. Thank you!
Hi Savannah, We have it linked in the second paragraph of the recipe. YOu can also find it HERE.
finally found the perfect vanilla cupcake recipe!
That’s so great! I’m so glad you found a new favorite!
Hi! I only have salted butter, can I use that?
Hi there, that should work too. You may reduce or omit the salt in the recipe if you’ll be using salted butter.
Hi Natasha , Instead of butter milk or kefir, can I use plain yogurt ? I am unable to find here. Thanks
Hello there, I haven’t tried that modification, so I can’t really say how that would affect the recipe. If you try that, please share with us how it goes.
Thank you so much.
Looks delicious!
A great addition to them is to add a filling in the middle of them like a raspberry filling or another favorite filling flavor. Oh my my!!! Soooo delicious!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Kathryn! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Hey Natasha
Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Raynella, these already have a very soft crumb – they might be overly soft with cake flour.
Hello. I love the recipe. The cup cakes turned out super moist and fluffy. The only issue I had is the cakes shrunk and went flat on the top just a couple of minute after removing The tray from the oven.
I did reduce the sugar a bit as I am in a tropical island as i use cane sugar. I reduced the sugar to 125 Grams. I would love to have a nice soft done on top of the cupcakes. Thanks for your help.
Hi Tej, with baking being such a science, I do recommend not making changes. This recipe really relies on sugar for volume. I hope you give it another try!
Hi Natasha, I’m a big fan I follow you on FB. So I did this cupcake recipe once before and they came out perfect. I tried it again this weekend and every time I added the egg (one at a time at room temp) it separated. the only difference was the mixer is new and my first time using it& I felt that the lowest speed was way too high. Is it possible the speed was a factor? I did a second batch and the same thing, so the 3rd time I mixed it by hand. help!
Hi Laura, I haven’t seen that with adding the eggs especially if they are at room temperature. Make sure to cream together the butter and sugar first. The butter should be creamy and not lumpy (which could mean your butter is too cold). I would beat a little longer with each egg addition until the egg is incorporated.
It’s probably because your eggs are cold. When you add cold eggs to room temperature creamed butter, it “curdles”, or more specifically, the butter seizes. Once you add the flour, it’ll come back together.
I’m going to make these cupcakes tomorrow and I noticed that the frosting recipe makes enough for 24 cupcakes but the cupcake recipe only makes 12. Can I freeze the extra frosting?
Hi Carol, I haven’t tried freezing this frosting so I’m not 100% sure. I think it would work to pipe it onto cupcakes and then freeze, but it might not be the ideal consistency to pipe after it is thawed. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes.
Hi Natasha,
You can freeze traditional buttercream in a sealed conatiner for up to 3 months. To defrost, simple bring to room temperature and rewhip with a mixer or by hand. Still delicious!
Anne
Thanks for sharing that with us, Anne!
Hello! This is a wonderful recipe, my first time making cupcakes from scratch and they tasted really good! The texture of the cup cakes seem dense and on the dry side. Perhaps I over cooked them? Or over mixed the batter?
Hi Cindy, 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, be sure to measure by fluffing the flour first with a spoon, then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape it off the top. If you push your measuring cup into a flour bin, you will get up to 25% too much flour. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup.
Good morning,
Thank you for getting back to me. I didn’t change the recipe, however I did take the measuring cup and push it into the flour bin and then leveled It off, I probably had too much flour. The texture did remind me of cornbread, though still very tasty and no one had a problem eating them, lol. I did not know to fluff the flour first, I will do that the next time I make the cupcakes. What color should the cupcakes be when taken out of the oven?
Hi Cindy, that is most likely the culprit. The color should be golden as shown in the photos.
Thanks so much!
Replace ap flour with cake flour and just mix until combined 🙂
Hi, I was wondering if we can make this recipe into chocolate cupcakes. Is that a possibility?
Hi Ruth, I imagine that is possible but I haven’t tried that yet to advise. I also have a recipe for chocolate cupcakes, you can also check it out.
Thank you for the suggestion 🙂 I did see your chocolate recipe but I’m not fond of coffee. I’ll try to work with the vanilla receipe.
Thank you for sharing your recipes… they are easy to follow and they always turn out delicious.
the best chocolate cakes and cupcakes don’t require butter. butter makes them to dry and dense. only use oil and sour cream for really good over the top chocolate cupcake
Hi Natasha, I was considering making these as mini-cupcakes. Any advice on how long to bake? I am guessing around 12-15 minutes? Thanks!
Hi Rachel, that should work. It will make 36 mini cupcakes from one batch, just be sure to fill them only halfway and bake mini cupcakes for 10 minutes.
Hi Natasha. My batter quite runny, unlike yours which is thick, so my cupcake turns out to be quite dense. I followed the instructions and used the your measurement method to measure the ingredients but I am not able to get a thick batter like yours. Any advice?
But, the cupcakes still taste good with the runny batter.
Hi Cheryl, the batter should be thick and not runny. Did you make any modifications or substitutions in the recipe or method? I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to see where things started looking different. Also, check that your leavening has not expired.
I did not make any modifications to the recipe. I followed exactly the ingredients and used the measurement method from your video. I made it twice and it still has that runny batter.
I notice that when you beat the butter and sugar, it turns out to be thick but mine is quite runny. I used softened butter at room temperature but I’m not able to get that butter sugar texture like yours.
Hi Cheryl, make sure to also follow the same order of ingredients, and also the creaming butter and sugar stage is important. Could your butter have been too soft or partially melted? I suggest watching the video tutorial to see where your process started to look different.
Hi Natasha. My batter is quite runny and not thick like yours. I followed the instructions and followed your ingredients measurement video but the batter is still runny. I tried to add additional 4 tbsp in the batter to make it thicker but it still did not thicken. Any advice on this?
BTW the cupcake still taste good even with the runny batter. But would definitely love to have that soft and fluffy texture like yours.
Hi Cheryl. Make sure to use the proper measuring cups for wet and dry ingredients. Watch our video on measuring ingredients to ensure great results every time.
The beat cupcakes ever!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha! This recipe looks really good and I plan to make it this week! I’m 11 and I really like to bake, but I don’t have a lot of ingredients in my pantry. Is there a substitute for buttermilk? I don’t have sour cream, lemon juice, or cream of tartar. If there’s a substitute, could you tell me the measurements for it? Thank you so much! I’m a big fan by the way!
Hi, I found that white vinegar also works. I’m not sure how much to put in the batter, could you tell me how much milk and vinegar I should put? Thank you!
Hi Yemo, I think buttermilk works best, but see the section titled: “Can I Substitute the Buttermilk?” You can also use vinegar instead of lemon juice.
Hi Natasha! My gosh I love to see you cook! and love your kitchen of course! With Australian ovens, they are electric and have weirdo settings. Betty Crocker recipes are normally on Fan Forced setting and we use Celsius. Should I use Fan Forced?
Hi Carolina, most of our recipes call for conventional oven settings (not convection which would need modifications). Also, our recipes are written in Farenheight so they would need to be converted to Celcius.
Hi! I made this recipe & it was good! The only problem I had was that the frosting did not come out as light & fluffy as I expected. Is there something I did wrong? Possibly over mixed? Can that happen? Thank you!
Hi Kenia, the most likely culprit is using ingredients that are too soft. Cream cheese should be at room temperature for about 1.5 to 2 hours max. If it’s too soft, it will make the cream runnier. Also, make sure to use heavy whipping cream and not regular whipping cream.
Thank you!