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
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition then scrape down the bowl. Add 2 tsp vanilla and beat to combine.
- 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, and don't overmix. Divide the batter evenly into a 12-count lined muffin or cupcake pan, filling 2/3 full.
- 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.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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.
Oh and one more thing. The top of the cupcakes cracked. 🙁 How do I avoid this? Thanks!
I haven’t had that experience and it’s really hard to say why without being there. Did any of the suggestions I made in the previous comment help?
Hi Natasha, you used a 3oz cupcake pan, right? I tried to make these. They tasted good but they didn’t rise like yours. They didn’t even reach the top of the cupcake liners. 🙁 I don’t know what I did wrong. Could you advise on the possible reason for this? Thank you so much!
Were you exact in your measurements? Did you use dry ingredient measuring cups for dry ingredients and liquid measuring cups for wet ingredients? I used a standard cupcake pan. Also, do you live in a high elevation area?
I substituted eggnog for buttermilk, then used a toothpick to poke several holes in each cupcake after baking. Then I spooned a tablespoon of eggnog onto each. Very delicious. I’ll follow the recipe exact when I get buttermilk. The cupcakes also turned out pretty. I used coconut spray oil instead of liners and the cupcakes easily came out. This recipe is a DEFINITE keeper.
That sounds incredible!! Eggnog cupcakes?!! Thank you so much for sharing that!! You are awesome! Do you see how many exclamation points I used? Yeah, I’m excited!! 🙂
Hi,
I’m from Australia! Is the sugar in this recipe plain sugar or caster (granulated sugar)
I wanted to bake them tonight!
Thank you
It is granulated sugar. Great question! 🙂 I hope you love them 🙂
I tried these today and they were really soft with multi layers of flavour! (Taste like those from bakeries!) however they had sticky tops! Also, do you think it is possible to use this for a rainbow cupcake? I am asking because the batter is quite thin unlike other conventional vanila cupcake recipes.
I haven’t tested them as rainbow cupcakes, but one of my readers has. She wrote:
“Hi Natasha,
My 5 years old twin boys and I just finished up baking these cupcakes. I didn’t have buttermilk so I used milk and vinegar instead. We divided the batter into six batches and put few drops of different food colourings to make it into rainbow cupcakes. Yielded 10 cupcakes altogether (few spills and licks got in the way). The results were “beautifully delicious” . I have to admit it’s the best cupcake ever, thank you for sharing this recipe, I wouldn’t change a thing, perfect as is, ThANKS!!!!!!”
I hope that helps! 🙂
I made this recipe today for cupcakes to serve tomorrow at a children’s party. I doubled the recipe as it seemed simple enough. The results were not what I expected. The tops of the cupcakes were uneven and blotchy, and although they rose nicely while baking, they fell and flattened when I took them out. The taste is okay, not great. Luckily the frosting will cover the tops and the kids will like them. I think next time I will use my go-to recipe instead.
Hi Cindy, the problem may have been with doubling all of the ingredients. When I make a double batch, I make it twice. I hope that helps!
I just made these cupcakes, and they are AMAZING!!! I made a whole in them when they were done, and filled some of them with fruit some of them with chocolate filling. They are just perfect! The best cupcakes I ever made, so from now on, I am using only this recipe for cupcakes 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for the great review 🙂
I’m looking at making these for my sons birthday, are there any adjustments you’d make for higher altitude?
I haven’t really done enough research to advise, but I found a REALLY great guide. I hope this helps: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/high-altitude-baking.html
When doubling or tripping the recipe do you do the same for taking soda??? I was always told never double baking soda… Please let me know ASAP would love to try these in the morning! Thanks
I always make this recipe in batches so I’ll start from scratch with every batch. One of my readers have said that it didn’t work to increase the recipe all at once; I’m not sure why that would be, but I just haven’t tested it any other way.
Hi Natasha
Wondering if I can use self raising cake flour?would it be ok
I haven’t tested self rising flour so I can’t really say without trying it first. I do know it works well with Canadian all purpose flour and cake flour. I have an easy tutorial linked in this post for how to make cake flour; all you need is flour and corn starch.
Hi!
What size of cupcake liner did you use for this? 3oz?
Thank you…
They are standard sized 2-inch baking cupcake liners.
The best cupcake recipe ever!!! I actually made a cake instead of cupcakes and it was the bomb!! Didn’t even have to look for other recipes!! Such moist and flavorful, AMAZING! now I wanna try same recipe and instead of vanilla add lemon extract to make it as lemon cake and add food coloring:) we well see how that turns out!! thank you again for being there when needed:)
Great job on improvising Alena :), and you are very welcome.
Made it with lemon extract and lil bit of lemon zest and it was perfect!!
oh my goodness that sounds wonderful!
Hi
Ive been looking for a sponge recipe with oil instead of butter and I came across urs.
Id love to try it but we don’t get cake flour in uk. So can I use plain flour or self raising flour to achieve same results?
Thanks in advance.
Hi May, have you seen my tutorial on making your own cake flour? It’s so easy and all you need is flour and corn starch: https://natashaskitchen.com/2014/11/01/how-to-make-cake-flour-video-tutorial/. I haven’t tested this with self rising flour, but I have with all-purpose flour and the results weren’t quite as soft, but they still worked out.
Love your recipe at the first sight! I plan to make it this evening and might use matcha powder for the variation. 😀
What is match powder? I’ve never heard of it. Is it a flavoring?
Hi Natasha, I was wondering if I could make these cupcakes pumpkin flavor by adding some pumpkin purée. I made some using your recipe 🙂 If yes, how much do you think I should add?
Hi Eleonora, baking is such a science that I really hesitate to guess without testing it myself and knowing what needs to be substituted. If you do try it, let me know how it worked out.
so perfect and cake-like. Definitely not tough like the recipes I usually use. They’re just like store bought cupcakes, except better!
I”m so happy you enjoyed the cupcakes. Thank you so much for a wonderful review 🙂
This is such a great recipe but when I tried to triple it like you, the result was horrible and a big failure! Did you convert this to weight measurements or simply tripled every ingredient as it is? I would be so grateful if you could tell me the recipe!
I actually made it in three separate batches since I only had one cupcake pan. Did each subsequent batch seem worse? I think if you keep the batter out at room temp too long while the rest of your cupcakes are baking, the baking powder in the recipe is no longer as effective.
Ah, I see! When I make this in a single batch, it comes out perfect! My oven is really big so I was easily able to fit all three batches of the multiplied version in at once, but they didn’t rise properly (well, they rose and then caved in and fell) which makes me think I need to be more precise with the quantities of leavening agents when I try again… Which I will!
I wanna make and bring these for our church’s anniversary dinner! Problem is, my husband wants to redo our kitchen soon and I won’t be able to use the oven before the event. I’ve read some post that you can make these a day or two ahead, is it possible to make these (with the frosting) a week in advance? How do you store them? 🙂 Thanks!
A week in advance would be pushing it. I don’t think I’d keep them longer than 5 days without the cupcake portion absorbing moisture and taking on a weird texture.
Love these cupcakes! My husband was kind enough to reschedule whatever work he wants to do to our kitchen so I can make these 🙂 So I made one batch 2 nights before and made another batch 1 night before our church’s anniversary dinner. I added Ukrainian flag fondant cupcake toppers on top of the vanilla icing. Our guests, esp the kids loved them!
I bet they were adorable with their little Ukrainian flags. If you posted a pic of them somewhere, I’d love to see it! 🙂
Natasha these are fabulous!!! I haven’t been able to find the perfect vanilla cupcake recipe in all the recipes i’ve tried but you’ve done it! These are absolutely perfect! Thank you so much for posting it! I would love to know if I could use this for a cake? Also, as another person asked, making them chocolate! I would love to hear your thoughts if you ever make that in the future. I look forward to tasting your other creations! Thanks again! 🙂
I haven’t tested either option myself, but the original author says that a cake would work from this recipe; you would double it and bake in two 8 or 9-inch cake pans for a 2-layer cake. About the chocolate cupcakes, I have 2 on my blog that are really really really good and I’d highly recommend either one. https://natashaskitchen.com/2014/05/03/dark-chocolate-cupcakes-with-white-chocolate-frosting/ or this one: https://natashaskitchen.com/2013/01/23/moist-chocolate-cupcakes-with-prague-frosting/
Hi,
If I baked them today and had to serve tomorrow, how best to save them till they’re frosted? I know cupcakes dry out pretty fast but I don’t think I’ll be able to bake just before serving, it will have to be a day in advance. Thank you do much for any info.
If it’s just overnight, you can leave them at room temperature, covering them with a plastic bag or putting them in a large ziploc bag only after they have cooled completely to room temperature. You can also frost them and then refrigerate. They’ll still be great the next day 🙂