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.
What adjustments could I make in the recipe to make lemon cupcakes?
Hi Lynn, I haven’t tried turning this into lemon cupcakes to advise.
Depending on your degree of fondness of lemon flavor, add 1 or 2 tbsp of lemon zest and 1 tsp of lemon extract. Add the lemon zest to the sugar and butter.
Hi Natasha. I dont have buttermilk. Whats the best substitute??? I have plain yogurt. Is this okay?
Hi Kim, 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.
Hi Natasha,
For this recipe, I don’t have buttermilk so I will make my own with milk and lemon. But it’s 1 cup of milk for this recipe or 1/2 cup? Because I see 1/2 cup of buttermilk on the recipe.
Hi Jessica, the ratio I used to make buttermilk was 1 cup to 1 Tbsp fresh lemon. So you will be 1/2 cup of the buttermilk mixture if the recipe calls for 1/2 cup 🙂 I hope that helps.
By far this is now my go to recipe! And hubby who is a cupcake fanatic loved them! Light, airy ans the frosting was so simple yet perfect. Thank you
Hello Sandy, thanks for your review! I’m glad you found your new go-to recipe!
My granddaughter loved the cupcakes. She ate one after school and one the way to a class. They are delicious, easy to make and yummy to eat. Also I like that it makes twelve cupcakes instead of twenty four.
Great to hear that it was a success, Sandra. Thank you for the review!
Wonder why mine cracked? They also rose much higher than yours.
Hi Alastair, it’s hard to say what caused it without being there. I would recommend making sure there were no substitutions both in the steps and ingredients. Also, check out this post on measuring, I hope it helps!
I made these cupcakes for a co-worker’s birthday and they got rave reviews! One person said they were the best they’ve ever had! Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for the great review, so glad your coworkers enjoyed them.
Wondering about putting a Hershey Kiss in them. Would you think this batter would work well for that? If so, would you put the kiss in the bottom the cover with batter, push a kiss into the batter to be covered or leave a bit of the tip exposed and the cupcake rises above it? Any tips are much appreciated.
Hello there, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise but I think that will be fine. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
Nice thick batter and I pushed Hershey kisses in the cupcake batter but didn’t cover the tip. After they baked, no tip is visible. The kisses sink just a bit and while they were not as soft as a chocolate chip, they are not as firm as biting into an “unbaked” kiss.
It was clear that a kiss was inside. I used both kisses and hugs. I wish I could attach a photo.
I gave them as an anniversary gift, commenting “These are made with hugs and kisses!” (Without revealing was was inside…Surprise!)
I thought my filling amount was accurate but I ended up 16 cupcakes. Tasty vanilla cupcakes and I would make again. Thanks very much.
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review.
I love these cupcakes when they are fresh out of the oven! I recently froze a batch and they are a bit dry. Any suggestions how to make them less dry before I decorate them? Help!
I would just let them come to room temp for an hour, also when you freeze them make sure they are airtight.
Hello. Wondering if it will still turn out the same if I triple the recipe for a party? Thank you!
Hi Lindsay, I’ve tried doing a double batch but not triple but I imagine that will work too!
Thank you for your recipe it’s so delicious 😋
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Amira!
I’d really like to make these pink. Would this recipe hold up with food coloring?
Hi Heather, I honestly haven’t tested that to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
I haver been using this recipe and it hasn’t fail. Do you know if the cupcake will come out the same if I put chocolate chips in it?
I’m so glad you’re loving it, Zoe! I haven’t tried that myself to advise it working but if you happen to experiment, I’d love to know how you like it, Zoe!
This recipe is beyond delicious. The flavor is unsurpassed as far truly vanilla. The scent of the cakes in the oven and once out of the oven, was a testament to this incredible recipe. It was hard to wait for them to cool before tasting. The texture is moist and fluffy and the cupcake removed cleanly from the wrapper. This is my new best vanilla cupcake recipe. Thank you Natasha.
Thank you for your great review, Maria! It made my day, and with your description, I’m now craving these cupcakes!!
It is a very good cupcake just a bit dry. I took them out of the oven when some crumbs still stuck on the tooth pick to taste if done. Texture is light and fluffy and over all a very good cupcake!
These cupcakes and vanilla frosting are the best ever. So light and tender, and not too sweet. The recipe made 13 for me, and it is just enough for the Hubster and me for the week. So happy with this recipe and I will surely make again and againl.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Nancy!
To say these cupcakes are good is an understatement. I subbed with vegan ingredients which is always a gamble. I almost gave up after trying other recipes. This embodies a perfect cupcake, amazing recipe !
Yay! I’m so glad you loved it, Lysa! Thank you for sharing the began tip with us! I’m happy that worked out!
As with every Natasha recipe, this was a hit. I actually put it in 2 6″ pans and baked for 20 minutes. Perfect beautiful fluffy cake. My mother is not a vanilla cake fan and she loads cake with icing… Considering this was my first attempt at vanilla cake and it was so light, I bumped into my cooling rack and broke a layer. I re did the recipe and made my intended cake which I gave to my Ain’t who had surgery and used my one good layer for my father who came by for his birthday (he is a simplistic person) just an old fashion family recipe of his mom’s icing on top. The cake that fell when into Tupperware with a side of the stacked cakes center layer of Ermine whipped cream and my Gmom’s mocha frosting.
But back to the point… Natasha never fails me. My first attempt at vanilla cake and my mother was eaten a broken layer with no icing because the cake itself was so good!!! That’s why I come here for recipes. You made my father’s birthday special… He said even my Gmom just used box cake and I took her frosting and remade it perfectly, but I placed on cake she could never make. I ruined box cake for him!!! My Aunt is a wedding planner and does tastings all the time, and said this was hands down one of the best textured cakes she has had. The caked just melts in your mouth. I used vanilla bean paste so it tasted of real vanilla!!
Thank you for helping me create something beautiful on my first try!!
Hello Rebecca, great to hear from you and thank you for your kind words and good feedback. This helps inspire me to do better and create more content. Thanks so much, I appreciate it!
Is it possible to over beat the butter and ruin the recipe?? When I made them the batter looked slightly different from yours.
Hi, I don’t think you could overbeat the butter. If your butter mixture wasn’t smooth it could be that it wasn’t softened enough. In that case, I would let it rest at room temp for 15 minutes then continue beating until smooth.
Wonderful cupcakes. I believe I’ve just found the cupcake recipe that will be my go to going forward.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe
You are so welcome, Careen. Thank you for your review and feedback, we appreciate it.
Hi Natasha
The cupcakes were amazing!!!
I did make homemade buttermilk so how long can I store it in the fridge for?
Hi Amreen, if stored properly, and made with fresh ingredients, you can pour buttermilk into a clean glass jar, cover tightly, and store refrigerated for up to two weeks.