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
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.
Should I assume that frosted cupcakes need refrigeration because of the cream cheese frosting?
Yes Tonia, they need to be refrigerated don’t leave them on the counter more than couple hours :).
Hello!! Can you please advise if the sugar is granulated or caster?
I used granulated sugar.
Hey Natasha,
Quick question… Where do you get the leaves?
Those are basil leaves. You should be able to find them in most grocery stores.
I just made these cupcakes with your cupcake frosting recipe yesterday and it was delicious! I didn’t have any cake flour/Canadian flour so I used the all purpose flour with cornstarch as a substitute and it worked out just fine. I’m going to try to use your flour suggestion next time to see the difference. I’m just so glad I found your recipe that I will definitely use for my son’s 1st birthday next weekend!! Thank you Natasha!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Happy birthday to your son and I hope he loves the cupcakes as well!
I want to make about 30-35 cupcakes, so do i just double the recipe? You wrote you trippled it, did you do everything seperate 3 times or actually added 3 of each ingredient in the same bowl? it turns out ok? i want to make some for my sons birthday party tomorrow!
Yes, you can double the recipe (2 of each ingredient) and bake them all at one time, but it might need slightly more oven time if you are baking two pans of cupcakes at once.
I just made these and topped with homemade buttercream icing! They are so good!! Probably the best cupcakes I’ve ever eaten, thanks!! 🙂
Oh and for reference I used the milk substitute instead of buttermilk 🙂
Oh I bet these were heavenly with buttercream! Rich and delicious!
I stumbled across these cupcakes on a Google search for vanilla cupcakes and the photos looked so good I had to make them for a friends birthday. WOW! They are so delicious! I will make them for all future loved ones birthdays. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
I found your website whilst looking for cupcake recipes and I tried the vanilla cupcakes today .They came out lovely.Thanks for sharing your recipes .
You are welcome Amina, I love to hear a good report :).
I’ve made this recipe dozens of times now and each time has the same results. I keep getting requested to make these vanilla cupcakes. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! My friends and family can’t get enough of them.
Your comment is music to my ears, I’m glad that everyone like the recipe :).
Made these this weekend and they came out really yummy. As you have mentioned in somr of the comments about using All Purpose flour, mine didnt come out as fluffy. I am going to order the canadian flour for my next batch. I tried the vanilla frosting too, and that came out really good.
Thank you for this yummy and easy recepie.
You are welcome Avni :). I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Hi! Can I use regular All Purpose Flour if I don’t have Cake Flour? I’m in the quest to find the best Vanilla Cupcake recipe and I hope you reply. Thank you
They won’t be quite as fluffy but they will still be great. My sister has used regular all-purpose flour with good results 🙂
I just made these, they smell so good. My daughter snagged two before they were even frosted! I made a raspberry buttercream frosting to top them with. Wish I had fresh raspberries to put on top, but oh well. Gonna take them to work tomorrow to share. Thanks!!!
Great job Kristina, I want to snag few of them myself :).
This recipe is perfect! Thank you so much for sharing! I have made it three times and the cupcakes turn out perfect each time!!
You are welcome Hannah, I would love to eat some of them right now :).
I really really REALLY love Your cup cakes they are coming out great!! I am starting a tiny buissnes (cupcake) in my neighborhood I am only ten so people will not expect much greatness but once they try your cupcakes they will LOVE it and every time my mom asks me for a recipe I go here
That’s so awesome!! I’m so happy for your success! I’d love to see how you decorate them. If you post them online anywhere, do tag me so I can see them!! 🙂
Hi Natasha, I loved these as cupcakes they were amazing, but would I be able to make this same recipe in to a layer cake?
I think you could, but I haven’t tried it myself. I don’t see why not 🙂 Even if it domes a little bit, you could always trim off the top.
Natasha,
Thank you for posting this recipe. I had been looking for a vanilla cupcake recipe that was not too dense or bland. This one seems to fit the bill. I added a bit more vanilla and a dash of cinnamon to suit my taste. I will be sharing on my blog. Hope you don’t mind!
Kay
Thank you Kay 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed these. A dash of cinnamon does sound nice especially for Fall.
Hi natasha. I’m kim from the philippines. I am a newbee in baking so pardon me for asking this. What milk should I use in making the substitute of buttermilk?is it evaporated milk or fresh milk?
No problem; ask away! 🙂 fresh milk
I’m having a bake sale and the these cupcakes are perfect!
Thank you Natasha!!!
I hope your bake sale is wildly successful! 🙂
I’ve searching for recipe for vanilla cupcake and found this one. It is perfect. I had just baked them and they are delicious with moist texture. Thank you!
You are welcome, I’m glad you like them :).
My husband does not like cream cheese and really dislikes it in frostings. Unfortunately those are all I know to do. Do you have any creams that do not use cream cheese?
Try this chocolate one, but double it if making more than 12 cupcakes: https://natashaskitchen.com/2012/10/02/chocolate-cake-recipe-prague-cake/
Or if you want a vanilla one, a very easy one is the creme chantilly frosting that I have on this : https://natashaskitchen.com/2011/12/09/ptichye-moloko-cake-recipe-birds-milk-cake/