This vanilla cupcake recipe is my to go recipe as they are super soft, fluffy cupcakes full of vanilla! They are so good that your jaw just drops.
After many trials and errors, I have finally found my dream vanilla cupcake recipe, and today, I am sharing that with you. My favorite part of this cupcake is how versatile they are. Pair them with plain American buttercream or any type of chocolate frosting, or any berry frosting. And also, it is super easy to make (seriously it's very easy).
I am sure you will love them as much as I and my family love them.
Also, try my ding-dong cupcakes.
As we always do, let us understand the overview of the recipe before deep diving into step-by-step details.
| Sr. No. | Steps |
| 1. | Sift dry ingredients and add sugar, salt. |
| 2. | Combine wet ingredients. |
| 3. | Mix dry and wet ingredients and prepare cupcake batter. |
| 4. | Bake, frost, and serve, |
All-purpose flour – This provides structure to the cake. Use plain, regular flour of your favorite brand. Do not just replace it with self-rising flour or cake flour as they are not the same.
Sugar – Use plain white sugar. Also called as caster sugar or granulated sugar. This adds sweetness of course.
Baking powder – This acts as a leavener, helping the cake to rise.
Salt – You will need just a pinch so do not skip it unless using salted butter.
Oil – Use any flavorless oil in this recipe. I have made them with butter and with oil. Both are flavorful, but the oil ones are moister.
Milk – Use full-fat, room temperature milk. This adds a rich dairy flavor.
Egg – Use a large egg, which is at room temperature. If you forgot to take it out, just keep it in hot tap water for 5 minutes and then use it.
Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract or imitation. Both are fine to use.
Unsalted butter – This is the major ingredient in this frosting! It lends the buttercream a rich, creamy texture and smoothness. Using unsalted butter offers you control over the quantity of salt in your recipe, which is essential for balancing the sweetness. Use salted butter if you have it, but leave out the salt totally.
Powdered sugar – Also called icing sugar, contributes to the frosting's sweetness and ideal consistency. Unlike granulated sugar, it dissolves easily, resulting in a smooth, lump-free finish. Use store-bought or homemade icing sugar.
Vanilla extract – It is a popular ingredient in buttercream due to its warm and traditional flavor. You can experiment with various extracts (such as almond or lemon) to change things up, but vanilla is the go-to for a recognizable flavor.
Heavy cream – To achieve the desired consistency for heavy cream frosting, add a small amount of liquid. Heavy cream makes the frosting particularly silky and rich, but milk will suffice if that's all you have on hand. Add it gradually until you reach the desired texture.
A pinch of salt – It balances out the sweetness of powdered sugar. It combines all of the flavors and enhances the creamy richness of the butter.
These ingredients combine to form the ideal buttercream: sweet, smooth, and simple to spread. Simple, right? However, each one is vital in achieving the desired texture and flavor, so don't omit any of them!
Oil – Replace with the exact quantity of butter instead of oil or a combination of butter and oil.
Sugar – Replace sugar with sugar-free sweetener or monk fruit sweetener in 1:1 quantity.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare a cupcake pan with paper liners.
Take a bowl, and add a sifter. Add flour, baking powder, and sift them all.
Now, add salt and sugar to the sifted dry ingredients and mix using a whisk until well combined. Set aside.
In another bowl, add all the wet ingredients (oil, milk, water, egg, and vanilla extract).
Mix all of the wet ingredients using a whisk.
Add all the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients .
Mix using a whisk until combined.
Divide the batter among all cupcake liners.
Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 15 to 17 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove the vanilla cupcakes from the oven and keep them on a wooden board.
Perform the toothpick test and allow them to cool for 5 to 10 minutes or until you can touch the cupcake pan with your bare hands.
Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
Add softened, room-temperature butter to a mixing bowl and start beating using a hand beater until it is light and creamy. This will take around 3 to 4 minutes.
Add sifted powdered sugar (1/2 cup at a time) and beat on low speed until it is just combined. Once combined, increase speed and beat for another minute.
Repeat until all icing sugar is finished. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Finally, add vanilla extract and salt, and beat for 30 seconds.
Scrape the bowl and beat again for 1 minute or two. This will incorporate air, making the light and airy buttercream. Do not rush the process.
Now, add the heavy whipping cream as needed and beat again on low to medium speed until it is fully mixed.
Fill the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a piping nozzle.
Lift the piping bag from the glass and secure the top so that the buttercream doesn't ooze out from the back.
Once vanilla cupcakes are cooled down, frost with the above American buttercream frosting.
Add some sprinkles on top of the frosting.
Garnish all the cupcakes in the same way.
Serve and Enjoy!
Here are some of the ways to serve them.
Store the plain vanilla cupcakes or frosted vanilla cupcakes.
Make-ahead instructions - Make them and store them separately. It is easy to frost at the time of serving.
For leftovers, please follow the instructions mentioned below.
Plain cupcakes – Cool the cupcakes completely, then cover the individual cupcakes with plastic wrap, and finally, keep them in an airtight container.
Store at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
Frosted cupcakes – Place the leftover cupcakes in an airtight container and store at room temperature (a cool, dry place) for 2 to 3 days and in the refrigerator for 1 week.
To enjoy them after a week, simply freeze them.
Plain cupcakes – Freeze the covered cupcakes in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months.
Frosted cupcakes – Firstly, lay the frosted cupcakes on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid. Then, wrap them in plastic, followed by aluminum wrap, and freeze in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag.
If you have more questions, check out my storing tips on cupcakes with frosting.
Plain cupcakes – Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight or on the kitchen counter for a couple of hours. Garnish with vanilla buttercream and serve them right away.
Frosted cupcakes – Remove the cupcakes from the freezer, remove the plastic wrap, and thaw them in the refrigerator for 8 hours or on the kitchen counter for a couple of hours before serving immediately.
These vanilla cupcake frosted with vanilla buttercream frosting is a classic combination. But, try pairing them with different frostings mentioned below.
Can I add some filling in the cupcakes?
Of course, feel free to experiment with different varieties like salted caramel, berry compote or plain chocolate, lime curd, or mango curd.
What type of frosting will go with vanilla cupcakes?
I have paired them with cream cheese frosting, chocolate frosting, and they came out just delicious. Have a look at the different varieties mentioned in the variation above.
Why are my cupcakes dense?
It is mainly due to overmixing after combining wet and dry ingredients, or adding too much flour, which results in dense cakes.
Can I turn this into egg-free cupcakes?
Unfortunately, no. You cannot simply skip eggs or replace them with anything else. You must replace or adjust other ingredients accordingly.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to drop a comment below, and I will be happy to answer them.
Now it’s your turn! Make these irresistible vanilla cupcakes frosted with vanilla buttercream and impress your friends and family. Please let me know how it turned out for you in the comments below. I would love to hear it from you and your feedback means a lot to me.
Do not forget to tag @dessertkatta or use #dessertkatta, #dessertkattarecipes if you post it on Instagram.
Happy baking, my dessert-loving friend!
Prepare your next to go recipe with this vanilla cupcake recipe. Soft, fluffy, melts in the mouth treat that will simply blow your mind.
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