Light, fluffy, and insanely moist - these are the best vanilla cupcakes from scratch. These cupcakes pair with just about any frosting or filling and will become your go-to vanilla cupcake recipe in no time. Take it from me, when you find an incredible vanilla cupcake recipe you stick with it!
Why You'll Love this Homemade Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
- They are so moist and flavourful! The oil used in this recipe adds an extra layer of moisture that can't be achieved when using only butter.
- From start to finish, these cupcakes are baked and cooling in under 25 minutes!
- They require simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: provides buttery flavour and assists
- Vegetable Oil: gives moisture
- Granulated Sugar: for sweetening batter and helps with creating light and fluffy cupcake through creaming process. Sugar crystals aid with whipping air into butter.
- Egg Whites: important for leavening process
- *Pure Vanilla Extract: the sole flavour of our cupcake! Make sure to use pure, not artificial vanilla extract for the strongest flavour.
- Cake Flour: a low protein flour essential to create a light, beautifully textured cupcake
- Baking Powder: creates rise in cupcakes
- Baking Soda: helps cupcakes to rise! Does require an acid (buttermilk) to activate
- Salt: for flavour
- Buttermilk: provides a slight tang flavour and assists with activating leavening agents
*I use Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract from Vanilla Blossom Flavours – you can use the code BBB2021 to receive 15% off of your order!
Buttercream Frosting
I've paired these vanilla cupcakes with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream frosting. You can find my silky, smooth buttercream frosting recipe here. This frosting is a little bit more labor-intensive than American buttercream, but the frosting is perfectly sweet, marshmallowy, and delicious. I highly recommend trying it out!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why are my cupcakes dense? Cupcakes can become dense when you over mix your batter. As the batter mixes, gluten is produced. More gluten means more dense. Only mix batter until just combined.
- Can I substitute Cake Flour with All Purpose Flour? You can, however the cupcake will not be as delicate and the texture will be slightly different.
- Howcome my cupcakes are dry? If your cupcakes are dry you may have measured your flour incorrectly resulting in too much flour or your may have over baked your cupcakes.
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If you try this recipe, make sure you take a photo and tag BAKED by Blair on social media, and use the #bakedbyblair. If you want to pin this recipe and save it for later, go ahead and click the pin button above and save it to your favourite desserts board on Pinterest! ENJOY!
Vanilla Cupcakes from Scratch
Equipment
- Electric Stand Mixer
- Cupcake Tray
- Cupcake Liners
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1½ cup granulated sugar
- 5 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, I use Vanilla Blossoms Pure Vanilla Extract
- 3 cups cake flour, sifted
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
- Into the bowl of an electric stand mixer add butter and vegetable oil
- Cream together butter and vegetable oil until completely combined (2-3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually pour in sugar. Turn mixer to medium to high and mix until light and fluffy 1-2 minutes
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg whites one at a time. Allow each to combine before adding in the next
- Add in vanilla extract mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl
- With the mixer on low speed, add one third of the flour mixture into the bowl and mix until just combined. Scrape down the bowl and add one half of the butter milk and again mix until just combined. Repeat this process. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Do not over mix or your cupcakes will become quite dense
- Distribute cupcake batter evenly between 24 prepared cupcake liners
- Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean
Jamie says
Theres no recipe posted. Its just an ingredients list and tips???
Blair Braz says
Hi there, the recipe is located at the bottom of the page. In order to leave a comment and star rating on this recipe post, you would have had to scroll past the recipe to leave this review. Please return back and consider adjusting your star rating.
Kimberly Asuncion says
Hi, can i use all purpose flour instead of cake flour? Thanks!
Blair Braz says
Apologies for the delay. Yes, you can. Make sure you don't over mix the batter as this will cause it to be dense.
Lisa Brooks says
This is my go to vanilla cupcake recipe!
Blair Braz says
Thank you so much!! I'm glad you love it!
Valerie says
I’m excited to try this recipe! Do you know the time conversion for making mini cupcakes instead of regular cupcakes? Thank you!
Blair Braz says
Hi there! Can't wait for you to try the recipe. I haven't made them as mini cupcakes but I would recommend starting at 10 minutes and peeking to see if they are done and go from there!
rissa says
anything white i attenpt to bake comes out dry no matter what i shift then spoon in my flour everything be room temp i always fail but this recipe fool proof it was perfect i was amazed thank you!!!!!
Blair Braz says
Oh my goodness, I'm so glad! Thanks for sharing the feedback.
Heather says
My go to vanilla cupcake recipe.
Lori Friedman says
Can you use whole eggs vs egg whites?
Blair Braz says
Yes, I would use 4 eggs at room temperature.