Originally published in 2018, this vanilla cupcake recipe has become my go-to (and many of yours)! I recently updated the photos to showcase how beautifully moist and fluffy they are. I love this recipe because it’s easy, consistent, and yields deliciously soft cupcakes that are packed with rich vanilla flavor. They’re also extremely versatile – top them with vanilla buttercream for the ultimate vanilla cupcake or frost them with just about any buttercream flavor and you’ll have an amazing dessert.
One Reader, Uchenna, Says: “Wow! This recipe is truly amazing. I have literally tried dozens of vanilla cupcake recipes and had given up. I read the ingredients and was excited to try this one and I am sure glad I did – this one is by far the best! It will definitely be my go to recipe!” ★★★★★
Why You’ll Love These Vanilla Cupcakes
- Wonderfully Soft and Moist. The soft texture of these cupcakes comes from a balance of incorporating cake flour and extra moisture. Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which means the batter is able to retain more moisture (the higher the protein content, the less ability to retain moisture, aka the drier the cake). That being said, the cake flour makes sure that none of the extra moisture from ingredients like sour cream, egg yolks, and whole milk go to waste.
- Perfect Vanilla Flavor. I use an entire tablespoon of vanilla in this recipe and the results are ideal!
- Super Dependable Recipe. Before writing my own recipes, I was very dependent on Betty Crocker box mixes for cupcakes (and cake!) because it’s just so trustworthy. Many of the from-scratch recipes I’d tried resulted in cupcakes that had sunken in the middle, had a weird cornbread-ish taste, were too dry, and just lacked luster. So I spent countless hours concocting the perfect ratio of moisture, fluffiness, flavor, and magic for this recipe. The result? A dreamy, melt-in-your mouth texture that’s soft as box mix, only without all the ingredients in a box mix you can’t pronounce.
- Always a crowd favorite. You can never go wrong with vanilla cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream and sprinkles, ever!
The Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes Ingredients & Substitutions
These vanilla cupcakes are soft, moist, and taste like a dream thanks to these key ingredients. If needed, I’ve also shared some ingredient substitutions that can be made in case you’re in a pinch:
- Cake Flour. To achieve the super soft texture in these cupcakes, I swear by cake flour. It produces a much fluffier texture than all-purpose (or plain) flour because of its lower protein content (the more protein in your flour the stiffer the dough and less ability to maintain moisture). You can find cake flour at most grocery stores, but if all you’ve got is all-purpose flour in your pantry, here are instructions for how to make your own cake flour. Keep in mind that if you do use the homemade version, the gram measurement will weigh more (295g instead of 265g) since all-purpose flour is heavier than cake flour.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda. The leavening agents in this recipe. Using both gives the perfect amount of rise.
- Unsalted Butter. The main fat in this recipe, which adds lots of moisture, great structure, and rich flavor. If you only have salted butter on hand, you can substitute that but be sure to omit the salt in the recipe if you do.
- Granulated Sugar. This not only sweetens the cupcakes, it creates a tender crumb as well. You can substitute this with caster sugar if you wish and it will be even more soft.
- Large Eggs. I use three large eggs in this recipe, which add the perfect amount of structure and help bind the cupcake batter together.
- Sour Cream. Sour cream adds the perfect amount of moisture to these cupcakes. If you don’t have that locally you can substitute it for plain yogurt or Crème fraîche.
- Pure Vanilla Extract. I use an entire tablespoon of vanilla extract in these cupcakes, which takes the flavor beyond! I recommend using a quality vanilla extract here (not imitation). You can substitute the extract for vanilla bean paste if you wish.
- Whole Milk. Since it has the highest fat percentage of any milk (aside from buttermilk), the whole milk creates a rich crumb while binding the ingredients together. You can technically substitute this for another kind of milk, but whole milk is going to yield the best results.
Tips for the BEST Vanilla Cupcakes:
If you want these vanilla cupcakes to be the very best, I recommend the following:
- Use store bought cake flour. The homemade cake flour works in a pinch and is better than plain all purpose flour, but store bought cake flour is always going to yield the softest texture.
- Start with room temperature ingredients. Baking is a science, and when ingredients like eggs, butter, and dairy are at room temperature, they form an emulsion which traps air in the batter. Once you place that batter in the oven, the trapped air expands and gives your cupcakes a good rise and lovely, tender crumb. If you want your cupcakes to live up to their true potential, don’t skip this step.
- Use fresh baking powder and baking soda. Each of these leavening agents lose their power to make cupcakes rise after about 6 months, so be sure to keep fresh baking powder and baking soda on hand for best results.
- Be careful not to over or under mix. Under-mixing the batter will prevent important chemical reactions from happening in your cupcake batter, and over-mixing will lead to too much gluten development (aka dense cupcakes). In order to help you mix perfectly, I’ve listed all of the mixing times and speeds in the recipe below regardless of whether you’re using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Follow them exactly for best results!
- Know your oven. I’ve written this recipe (and all of my recipes) for a conventional oven. If you have a convection or fan-assisted oven, you’ll want to reduce the baking temperature to 325ºF (163ºC) and check for doneness a few minutes earlier than specified.
Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe Video
I whipped up a quick video showing you how to make these vanilla cupcakes from start to finish!
If you love recipe videos like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube channel! I’ve got a growing collection of cake recipes, decorating tutorials, and Cake Basics over there. Hit the subscribe button on my page so you never miss a new video.
The Ideal Vanilla Buttercream for Cupcakes
I love frosting these vanilla cupcakes with a swirl of this vanilla buttercream, which is my personal go-to. It’s an American buttercream that’s so silky smooth, bursting with vanilla flavor, perfectly pipeable, and I’ve customized it to be less sweet than average. If you prefer a more buttery vanilla frosting that’s even less sweet than American buttercream, I also have this vanilla swiss meringue buttercream recipe that takes a little more effort but is so delicious!
If you’re looking to switch up the frosting flavor, nearly any of my frosting recipes will be delicious paired with these vanilla cupcakes.
I hope you love these vanilla cupcakes as much as I do! Let me know if you make them in the comments below (don’t forget to rate the recipe!) and tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me if you post a photo. I love to see what you create with my recipes!
Perfect Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 2 1/2 cups (265g) sifted cake flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup (350g) granulated white sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream
- 2 batches vanilla buttercream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177ºC) and line standard cupcake pan(s) with liners. This recipe makes about 32 cupcakes.
- Add the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with an electric mixer and large bowl), beat the butter on high for two minutes until creamy. Add the sugar and continue to mix on high for another two minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the vanilla and sour cream, then turn the mixer to high speed and mix for one minute. Scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients all at once and mix until just combined, then add the milk in a steady stream. Continue mixing for another 20-30 seconds, until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps (without over-mixing). The batter will be slightly thick.
- Spoon or pour the batter into the cupcake tins until they’re about ⅔ full, then bake for 14-18 minutes, until they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about five minutes before removing them from the pan and continuing to cool on a wire rack until room temperature. Make sure they are entirely room temperature before adding any frosting.
Assembly
- To create the look pictured, make the vanilla buttercream and add it into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 1M. Pipe a swirl onto each cupcake with the buttercream and top with rainbow sprinkles.
I’m thinking about making these for my wedding. Can I make the batter one day and bake it the next day? Would cream cheese frosting pair well with this recipes
Hi Hannah! I don’t recommend making the batter a day ahead, as it will likely deflate in the storage process. Instead, I would make the batter and bake the cupcakes all in one day, then you can either store them at room temperature (in the cooled cupcake pan covered with plastic wrap) or freeze them in an airtight container like a double Ziploc bag before thawing and decorating. They will taste amazing with cream cheese frosting. I’m cheering you on in making your own wedding cupcakes!
Looking for some help on this recipe. I’ve tried it multiple times but every time the batter is curdled at the end. I know that after the sour cream it can get curdled and then it’s supposed to resolve after adding the flour, but once I add in the milk it curdles again. Everything has been at room temp and I’ve followed the mixing times suggested. Any idea why this baking science is failing me? I’ve had such great success with your chocolate based recipes but I can’t seem to get this vanilla one right.
Hi Samantha! How curdled are we talking? And how are you bringing your ingredients to room temperature (microwave or setting out on the counter)? I have a video of the cupcake recipe here that shows the process in detail and how the final batter should look: https://sugarandsparrow.com/vanilla-cupcake-recipe/ the only thing I can think of is some of your dairy ingredients are too cold or even too warm. If the batter is just the slightest bit curdled at the end I wouldn’t worry about it, they should bake fine.
This recipe is amazing- thank you! If I wanted to make a half batch, would I just half all the ingredients (including baking soda and baking powder)?
Hi Carrie! I’m so happy you love this recipe! Yes, if you want to make a half batch, just divide every ingredient by 2.
I tried these they tasted great, but they sunk when I took them out the oven
Hi Nerissa! I’m so sorry these cupcakes sank. If they sank inward (like dipped in the center), it typically means they were underbaked or expired baking powder/baking soda was used (after 6 months these leavening agents lose their ability to help baked goods rise). If they domed up in the oven and then flattened out slightly when cooling (but still had a small dome), that is normal for this recipe.
Hello, I finally can say that I found the perfect vanilla cupcakes recipe. I have tried several recipes but yours is only THE BEST!!! This will be my go to vanilla cupcakes recipe from now on.
Thank you very much!!
Yay, Carmen!! I’m so happy you love these cupcakes so much that they’ll be your go-to! Truly makes my day 🙂
THANK YOU!! I have tried no less than 10 highly-rated vanilla cupcake recipes, all promising to be light and fluffy as well as moist and buttery and none of them delivered on that – I was beginning to think it was impossible to achieve all of those attributes in one vanilla cupcake. Admittedly my standards were very high for the result I was seeking, but I couldn’t understand why it was so hard or what I was missing about the ideal ratio of ingredients. And then I found this recipe. AMAZING. For anyone put off by the high ratio of sugar in this recipe – don’t be – it’s actually the key to the elusive texture that all other recipes are missing. I can’t thank you enough for writing such a perfect recipe and for finally ending my seemingly impossible quest. These are the most delicious cupcakes I have ever had.
Yay, Donna!! I’m so happy that this recipe solved the puzzle! I’m also really proud of you for all the baking you did on your quest, there’s something to be said for the endurance and focus that took. Thanks so much for letting me know that this was the winning recipe, it’s so encouraging!
I died and went to heaven after trying these cupcakes. I’ll never make another recipe. Thank you very much!!
These cupcakes look so scrumptious! I’d like to make the recipe in an 8″x8″ pan. Would it be too much batter?
Hi CathyAnn! You can bake this recipe in an 8×8 pan, although you’ll probably have a little more batter than you need. You can either fill the pan 1/2 full and have extra batter, or double this small batch vanilla cake recipe to have the perfect amount: https://sugarandsparrow.com/small-batch-vanilla-cake/ I’d bake at 350F and check around the 22 minute mark. Hope that helps!
Thank you, Whitney. I too you suggestion & doubled the small batch vanilla cake recipe which, as you said, was the perfect amount for an 8×8 pan. It took 32 minutes to bake. For frosting I used one half of your cream cheese frosting recipe https://sugarandsparrow.com/stablized-cream-cheese-frosting/. It made a thin layer. The vanilla cake flavor was delicious. The cake was very dense. It was a perfect dessert for our Easter meal.
These cupcakes are out-of-this-world delicious! So moist – and your vanilla buttercream is incredibly tasty! I got 26 cupcakes, so I’m wondering if I filled the cups too full. There was no way I could get 32 cupcakes! I’m using standard-sized muffin pans, so I’m guessing I just filled them too full, but it would have been nice to have 32 of these delicious little gems!
Hi Penny! I’m so happy you loved this recipe! I used a standard-sized cupcake pan to get 32 cupcakes. A standard-sized muffin pan usually has slightly larger cavities, so I think the extra batter needed per cupcake baked in a muffin pan made the yield lower.
They were a big hit! I never made cupcakes or saw a recipe here with sour cream. So i was a bit afraid at first. But these cupcakes were so moist the next day (not the wrong way moist but delicious) combined them with oreo cream cheese. Soo good! Going to keep these recipe if i need more! Can you also freeze them with the filling?
So happy to hear that you loved this recipe, Mandy! And YUM, Oreo cream cheese frosting sounds like an amazing addition. You can freeze these cupcakes with the filling, just make sure to place them in an airtight container or ziploc bag and they’ll last up to 2 months.
Can the batter be frozen for future use?
Hi Zavrashtra! I have never frozen my cake batter before, but you are welcome to try it! From a quick google search it looks like it’s possible.
I noticed you used foil liners for your cupcakes. Do you prefer them over paper liners? The cupcakes were so moist that the paper liners I used also became quite moist.
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie! I use both. Foil liners are a little more neat and tidy than paper just because they don’t soak through.
Heyy, question! If i need to have the cupcakes on a sunday, end morning, start afternoon. And i want to decorate and fill them with creamcheese frosting. When would you reccomend baking. And frosting and keeping them moist with storing? And do you have a brand for sour cream so i can look if we have the same kind of ingredient in the netherlands. Greets
Hi Mandy! I always use generic (store brand) sour cream. Not sure what brands you have over there but if you can’t find sour cream locally you can substitute it for plain yogurt or creme fraiche. As far as the timeline goes, you could either 1) bake the cupcakes and make the frosting the day before, store the cupcakes at room temp and the frosting in the refrigerator, then bring the frosting back to room temp and decorate in the morning. Or 2) bake and decorate the cupcakes the day before and store them in the refrigerator (the cream cheese frosting has to be refrigerated), then bring them to room temp for serving. Hope that helps!