Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
Looking for soft, fluffy cupcakes? This Vanilla Cupcake Recipe is easy, dependable, and made with ingredients you probably already have.
The batter comes together quickly, the steps are beginner-friendly, and the cupcake recipe bakes up light, moist, and full of classic vanilla flavor.
Whether you’re baking for a birthday, a school event, or just because you want something sweet, this is one of those go-to recipes you can rely on every time.
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How to Make the Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
- Preheat the oven and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then mix in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture, mixing just until combined to keep the cupcakes light and tender.
- Divide the batter evenly between the liners, filling each about two-thirds full, and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before using your favorite frosting recipe like vanilla buttercream.
Don’t Forget To…
- Scroll down to print the full recipe with step-by-step instructions and exact measurements.
- Check out my Kitchen Essentials for the pans, mixing bowls, and baking tools I use to make this recipe a breeze.
- Save or share this recipe on Pinterest!
Dense cupcakes are usually caused by overmixing the batter or adding too much flour. Mix gently and measure carefully.
Yes. You can bake the cupcakes a day in advance and store them unfrosted in an airtight container. Frost them the day you plan to serve.
Absolutely. Freeze unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting.
Fix baking fails fast with this handy troubleshooting guide.
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If you’re planning more baking fun or party treats, don’t miss these helpful and delicious ideas to go along with your cupcakes.
- Vanilla cupcake recipes are perfect when you want a classic, crowd-pleasing dessert that works for everything from simple weeknight baking to special occasions.
- Birthday party snacks come together easily when you pair cupcakes with simple finger foods and sweet treats that kids and adults both love.
- How to Keep Cupcakes Moist is a must-read if you want your cupcakes to stay soft, fresh, and bakery-quality even a day or two after baking.
Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup whole milk
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt using a hand mixer. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes using an electric mixer.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk.
- Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing, as it can result in dense cupcakes.
- Spoon the cupcake batter evenly into the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Tap the pan against the counter to remove air bubbles.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Frost with the best buttercream frosting.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, ensuring they stay fresh and moist.
I can’t believe how amazing these cupcakes look. They are delicious. Looks like you guys received a ton of snow.
About 30″!
These cupcakes look absolutely delish (and I LOVE your mug!)
These look great, love your cute mug too….mmmmm, cupcakes!
My daughter would love these. “White” (of vanilla) is her favorite flavor.
These vanilla cupcakes look like just the thing, I love it!
I am always looking for a good cupcake recipe! Can’t wait to try this one!
we have been on the hunt for the best vanilla cupcake recipe and this is it!!! so moist and the taste is right on. thank you for sharing!
YAY!!!
The batter seems really runny?
How did they come out?
Can I substitute Oat milk for cow milk?
I have never tried this, but the only way to know is to try and see what happens! Let us know how your vanilla cupcakes come out!
I just made these cupcakes. I chose this recipe because it didn’t require any special ingredients that I might not have on-hand, like sour cream or buttermilk. I also saw one reviewer say that the batter was runny. I have a chocolate cupcake recipe that also has very runny batter and those cupcakes are amazing, so this recipe seemed just what I was looking for. So, I began and once everything was mixed in I found myself with a ton of batter. For me, this recipe made 28, not 16, cupcakes. That’s fine. I like cupcakes. Also, the cooking time was longer than 15 minutes. At 15 minutes, mine were still liquid. I had to cook mine for 25 minutes at 350F for a fully cooked cupcake. Then the moment arrived. How do they taste? They are very, very tasty! Like, yum! However, mine came out a little doughy feeling in your mouth. Fluffy, but somehow not light. I mean, they’re still delicious. Will I eat them? Yes. It’s possible I might have gone a little heavy handed on the flour. I will definitely try this recipe again weighing the flour so I don’t put in too much.
A lot of times when baking, as in the case of these vanilla cupcakes, things like the weather, humidity or lack of, altitude, freshness of ingredients, etc. can all have a part in how your recipe comes out. I lay a lot of this out in my Baking E-Book. It’s free and you can get it here: https://bit.ly/3s7Q9u3
@momma lew, one recipe calls for butter, but the printed version doesn’t. Do I use butter and how much? Thx Teresa Mays
my apologies, that was a typo. There is no butter in this vanilla cupcake recipe.
How much butter
There is no butter in this cupcake recipe.
Agree with many comments from others…. Makes more than 16, batter very runny, takes longer than 15 min, and they are delicious. We filled some with strawberry filling and frosted with vanilla buttercream- so good!
Was looking for a simple moist vanilla cupcake recipe and this was a good one! Like other reviewers mentioned, the batter is on the runnier side but don’t worry, it will bake up just fine. I subbed in soy milk and reduced the sugar to 1.25 cups. Still very moist and it was plenty sweet, especially since I frosted with vanilla and strawberry buttercreams.
This recipe made 16 standard cupcakes (baked at 350f for 25 min) and one 9” round cake (baked at 350f for 35 min) for me. The end result was light, fluffy and tender. It was very good as a cupcake but even better as a round cake!
I made these with the buttercream icing and they were great.
Can you use applesauce instead of oil?
I really don’t think that will be a good swap for these cupcakes.
Hi! Can you store these in the freezer? If so, for how long?
You sure can! To freeze vanilla cupcakes, first bake them and then let them cool completely. Once they are cooled, place them in a plastic bag or container and freeze them for up to three months. When you are ready to eat them, let them thaw at room temperature or microwave them for a few seconds. And then frost.