Out of all of the many desserts I make, these simple vanilla cupcakes are the most requested treat among my circle of friends. They are incredibly fluffy, full of real vanilla extract, and stay moist for days. When I developed this recipe years ago, I wanted to make a go-to vanilla cupcake that was super easy to make—they stir together and are baked in less than 30 minutes.
One common issue with cupcakes is that they dry out fast. My recipe stays moist for a few days. So what’s the secret? Sour cream! Get all of the tips I gathered from testing this recipe to help you bake cupcakes that are perfectly fluffy, moist, and full of flavor.
A reader, Amy, says: “These are moist, delicious and so simple to make!! I love that they are made using a whisk ! So easy!!” ★★★★★
Key Ingredients
These are the main ingredients you need to make homemade vanilla cupcakes. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
All-purpose flour – this kitchen staple is perfect for super fluffy, moist vanilla cupcakes! No need for specialty flours like cake flour in my recipe.
Granulated sugar – while it’s most commonly thought that sugar just lends sweetness to recipes, in cakes, it is also essential for moist crumbs and a light texture. Stick to granulated or white sugar for this cake batter recipe, and don’t decrease the amount, or the cupcakes will be dense and dry.
Milk – whole milk is ideal for its fat content. 2% can be used in a pinch. Bring it to room temperature before starting the batter; cold milk will solidify the melted butter.
Sour cream – this tangy, thick cultured cream helps in two main ways. It provides acid for the baking soda and baking powder to react and help the batter rise in the oven. It’s also the secret to incredibly moist cupcakes and will keep them that way for days. (More on the science behind it, below!)
Eggs – you only need the egg whites for the cake batter. Separate the eggs while they are cold, then let the white come to room temperature. When you separate the eggs, reserve the yolks for a custard, lemon curd, or use them to make a batch of French Buttercream!
Butter – unsalted butter gives the cupcakes a rich flavor, and melting it first means you don’t have to beat it into the batter, making this a super easy vanilla cupcake recipe.
Vanilla extract – pure vanilla extract is the best choice. You can use vanilla bean paste for a classy, bakery look if desired!
A bit of advice on the ingredients: You can get the cheapest flour, sour cream, milk, and even butter, but you have to get good vanilla for this recipe! It’s the main flavor, and you want it to shine, so go find a good, real vanilla extract. If you want to get points for being fancy, use some vanilla bean paste while you’re at it. People love seeing the little specks of vanilla in the cupcakes and frosting!
The Secret To Moist Cupcakes: Sour Cream
I love using sour cream in my cake recipes to make them moist and tender! So what’s the science behind this? Well, the lactic acid in the sour cream weakens the proteins in flour that form gluten, so the cake turns out more tender. Because sour cream also contains fat, it helps keep the cakes from drying out as quickly.
It’s the secret to my perfect Devil’s food cake and strawberry cupcakes, too! If you don’t have sour cream, you can use a thick Greek yogurt instead. Just be sure to use one with fat—2% minimum, with 5% being ideal.
Which Type Of Frosting Is Best For Vanilla Cupcakes?
There are so many options to choose from! My vanilla cupcakes are a delicious foundation for all different flavors and styles of frosting. Here are three of my favorite types for you to choose from, depending on the type of frosting you like or how sweet you want it.
American Buttercream: Sweet And Easy
Beat room temperature butter with powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, and some vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Super fast and a total crowd-pleaser! Check out my vanilla buttercream post for all the tips and tricks as well as a full how to video!. You can also make flavored versions with strawberry buttercream, Oreo frosting, and chocolate buttercream.
Swiss And Italian Meringue Buttercream: Silky, Light, and Not Too Sweet
Swiss and Italian buttercream are both meringue-based, so you’ll be adding butter to a fluffy meringue made with egg whites and sugar. The result is light as air, smooth as silk, and totally delicious. Not very sweet, but really, they let the cake shine through. Try my Swiss meringue buttercream and Italian meringue buttercream recipes and check out my tips and tricks for the perfect frosting!
French Buttercream: Pipe-Able Custard
French buttercream is made with egg yolks, sugar, and butter, so it naturally has a beautiful pale yellow color. It tastes like a custard and has enough structure to pipe easily. Very underrated, and you can use the extra egg yolks from this recipe to make it! Try my French buttercream recipe on your next batch of cupcakes.
Pro Tips For The Best Vanilla Cupcakes
Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
Cupcake liners come in different sizes. Be sure to use regular cupcake or muffin pans with regular paper liners. You can choose festive ones, or put them inside decorative sleeves after baking, as I did! I found these pink polka dot ones online.
Make this into funfetti cupcakes! You can definitely add sprinkles to the cake batter. About ⅓ cup should do, to make this an amazing funfetti cupcake!
Everyone’s oven is slightly different. I like to turn my pan halfway through baking to promote a more even bake, in case there’s a hot spot.
Towards the end of the baking time, I keep a close eye on the oven. Once the centers are springy and a toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are ready. Being watchful at the end lessens the chances of having caramelized dark edges on your cupcake, ensuring it’s light, soft, and moist!
How To Make Vanilla Cupcakes
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making these easy vanilla cupcakes. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange 16 cupcake liners between two cupcake pans. In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
2. Add the sour cream, milk, vanilla, melted butter, and egg whites in a separate bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients together until well combined. The mixture will probably not be completely smooth as the butter might clump up a bit but it will be fine so don’t fret!
3. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and fold just until combined. Don’t overbeat it, though; a few small lumps are okay.
4. Scoop the vanilla cake batter into the cupcake papers and fill each one about ⅔ full. Bake at 350°F for about 18 minutes or until the centers JUST spring to the touch.
5. Allow cupcakes to cool for a few minutes in the pan, then remove and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat together the frosting ingredients until smooth and fluffy.
6. Pipe the vanilla buttercream frosting on top of each cooled cupcake. I’m using an 849 tip, but any star tip will do nicely.
Moist Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Cupcake liners
- Cupcake pan
- Piping bag
- Stand mixer
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1⅔ cup all-purpose flour 213g
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter 170g, melted
- 3 egg whites room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 15mL
- ½ cup sour cream 120mL, room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk 120mL, warm
For the Vanilla Buttercream:
- 2 pound confectioners sugar 900g, sifted
- 1 pound unsalted butter 450g, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 tsp whole milk
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cupcake papers in a cupcake pan.
- Sift the flour, sugar salt, baking soda and powder into a large bowl, and whisk together.
- Separate the eggs. You can use the yolks for a custard or a batch French buttercream.
- In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until combined. (The batter may be clumpy, do not worry!)
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
- Distribute the batter evenly into cupcake papers, filling each paper with about 2/3 the way up.
- Bake for about 18 minutes or until centers are springy to the touch.
For the Buttercream:
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter. Add in the confectioners sugar in two batches. Add salt, milk, cream and vanilla. Mix until fluffy.
- Transfer to a piping bag.
- Pipe a large dollop of buttercream on each cupcake.
Notes
- Feel free to modify this frosting recipe! I especially love to make these cupcakes with a dollop of Italian meringue buttercream on top as it’s less sweet and lighter (tasting not calories) than American buttercream or other frosting options. I give plenty of ideas in the section above, “Which Type Of Frosting Is Best For Vanilla Cupcakes?”
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
These cupcakes are fine overnight if left covered. You can refrigerate them for three days, but they should come to room temperature before eating. The butter-based cake needs to warm up a bit. If unfrosted, you can wrap and freeze the cupcakes for up to two months.
YES! I skip the yolks for a whiter cake, but you can use the whole egg; just reduce the sour cream by ¼ cup.
I LOVE the taste of butter, which is why I’ve used it in this recipe, but if you’re making cupcakes in advance and will be chilling them, then you may want to sub in some vegetable oil or replace the butter altogether. An oil-based cake will stay softer when cold. To make a complete substitute, use ¾ cup vegetable oil minus 1 tablespoon, as the oil has a higher fat content than butter.
More Cake Recipes To Try
If you love this cupcake recipe, be sure to try one of my popular cake recipes!
Two layers of tender chocolate cake are covered in fluffy chocolate buttercream to make the best chocolate cake! The cake batter simply whisks together, too, making it quick and easy.
Every celebration needs a sprinkle-studded funfetti cake. The cake layers are fluffy, and the coating is with an American-style buttercream for an ode to the bakery classic with so much more flavor.
Try my recipe for the perfect vanilla cake. The layers are buttery, rich, and tender—decorate it with vanilla frosting, or your favorite kind, for an easily customizable cake.
If you love tiramisu, you have to try my tiramisu cake! Layers of sponge cake are soaked with coffee syrup, filled with a mascarpone custard, and frosted with coffee-flavored buttercream.
A slice of classic pound cake is perfect to enjoy with coffee as an afternoon treat or topped with cream and berries for dessert.
If you’ve tried this vanilla cupcake recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Michele says
Absolutely delicious!
COLEEN MCCUNE says
These cupcakes are simply amazing! I always double the cupcake recipe but halve the frosting recipe. This gives me just enough frosting for a generous swirl design on each cupcake. I use Nielsen Massey vanilla for the cupcakes and Trader Joe’s butter, which is an excellent quality and price point as well as being a nice pale yellow color. Because I do not like to use food coloring in the frosting, I use Trader Joe’s vanilla bean paste. It keeps the frosting a nice white color and the vanilla bean flecks looks so tasty. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
Amy Gursky says
These are moist, delicious and so simple to make!! I love that they are made using a whisk ! So easy!!
Marilyn says
Oh my goodness! I made these for a couples shower and they turned out absolutely perfect! They were a hit. I received a lot of rave reviews for your wonderful recipe. The french buttercream also received rave reviews. Hope I can post a photo. My decorating skills are out of practice but these were incredible. Thanks for your terrific recipes and great tips!!!
Laura Denner says
Great recipe! The buttercream made a huge amount but omg it’s delish! I ended up saving the extra with no plan, but guessing I can find some excuse to consume it in the next couple of days.
Emily Valentino says
Amazing cupcake recipe. Never leave reviews. These are the best I’ve tried.
Could I make this into a sheet cake recipe?
Evelin says
I have made a few cupcake recipes from other sites & this recipe is by far the best one! Cupcakes rise beautifully & they’re so incredibly light & fluffy. This will now be my go to recipe from now on.
Emmanuelle says
My go to vanilla cupcake recipe! It has never failed me!
Shannon says
These are so delicious and come out perfectly every time!
Kathie F. says
super most and delicious !