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    Home » Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe (from scratch)

    Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe (from scratch)

    Published: Dec 22, 2021 · Modified: Nov 7, 2022 by Laura · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This is the best vanilla cupcake recipe! Made from scratch with simple ingredients, these vanilla cupcakes are moist with a perfect crumb. Topped with homemade frosting they are the ultimate birthday cupcakes. Ditch boxed mixes and make these homemade vanilla cupcakes instead.

    a Vanilla Cupcake topped with white frosting and sprinkles

    We celebrate many birthdays in our family, so over the years I have perfected from-scratch birthday treats like these homemade vanilla cupcakes (along with our favorite chocolate cake, chocolate cupcakes, yellow cake, and chocolate frosting)!

    Since we celebrate so often (there are 8 of us), I prefer to make our indulgent treats from scratch instead of using box mixes to avoid preservatives and artificial dyes/flavors. And these vanilla cupcakes are so easy to make you won't regret ditching the box and making these instead.

    This is the best vanilla cupcake recipe I've ever had. Made from scratch with simple ingredients, these vanilla cupcakes are moist with a perfect crumb. Topped with homemade vanilla frosting they are the ultimate birthday cupcakes.

    a Vanilla Cupcake laying on it's side with a bite taken out of it

    Vanilla Cupcake Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions

    ingredients in this Vanilla Cupcake recipe
    • All-purpose flour. Cake flour or bread flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour.
    • Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well too. You can replace up to ¼ cup of the butter with canola oil, if desired.
    • Granulated sugar. There really isn't a substitute for the sugar. I suggest regular white sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results. 
    • Sour cream. Full-fat, plain Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream. I recommend using full-fat ingredients.
    • Whole milk. Again, I am an advocate for using full-fat whole milk in these vanilla cupcakes. You could substitute 2% milk but nothing with a lower fat content. Also heavy cream or half and half.
    • Canola oil. Oil keeps these vanilla cupcakes moist. You can substitute equal amounts of melted butter or another neutral oil if desired, however canola oil yields the best results. 
    • Vanilla extract. You can switch up the extract and use almond, peppermint, orange, etc. if you prefer flavored cupcakes.
    • Frosting. I suggest this homemade chocolate buttercream frosting or this vanilla frosting. I use both of them exclusively to decorate my cakes and cupcakes.
    5 Vanilla Cupcakes topped with white frosting

    How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes

    This vanilla cupcake recipe is easy to make. We'll walk through the process step-by-step, and don't forget to watch the video.

    Make the vanilla cupcake batter

    Begin by lining two standard muffin pans with liners and lightly grease each liner with cooking spray, set aside.

    Then, make the cupcake batter. Start by combining the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

    two photos showing How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes - combining the dry ingredients

    Next, in the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat butter and sugar for 1 minute.

    two photos showing How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes - beating together butter and sugar

    Then, add the eggs and vanilla and beat again for 1 minute.  

    two photos showing How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes - adding eggs and vanilla

    Next, add the sour cream, milk and canola oil and stir until combined.

    two photos showing How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes -  adding milk, oil and sour cream

    Lastly, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth.

    two photos showing How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes - combining wet and dry ingredients

    Bake

    Once the batter is finished, fill each prepared cupcake liner with ¼ cup of the batter.

    Then, bake the vanilla cupcakes in the preheated oven for 19-22 minutes, or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean or with a few crumbs.

    Cool

    Place baking pans on a wire cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

    two photos showing How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes - in a muffin pan before and after baking

    Frost

    When the vanilla cupcakes are cooled, frost them with this chocolate buttercream frosting or homemade vanilla frosting and serve! I use the following tools to decorate cupcakes:

    • Piping bags - I have both reusable and disposable piping bags and use them all the time. 
    • Piping tips and couplers - I recommend a great starter tip and coupler set. However the Wilton 1M tip and large coupler are my favorite - and can be used in so many ways. This is the tip/set I used to frost the chocolate cupcakes pictured in this post. 
    two photos showing How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes - frosting the cupcakes

    How to store vanilla cupcakes

    Store these homemade vanilla cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Serve at room temperature. 

    To Freeze

    It's really easy to bake a batch of vanilla cupcakes from scratch and freeze them. Simply follow the recipe and let them cool completely. Then transfer the unfrosted cupcakes to an airtight container and freeze in a single layer until you're ready to frost and serve. 

    Thaw them at room temperature (do not microwave or heat in the oven).

    4 Vanilla Cupcakes topped with white frosting

    Vanilla Cupcakes FAQs

    What makes cupcakes light and fluffy (what is the secret to fluffy cupcakes)?

    The texture is all in the recipe you use. In this recipe, the combination of sour cream, oil and eggs helps give it a nice fluffy texture. Also, beating the butter, sugar & eggs well then only carefully mixing in the rest of the ingredients helps create air pockets in the batter that keeps them light and fluffy.

    Should cupcakes be flat or domed?

    I prefer flat cupcakes because they are easier to frost, which is why I created this recipe that bakes nice, flat cupcakes.

    Can I double this recipe?

    Yes, this recipe is easily doubled or tripled.

    a Vanilla Cupcake topped with with frosting and sprinkles with a bite taken out of it

    If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don't forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube - be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can your creations!

    Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe

    Laura
    The best vanilla cupcake recipe! Made from scratch with simple ingredients, these vanilla cupcakes are moist with a perfect crumb. Topped with homemade frosting they are the ultimate birthday cupcakes. Ditch boxed mixes and make these homemade vanilla cupcakes instead.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 24 cucpakes
    Calories 154 kcal

    Equipment

    • measuring spoons
    • measuring cups
    • spatula
    • glass batter bowl
    • KitchenAid Mixer
    • standard muffin pan
    • hand mixer

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • ½ tsp baking soda
    • ½ tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp fine sea salt
    • ½ cup butter softened
    • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
    • ½ cup sour cream
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • ¼ cup canola oil
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • homemade vanilla frosting
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    • Line two standard muffin pans with liners and lightly grease each liner with cooking spray, set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside
    • In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat butter and sugar for 1 minute.
    • Add eggs and vanilla and beat for 1 minute.
    • Add sour cream, milk and canola oil and stir until combined.
    • Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth.
    • Fill each cupcake liner with ¼ cup batter.
    • Bake in the preheated oven for 19-22 minutes, or until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
    • Place the baking pans on a wire cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer the to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
    • Once cool, frost and serve.

    Video

    Notes

    *nutrition facts calculated for only the cupcakes without frosting.

    Ingredient Substitutions

    • All-purpose flour. Cake flour or bread flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour.
    • Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well too. You can replace up to ¼ cup of the butter with canola oil, if desired.
    • Granulated sugar. There really isn't a substitute for the sugar. I suggest regular white sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results. 
    • Sour cream. Full-fat, plain Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream. I recommend using full-fat ingredients.
    • Whole milk. Again, I am an advocate for using full-fat whole milk in these vanilla cupcakes. You could substitute 2% milk but nothing with a lower fat content. Also heavy cream or half and half.
    • Canola oil. Oil keeps these vanilla cupcakes moist. You can substitute equal amounts of melted butter or another neutral oil if desired, however canola oil yields the best results. 
    • Vanilla extract. You can switch up the extract and use almond, peppermint, orange, etc. if you prefer flavored cupcakes.
    • Frosting. I suggest this homemade chocolate buttercream frosting or this vanilla frosting. I use both of them exclusively to decorate my cakes and cupcakes.

    How to store vanilla cupcakes

    Store these homemade vanilla cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Serve at room temperature. 

    To Freeze

    It's really easy to bake a batch of vanilla cupcakes from scratch and freeze them. Simply follow the recipe and let them cool completely. Then transfer the unfrosted cupcakes to an airtight container and freeze in a single layer until you're ready to frost and serve. 
    Thaw them at room temperature (do not microwave or heat in the oven).

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cupcakeCalories: 154kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 119mgPotassium: 47mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 184IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    The photos in this post were taken by Ginny from In Bloom Bakery!

    This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine! 

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    About Laura

    I’m Laura, a former chemistry teacher turned homeschooling mom of six beautiful babies! I create simple and delicious recipes that are tested and perfected to make cooking and baking joyful and fun!

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