NO creaming method and NO NEED to wait for ingredients to come to room temperature, you can whip up this vanilla cupcake batter by hand in minutes. They bake up soft, fluffy, and full of vanilla flavor, making them the perfect base for a not-too-sweet buttercream that’s light and fluffy. It’s just like meringue buttercream, but egg-free!
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🩵Ease Level & Flavor Profile
Ease Level: Beginner-friendly! The cupcake base you can mix by hand but you will need a hand mixer or stand mixer to help you with the frosting.
Flavor Profile: Lightly sweetened vanilla cupcake with deliciously warm vanilla flavor that pairs beautifully with the creamy, not-too-sweet buttercream frosting.
This is my go-to recipe base for many of my custom cake works in the past. I’ve used this to make tiered cakes, cupcakes, cake pops, etc!
🥣Main Ingredients
Flour: All-Purpose Flour helps structure the cake, making it sturdy and durable while maintaining a tender crumb. Cake Flour contributes to a finer texture and lighter, more delicate crumb. Combining the two balances softness with structure for a perfectly textured vanilla cake that’s delicious at room temperature or even straight from the fridge.
White Sugar: White granulated sugar sweetens the cake while also locking in moisture and tenderizing, helping to create a tender and moist crumb. It’s also the reason your cake gets that gorgeous, caramelized golden flavor and color!
Salt: Salt’s like the background singer in your cake—it balances the sweetness and makes those vanilla notes pop. Skip it, and your cake will still be fine, but it might miss that little extra oomph.
Vegetable Oil and Heavy cream: No one likes a dry cupcake, and vegetable oil totally gets that! Vegetable oil keeps the cake moist and tender by adding extra moisture to the batter. Heavy cream and vegetable oil are the dream team for this recipe! Heavy cream brings richness, while vegetable oil keeps things light and moist, even when chilled (unlike butter, which tends to get dense in the fridge). Together, they’re the perfect duo for a cake that’s soft and tender.
Sour Cream or Buttermilk: Sour cream or buttermilk, take your pick, they both get the job done! They keep the cake nice and moist, add a little tanginess to balance the sweetness, and work their magic with the baking powder to give your cake some airy lift. Plus, they’re the secret to that soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture we all love.
📋Variations/Subsitutions
This is the perfect vanilla cupcakes base for all sorts of delicious flavors.
- Love nuts? Try adding in some of your favorite toasted chopped nuts like pistachio, almonds, pecans, or walnuts.
- No vanilla? No problem! Use other extracts like orange, lemon, yuzu, black sesame
- Don't have cake flour? Cake flour makes the scones more tender but all-purpose flour works just fine as well. Both delicious!
- Get creative and try other flavors for your vanilla cupcakes by adding black sesame powder, citrus zests like lemon or orange, or adding in dried fruits.
How To Store Cupcakes
- To Freeze: Place unfrosted cupcakes in a single layer in a freezer-safe container or tightly wrap them in plastic wrap. Store in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving or decorating.
- In the Fridge: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container to maintain freshness and prevent the cupcakes from drying out. Refrigerated cupcakes are best enjoyed within 1-2 days. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving for best texture and flavor. The buttercream will be smooth and creamier at room temperature but my hubbie loves to eat it cold from the fridge. Up to you 🙂
- At Room Temperature: Frosted or unfrosted cupcakes can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. For frosted cupcakes, keep them in a cool, dry place, away from heat to prevent the frosting from melting.
⭐Busy Week? Make Vanilla Cupcakes Ahead of Time!⭐
Here’s a chill 2-3 day schedule to keep things stress-free and totally manageable: 👍
Day 1: Prep like a pro! Measure out all your ingredients for the cupcakes and frosting.
Day 2: Bake the cupcakes. Let the cupcakes cool until just not hot to touch, then store in an airtight, heat safe container to finish cooling completely. This helps lock in the moisture and keeps them from drying out before you get to the frosting fun!
You can store these in the fridge for 1-2 nights before frosting or at room temperature. If you plan to bake ahead more than 2 nights, wrap tightly and freeze the cupcakes instead to keep them fresh/moist. Defrost before frosting and serving.
Day 3: Whip up the frosting and decorate fully cooled cupcakes. 🎉
Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients For Vanilla Cupcakes
- 65 grams all purpose flour
- 25 grams cake flour
- 115 grams white sugar granulated
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt fine
Wet Ingredients For Vanilla Cupcakes (cold)
- 45 grams vegetable oil
- 1 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract pure
- 70 grams heavy cream
- 20 grams sour cream or plain unsweetened yogurt
Frosting Ingredients
- 56 grams unsalted butter microwave to soft
- 50 grams confectioner’s sugar
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
- 35 grams milk or water microwave to warm
Instructions
For The Vanilla Cupcakes:
- Line cupcake cavities with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Sift together 65 grams all purpose flour, 25 grams cake flour, 115 grams white sugar, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or use a whisk in a mixing bowl.
- Add 45 grams vegetable oil, 1 large eggs, and 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. This step helps the initial mixing process and prevents clumps. Mix until mostly combined, don’t worry if it looks like it’s not coming together yet…it will!
- Pour in 70 grams heavy cream and 20 grams sour cream or plain unsweetened yogurt, then mix until the batter is smooth. Don’t overmix.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (with a fan) or 350°F (without a fan).
- Evenly divide the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake for 13-16 minutes. The cupcake tops should spring back when lightly pressed or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool until just not hot to touch, then store in an airtight, heat safe container to finish cooling completely. This helps lock in the moisture and keeps them from drying out before you get to the frosting fun!
For The Frosting
- While the cupcakes cool, if your butter and milk/water is cold, microwave until the butter is soft (not melted) and your milk/water until it’s not cold about 60-70F)
- Whisk 56 grams unsalted butter, 50 grams confectioner’s sugar, 1 pinch fine salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract together until light and creamy in a stand mixer at medium-high speed. This should take about 5-10 minutes.
- At low speed on stand mixer to prevent splashing, gradually add 35 grams milk or wateruntil the mixture is fully emulsified and fluffy (about 10-15 minutes). The frosting should be lighter in color and texture when it's ready.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool, frost them as you’d like and enjoy!
Nutrition
Enjoy! :) Please tag @sparklecakerie if you make this! I’d love to see and share your creations <3
Jess says
Look no further because this is the only vanilla cupcake recipe you’ll ever need!! I’ve made this recipe at least half a dozen times (twice with my toddler) and it was a success everytime! I love how Sharon breaks down the steps and makes baking feel more approachable for beginners. The cake is moist and light with the perfect crumb, and buttercream is decadent but not too sweet. A match made in baking heaven!