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Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
Absolutely perfect vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting are super moist, buttery and melt in your mouth. Topped with silky smooth vanilla buttercream frosting – a classic combination!
Cupcakes experienced a serious boon in popularity about 10 years ago and boutique cupcake shops started popping up in every neighborhood. Forget about traditional cupcake flavors; things like red velvet, mocha, salted caramel and peanut butter were all the rage. And as good as those cupcakes are (seriously, I love them ALL), is there anything more iconic or nostalgic that a simple vanilla or chocolate cupcake?
My husband will always choose a vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting, so I set about finding the best combination of each a long time ago and fell in love with this recipe!
Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting!
These cupcakes are extremely buttery, supremely moist, and totally melt in your mouth, plus they come together in absolutely no time at all, which make them a quick and easy weeknight or weekend project.
MY OTHER RECIPES A lot of cupcake recipes use oil instead of butter to keep them moist, but for a vanilla cupcake, I much prefer the pronounced butter flavor which shines through so wonderfully.
Why Are My Vanilla Cupcakes Dense, Crumbly and Taste Like Cornbread?
One of the biggest complaints about homemade vanilla cupcakes is that they often turn out dense or (horror of horrors) taste like cornbread! So what gives? Why does this happen? How can you prevent it?
- Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. This is essential – be sure that the butter is FULLY softened and that the sour cream and eggs are also at room temperature. If the ingredients are not all at the same temperature, they will not incorporate properly or thoroughly, which can cause a dense cupcake.
- Do not overmix the batter. This goes for most baked goods! Overmixing can cause too much gluten to be developed, which can also cause dense cupcakes.
This is my absolute favorite frosting recipe, one that I began using a long time ago, and is the base for such things as my Espresso Buttercream Frosting (which made an appearance on top of the Mocha Cupcakes), Maple-Bacon Buttercream Frosting (which topped the Pancake Cupcakes), and The Best Chocolate Buttercream for Cupcakes. Needless to say, it is my go-to frosting recipe, and I hope it will become yours too!
With all of those crazy cupcake flavors floating around today, a simple recipe for vanilla cupcakes and vanilla frosting is a must have for a baker of any experience level!
Four years ago: Greek Easter Bread
Five years ago: Rhubarb-Ginger Crumble
Six years ago: DIY Vanilla Pudding Mix
Nine years ago: Pigu
Did you make this recipe?
Absolutely perfect vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting are super moist, buttery and melt in your mouth. Topped with silky smooth vanilla buttercream frosting - a classic combination!
For the Cupcakes
- 1½
cups
all-purpose flour
- 1
cup
granulated sugar
- 1½
teaspoons
baking powder
- ½
teaspoon
table salt
- ½
cup
unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½
cup
sour cream, at room temperature
- 1
egg
(at room temperature)
- 2
egg yolks
(at room temperature)
- 1½
teaspoons
vanilla extract
Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin/cupcake tin with paper or foil liners.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolks, and vanilla; beat at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and mix by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.
Divide batter evenly among cups of prepared tin. Bake until cupcake tops are pale gold and toothpick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from tin and transfer to wire rack; cool cupcakes to room temperature before frosting.
Make the Vanilla Frosting: Using the whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.
Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Frost cupcakes as desired (cupcakes are pictured with the frosting piped using a
Wilton 1M decorating tip). The cupcakes can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- You can store the frosting in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days; let it come to room temperature and then give it a quick whip in the mixer before using.
Nutritional values are based on one cup cake
Calories: 460kcal
Fat: 26g
Saturated fat: 16g
Cholesterol: 112mg
Sodium: 115mg
Potassium: 93mg
Carbohydrates: 54g
Sugar: 41g
Protein: 2g
Vitamin A: 16.6%
Vitamin C: 0.1%
Calcium: 4.7%
Iron: 5.2%
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on October 28, 2010.
[photos by Whitney Wright]
these are gorgeous… I really need a frosting lesson… this frosting looks like you have a REALLY BIG tip that made one big plop instead of swirling around… how DID you do it?? :D
Hi Kristina, I use a Wilton 1M tip. And those are actually miniature cupcakes so they didn’t require a lot of swirling since I used a big tip :)
Hi! I am going to bake your cupcakes but I was wondering if the recipe made 12 miniature cupcakes or 12 regular size. You confused me with your proir comment! Please help me!
Hi Quinn, The recipe makes 12 regular size cupcakes, sorry for the confusion. I just used it to make 24 minis.
Hi~
I was wondering how long you baked the mini cupcakes (I usually make everything mini since I feel less guilty eating them!) :) I’m assuming 20-24 min is for the regular cupcakes? Thanks so much! I love your blog and have tried a few of the recipes that you have posted, with great success!
maybe 15 mins at the most
I start checking the mini size around 8 minutes. Enjoy!
I was wondering if it was possible to do the recipe without the sour cream?? or maybe replace it with something else?? thanks
p.s i love your website :)
My fiancé and I are getting married at the courthouse Tommorow with the big wedding next year. Since this is just us I’m baking your recipe for a special dinner Tommorow Just wanted to say thanks in advance and let you know
Instead of swirling it around, you place the tip on the middle of the cupcake, and keep the pressure on the pastry bag until the icing is big enough for you. :)
These cupcakes looks so yum…. well looking forward for the red velvet cupcakes.. thanks for taking into consideration the request..
Can you adapt this for a full cake? Looking for a good cake recipe for my daughter’s princess-themed birthday cake. This looks delicious!
Hi Holly, I haven’t, but I don’t see why you couldn’t. I think you would probably want to double the recipe and make two 8″ or 9″ cakes.
I used half of this recipe to make a 4 inch cake yesterday, it turned out great, however it took almost double the oven time, about 40 minutes!!
I followed your recipe fr the frosting to make an almond frosting and it worked perfectly! just take away the vanilla and add almond extract! Thank you is wonderful!
-Amalia
http://buttersweetmelody.wordpress.com
Oooh great idea Amalia, thanks for sharing!
YAY! I’m so glad you liked Baked&Wired – I’ve lived in DC for ages, and I always tell people to go there instead of G’town Cupcake :) Their cupcakes are bigger and they have more frosting (which is my favorite part of any cake)
Vanilla/vanilla is always one of my favorite cupcakes. But, I’m so excited to see your red velvet recipe! I have a long history of shouting at Yankees that Red Velvet is NOT A CHOCOLATE CAKE, dernit! This makes me disproportionately interested in any appearance of red velvet. More of my thoughts on the matter here: http://darbyoshea.wordpress.com/2010/03/28/march-cake-dans-birthday/
If you ever find yourself back at Georgetown Cupcake, call ahead to make an order. It allows you to skip the line! But I’m so glad to hear you preferred Baked & Wired – it’s my favorite pick in the area!
I completely agree, I thought Georgetown Cupcakes were so over rated and I was completely disappointed! And at 2.75 a cupcake I was expecting something that would knock my socks off! The cake was so dry with very little taste. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Michelle, I’m so happy that you posted a really good looking vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting, it’s one of my favorite cupcakes! I’ve never done a vanilla frosting without milk or cream, what’s the difference with just vanilla on it?
Hi Ram, Not much of a difference. I have made frostings with cream, but usually only a tablespoon or two, so I can’t tell much of a difference at all.
The owner of Baked and Wired is my husband’s cousin, Theresa. I’m glad you enjoyed it. She’s a Midwest girl at heart (and by birth) and many of the recipes she uses are modified from her family. Your cupcakes look very yummy.
Hi Barbara, So neat to hear your connection to Baked & Wired and the background of the recipes! Small world! Maybe you can snag me a “behind the scenes” pass sometime :)
I’ve not been “behind the scenes” myself, as I’m in Ohio and she’s in, well, Georgetown, but Theresa is as nice as she can be — she has her hands in everything there. I’m sure if you just ask, she would be happy to show you around. She’d love to read your post. I’ll pass it on to her mom, who, I’m sure, will pass it on to her.
Aw thanks Barbara, I will have to try to touch base with her the next time I’m in the area. And thank you for passing along the post, I hope she appreciates it! :)
when i was in dc last month, i tried going to georgetown cupcakes but the line was so long that we just headed over to baked and wired. i loved it! the cupcakes were amazing! i had a peach cupcake with almond frosting and it was TO DIE FOR.
Oooh peach and almond sounds delicious! I don’t remember seeing that option when we were there!
I have been thinking about cupcakes non-stop recently! These are going on the list – beautiful :)
Vanilla power!!!!! \m/ :D
What gorgeous cupcakes! The buttercream frosting just sounds like it is to die for! That would be so dangerous if I ever put those on cupcakes or if the icing ever actually made it TO the cupcakes haha, yum
I’m with Raven… I’m not certain how much of the frosting would actually make it to the cupcakes! An excellent recipe to have on hand for those “I need a good cupcake” occasions!
Those look so gorgeous. I love cupcakes. They are so elegant and you can just taste the light cakey sweetness when looking at beautiful pics such as yours. Great job.
Yay for Baked and Wired! They are a million times better than Georgetown Cupcake and there’s never a line!
A classic combo. Well done! I am going to DC next weekend and checking out DC cupcakes, too!
Liz, definitely check out Baked & Wired too!
Can’t wait to try some of your recipes! I don’t bake often due to me eating all of the product but still need to try your chocolate with peanut butter frosting. I almost never make vanilla anything due to my love of chocolate but this is good to have on hand. As for red velvet, I’m not from the South and still don’t understand the fascination with it. It’s not chocolate, it’s not vanilla…what the heck is it? Can’t wait to see what the explanation is in next post. I’ve tried to make it, I’ve tried buying it…still don’t get it. It’s like the red-headed stepchild of cakes to me. Anyway, the holidays are now upon us and it’s time to bake! Thanks for your fabulous site!
My husband and I were just talking about our favorite cupcakes the other day, and when I said mine were vanilla flavored with vanilla frosting, he looked at me like I had a third eye! These will always be the best cupcake to me – classic, simple and super delicious! Thanks for sharing, Michelle.