Vanilla Cupcakes
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy. Made with buttermilk and topped with cream cheese frosting, these are the most luscious vanilla cupcakes. When my kids were little, I started a baking business specializing in cakes and cupcakes, mostly for children’s parties. Before I began, I spent weeks testing every type of cake recipe under the sun, often baking into the middle of the night. Michael would wake up in the morning to find the kitchen overflowing with all flavors of cakes and cupcakes. He thought I’d lost my mind—little did he know I was just discovering my passion for developing recipes, which was the motivation for starting my blog. These are the vanilla cupcakes that won me over. They have a fluffy, downy texture and rich vanilla flavor. Top them with swirls of cream cheese frosting, vanilla buttercream frosting, or rich chocolate buttercream. What You’ll Need To Make Vanilla Cupcakes Step-by-Step Instructions In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the soft butter and half of the buttermilk mixture. Mix on low speed until moistened but still a little crumbly, about 1 minute. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the remaining buttermilk mixture, Increase the speed to medium and mix for three minutes. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pans, filling the cups almost full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Frost the cooled cupcakes with icing and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. You May Also Like RecipeComments (240)Add Comment Recipe Comments (240) Add Comment Ingredients For the Cupcakes 1 cup buttermilk (see note) 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2¾ cups cake flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off (see note) 2 cups sugar Heaping ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon baking soda 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pans Vanilla buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting or rich chocolate buttercream 1 cup buttermilk (see note) 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2¾ cups cake flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off (see note) 2 cups sugar Heaping ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon baking soda 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pans Vanilla buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting or rich chocolate buttercream Instructions Preheat the oven to 350° and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Lightly grease the top of the muffin pans with butter so the cupcake tops don't stick. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside. (Note that the mixture will start to look curdled as it sits; that's okay.) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds to combine. Add the soft butter and half of the buttermilk mixture and mix on low speed until moistened but still a little crumbly, about 1 minute. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the remaining buttermilk mixture, then increase the speed to medium and mix for three minutes, stopping once to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The batter should look pale and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again, making sure the batter is evenly mixed. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pans, filling the cups almost full. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, switching the pans from top to bottom and back to front midway through. Remove from the oven when the cupcakes are set, lightly golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean (note that one pan may finish cooking before the other). Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Frost the cupcakes and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. The cupcakes are best served fresh on the day they are made, but they will keep nicely for up to 2 days. Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, check out the easy method here. Note: Cake flour gives the cupcakes a fine texture. All-purpose flour can be substituted, but the cupcakes will be a bit heavier. To make your own cake flour, you can whisk together 2½ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cupcakes can be frozen without the frosting for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and then in foil. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving. (Wait until the cupcakes are defrosted to ice them.) Preheat the oven to 350° and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Lightly grease the top of the muffin pans with butter so the cupcake tops don't stick. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside. (Note that the mixture will start to look curdled as it sits; that's okay.) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds to combine. Add the soft butter and half of the buttermilk mixture and mix on low speed until moistened but still a little crumbly, about 1 minute. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the remaining buttermilk mixture, then increase the speed to medium and mix for three minutes, stopping once to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The batter should look pale and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again, making sure the batter is evenly mixed. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pans, filling the cups almost full. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, switching the pans from top to bottom and back to front midway through. Remove from the oven when the cupcakes are set, lightly golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean (note that one pan may finish cooking before the other). Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Frost the cupcakes and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. The cupcakes are best served fresh on the day they are made, but they will keep nicely for up to 2 days. Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, check out the easy method here. Note: Cake flour gives the cupcakes a fine texture. All-purpose flour can be substituted, but the cupcakes will be a bit heavier. To make your own cake flour, you can whisk together 2½ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cupcakes can be frozen without the frosting for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and then in foil. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving. (Wait until the cupcakes are defrosted to ice them.) Nutrition Information Powered by Serving size: 1 cupcake Calories: 379 Fat: 19 g Saturated fat: 12 g Carbohydrates: 49 g Sugar: 37 g Protein: 4 g Sodium: 155 mg Cholesterol: 83 mg Serving size: 1 cupcake Calories: 379 Fat: 19 g Saturated fat: 12 g Carbohydrates: 49 g Sugar: 37 g Protein: 4 g Sodium: 155 mg Cholesterol: 83 mg This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. 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