Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes
Homemade vanilla cupcakes are tender and moist, and made entirely from scratch. These yellow cupcakes are topped with a sweet and velvety American buttercream frosting.
Servings 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Vanilla cupcakes
- 1.5 cups (168 g) cake flour
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (113 g) milk room temperature
American buttercream frosting
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 cups (454 g) confectioner's sugar
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) heavy cream or more as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Vanilla cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt to a bowl. Whisk to remove clumps and set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, add butter and sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until creamed and fluffy, about a minute. Add eggs and vanilla extract, beating until smooth and fluffy, about a minute.
- Add half of your dry ingredients to butter mixture. Stir until just combined. Add half of milk, again stirring until just combined. Repeat once more, adding remaining dry ingredients and remaining milk, stirring until just incorporated.
- Portion batter between 12 cupcake liners, filling about ⅔ full. Bake in preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes, or until centers pop back when gently pressed in the center. If an indent is left, your cupcakes need more time.
- Remove pan from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling.
American buttercream frosting
- In a large bowl, add room temperature butter. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until creamy and smooth, about a minute.
- Add confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing slowly until combined. Then, whip at high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla extract and heavy cream, then whip until fluffy, another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pipe or spread frosting with a knife onto cupcakes and serve.
Video
Notes
- Storage: Cupcakes are best served the same day of baking, but will remain moist for up to 48 hours when covered in a sealed container at room temperature.
- Freezing: Cupcakes (frosted or not) can be frozen for up to 3 months. Transfer to a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then store in a freezer-safe container. Thaw on the countertop for 1-2 hours before serving.
- Cake flour alternatives: This recipe can be made with all-purpose flour instead of cake flour, but the texture will be coarser and cupcakes will not turn out quite as tender. Readers have also had success using a cake flour substitute that calls for replacing 2 tablespoons of flour per cup with cornstarch.
- Frosting quantity: The frosting recipe makes enough to pipe tall, dramatic frosting onto each cupcake (like shown in the photos). If you'd like to make less frosting and spread it with a knife, cut the recipe in half.
- More tips: Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking cake, based on reader comments and questions!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 98mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 857IU | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
