Forget the box mix! This easy Vanilla Cupcake recipe really is the best ever. They turn out amazing every time, and the sweet, moist white cupcakes are perfect for everything from birthdays to baby showers, and weekends to weddings!
Homemade Cupcake Recipe
For years my Best Ever Moist Chocolate Cupcakes have been one of the most popular recipes on this site. They have dozens of rave reviews and I often get requests for a vanilla cupcake recipe that can match it in terms of making easy, moist cupcakes that have amazing vanilla flavor all their own.
But it takes me a while to work through cake and cupcake recipes because I only want to share tried-and-true ones that I really consider the best of the best, like my Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting or my Best Red Velvet Cake. I know us food bloggers tend to play fast and loose with terms like “best”, but when it comes to these cake and cupcake recipes, I really mean it.
I’ve tinkered with a bunch of different approaches while coming up with these classic white cupcakes. But I can confidently say that these are the best vanilla cupcakes of my life and I’ve made them multiple times now with the same great results every time.
I have used both cake flour and a hack for making cake flour at home using all-purpose flour and cornstarch and you can’t tell a difference. I also tried a version with oil instead of butter, since I will often use half of each to get truly moist cupcakes. But when the dominant flavor is vanilla, I felt like going the all-butter approach won out because of its supporting buttery flavor.
The batter is thicker than my chocolate cupcake batter, which is normal for a vanilla cupcake, but the top will still be slightly domed instead of flat, provided you use room temperature ingredients and have fresh baking powder to use in the recipe. Those two issues are the usual culprits in flat-topped cupcakes in my experience.
If you love baking from scratch, be sure to try some of our other favorite tried-and-true dessert recipes like my Classic Pavlova, French Fruit Tart, or my Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies.
What you’ll need for White Cupcakes
- All purpose flour
- Cornstarch – mix the cornstarch and the flour and you have made your very own cake flour.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Salted butter
- Granulated sugar
- 3 egg whites
- Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Almond extract (optional)
- Sour cream
- Whole milk
How to make Vanilla Cupcakes from Scratch
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with 14 cupcake liners and set aside.
2. Start by creaming room temperature butter and the granulated sugar in a large bowl using an electric or stand mixer. Let it mix for a minute or two until nice and creamy, then scrape down the bottom and side of the bowl.
3. Add the egg whites and beat again, mixing well and scraping the bottom and side of the bowl again to combine.
4. Add the sour cream and vanilla to the mixer and beat until combined.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter in the large bowl, mixing just until combined.
6. Add half of the milk and mix again. Then scrape down the bottom and side of the bowl again, and repeat with the remaining flour mixture and milk, mixing just until everything is incorporated but being careful not to overmix.
7. Use a medium scoop to divide the batter between 14 cupcake liners, filling them each about 2/3 full. Bake for 19-22 minutes until done, being careful not to overbake.
How full should I fill each cupcake liner?
A funny thing about cupcake recipes is that you shouldn’t always just assume that you fill the cupcake liner with the same amount.
For my chocolate cupcakes, I only fill them halfway and the thin batter rises to the top perfectly.
For these easy vanilla cupcakes, you fill each cupcake liner just about 2/3 full for the best results. I like to use a medium cookie scoop to do this because it keeps things consistent and tidier.
If you fill the liners more, there is a good chance the batter will go over the edges of the cupcake liners, giving you a little lip around the edges. You will get 14 perfect little cupcakes every time if you are filling them 2/3 full.
It may be tempting to try to just do 12 cupcakes, but trust me, do the two extra. There is room in most ovens for two muffin tins to fit side by side so you can bake them both at the same time anyway.
How can I tell when the Best Vanilla Cupcakes are done?
You can tell if the cupcakes are done by tapping the top of them lightly. If they are done it will bounce right back, but you might get a little dent or impression that doesn’t bounce back if the cupcakes need to bake for a minute or two longer.
You can also always use the toothpick approach, although for cupcakes I feel like the tapping method is easier and more reliable.
White Cupcake Recipe tips
- Don’t pack the flour. Most bakers swear by the “scoop and sweep” approach where you scoop the flour into a measuring cup, then sweep a knife over the top to level it off. If you pack and press the flour into your measuring cup, you will actually end up with denser, drier cupcakes.
- Room temperature ingredients matter! It really does make a difference to let your butter, eggs, milk, and sour cream come up to temperature when making cake from scratch. You can always cheat this a bit by placing your eggs in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes while you gather the other ingredients and microwaving the butter for 5-10 seconds on one side, then flipping and heating it for 5 seconds on the other side just to soften it.
- Funfetti Cupcake Variation: You can add ⅓ cup sprinkles to this vanilla cupcake recipe for funfetti cupcakes.
- Filled Cupcakes: Fill the middle with pastry cream, caramel or dulce de leche, fruit curd, nutella, jam, or other ingredients to make wonderful flavor variations. You can either cut out a plug from the top of each cupcake, then fill and stick the plug back on top before piping frosting over it, or squirt the filling into the center of the cupcake using a piping bag and tip. Just be careful not to overfill and split your cupcakes if using the second approach.
How to serve this Homemade Cupcake Recipe
What kind of frosting is best with vanilla cupcakes?
Honestly, these cupcakes are so good you don’t even need frosting. Does anybody else love plain cupcakes like I do or am I a monster?
We love frosted cupcakes too though! You can’t go wrong with a classic vanilla buttercream frosting (what I used in these photos) or homemade rainbow chip frosting.
We also have lots of other fun frosting recipes for you to pick and choose from! I personally love these cupcakes with this amazing guava frosting. Or throw some crushed Oreos in the batter and pair them with my light & fluffy Oreo frosting for a cookies & cream cupcake!
How to store Moist Vanilla Cupcakes
- Frosted cupcakes are best eaten within 3 days. You can store them at room temperature or in the fridge as long as they are in an airtight container.
- Unfrosted cupcakes freeze really well. Just place them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw at room temperature and frosting.
- If you want to make this vanilla cupcake recipe for a crowd, you can easily double or triple the recipe (and so on). But I recommend waiting to frost the cupcakes, whether they are fresh or frozen, until just before the event where you plan to serve them.
Can you freeze these moist Vanilla Cupcakes?
Yes! They freeze really well. Freeze the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container or wrap them individually in plastic wrap or tin foil. You can then place them in a ziploc bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to two months for best flavor. When ready to use, just let them thaw at room temperature and they will be as good as the day you baked them!
Moist Vanilla Cupcake Recipe FAQs
Room temperature ingredients and correct measuring of ingredients matter! Those are the two biggest secrets to better baking and really good cupcakes. Everything mixes better when they are the same temperature. These vanilla cupcakes are delicious and if you have any troubles or struggles, leave a comment below and I will try to help. I am an open book and want you to be the best baker/cook you can be!
For nice fluffy cupcakes you want to create air bubbles in the batter that will grow and expand in the oven. You want to make sure you don’t overmix and stir everything until just combined.
More cake & cupcake recipes that are tried & true!
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Best Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled (188g)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Beat the butter and sugar on high speed in a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer for 3 minutes until creamy and light. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add egg whites and vanilla, beating on medium-high speed until combined. Beat in sour cream.
- Add the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined, then scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer running on low speed, add the milk, stirring just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full with batter, then bake for 19-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Notes
- Vanilla bean paste is wonderful in these cupcakes because it adds little brown flecks of vanilla throughout the cupcakes. But it tastes the same in my opinion and most bakers won’t have it in their cupboards so I typically just use real vanilla extract instead. Use an equal amount of vanilla bean paste as you would vanilla extract if you choose to use it.
I’ve made a lot of vanilla cupcake recipes over the years, and while some have many reviews, I haven’t found them nearly as enjoyable as this one!! The taste is delicious, the crumb is delicate but sturdy for frosting and they baked up with a perfect dome. Thank you for this recipe!!
Oh wow thank you for the nice review! I’m glad you liked them!
How long would you bake mini cupcakes with this recipe?
Mini cupcakes will probably take more like 12 minutes, possibly less.
I did a test run of these last night, and have to say they are spectacular
I will be making them for a friends wedding, in December.
Oh wow! Thank you! Glad you enjoyed them.
Delicious, moist and delicate. My favorite recipe.
Thank you Amy!
These are amazing! I chose this recipe because I needed a white base to make a blue cupcake with butterfly pea flower. I had cake flour on hand so I used it. These are so delicious – moist, with the perfect crumb. These will be my new “go to” cupcake recipe!
Is it possible to use whole milk Greek yogurt for sour cream? I often swap it out, I’m thinking it would be ok.
Yes, you’ll be just fine!
These are the best cupcakes I’ve ever had! I only have one question. How do you keep your cupcakes from getting brown on top?
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I don’t feel like I do anything special beyond just baking them in my oven, but the browning on top is a heat issue and could be a couple of things. My first suggestion would be to let the oven preheat even longer so the heat is fully and evenly dispersed throughout the oven. Even when the oven’s preheat function says its preheated, that’s not always accurate. And if the oven element is at the top heating down and the oven itself isn’t full of heat, that can result in the tops browning more quickly. This is the best explanation I can come up with because I rarely have an issue with them browning unless I haven’t preheated the oven for a good long while. Aside from preheating the oven for a good 30 minutes, You might try placing a baking sheet or piece of foil on the rack above the cupcakes while baking to protect the tops from some of the heat, similar to shielding a pie crust, if the issue persists. I hope that helps!
I wondering if I can use this recipe to just make a full sized cake?
Yes, you can make about 3 6 inch cake pans.
Could I use Buttermilk instead of milk for this recipe?
Yes, you can.
I was wondering if you think the reverse creaming method would work with this recipe?
I haven’t done the reverse creaming method with this recipe but I am sure it would be fine. Both methods create moist cakes but the reverse creaming method can produce a slightly more sturdy cake that doesn’t rise as much so it’s used a lot for cakes that are going to be stacked. But the differences between the two are very subtle and for everyday baking I just stick to the regular creaming method.
I just came across your blogs and going through some recipes made me thinks they will be delicious once made. So thank you for sharing and I definitely will try a few in the future.
Thank you again and have a wonderful day. 💐
I hope you will make some! Thanks for visiting!
If I am using cake flour do I just leave out the cornstarch? I have made cake flour with ap flour and cornstarch and I had to take out 2 tablespoons of AP flour then add cornstarch. Now that I’m using cake flour should I add 2 more tablespoons of cake flour?
Yes, correct.
I love this recipe!! I’ve used it several times, thank you so much. Can you tell me how many cups, or oz, 1 batch is? I’m currently doing a 2 tier, 8 1/2″ round cake for a friend’s bday and need to know how much ingredients, I need! Thank you in advance!
It’s about 3 cups of batter for one batch. You’ll want to double the batch for a 2 layer cake.
Yummy! I have originally tried the moist chocolate cupcakes and loved that recipe, but needed a simple vanilla cupcake recipe. I’ve tried other vanilla cake recipes and this one is my favorite! Super moist, easy recipe to follow and the perfect crumb!
Wow thank you so much! What a nice thing to say!
Can I poke holes in these to make strawberry poke jello cupcakes?
Yes I am sure these will be just fine to use for that.
Could you bake this in a regular cake pan? And if so how long would you recommend? And would it make 2- 8 in cakes or 1?
Yes you can bake in a regular cake pan. If you are doing a layered cake with 8 inch pans I would double the recipe.