Description
These vanilla cupcakes are a soft, fluffy, and delicious treat made with simple ingredients like flour, butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Topped with creamy vanilla buttercream frosting, they’re perfect for any occasion, from birthdays to casual get-togethers.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 2/3 cups (213g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120mL) sour cream, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120mL) whole milk, warm
- 2 lbs (900g) confectioners sugar, sifted (for buttercream)
- 1 lb (450g) unsalted butter, room temperature (for buttercream)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (for buttercream)
- 1 tbsp heavy cream (for buttercream)
- 1 pinch kosher salt (for buttercream)
- 1 tsp whole milk (for buttercream)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and place cupcake papers in a cupcake pan.
- Sift the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder into a large bowl, and whisk them together.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks. The yolks can be saved for another use, such as a custard or French buttercream.
- In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (melted butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, sour cream, and warm milk) until well combined. The batter may be a little clumpy—don’t worry!
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Distribute the batter evenly into the cupcake papers, filling each about two-thirds of the way.
- Bake for about 18 minutes or until the centers spring back when touched.
- For the buttercream: In a stand mixer, cream the room temperature butter. Add the sifted confectioners sugar in two batches and mix until fluffy.
- Add the salt, milk, cream, and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined and the buttercream is fluffy.
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag and pipe a large dollop onto each cooled cupcake.
Notes
- When mixing the wet ingredients, don’t worry if you see small lumps of butter. These will smooth out once combined with the dry ingredients and baked.
- Use a good-quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for the best flavor, as vanilla is the key taste in these cupcakes.
- If you prefer, add sprinkles or edible decorations on top of the frosting for a fun touch.
- Prep Time: PT15M
- Cook Time: PT18M
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cupcake
- Calories: 270 kcal
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 98mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
Keywords: Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe, Easy Vanilla Cupcakes, Homemade Cupcakes, Fluffy Cupcakes, Classic Vanilla Cupcakes, Cupcake Recipe, Perfect Cupcakes