Best Moist Vanilla Cupcakes (video)
Say goodbye to dry and boring vanilla cupcakes, and HELLO to these supremely moist and flavorful vanilla cupcakes of your dreams! The cupcakes take only 10 minutes to make and they are topped with a heavenly whipped vanilla bean frosting.
A good vanilla cupcake is just one of those things that suits all and any occasion. It’s like the little black dress. You can dress it up or dress it down. You can accessorize it with colored paper liners and/or sprinkles to match any event.
Why these vanilla cupcakes are the best:
- Extremely moist and flavorful – This recipe has a higher ratio of wet ingredients than most other vanilla cupcakes out there which makes it more moist. I used butter instead of oil because it’s more flavorful and provides a lovely buttery taste that pairs really well with the vanilla. I also incorporated Greek yogurt AND buttermilk for tender moist crumbs. So with the high ratio of liquids, Greek yogurt, and buttermilk, it’s like a trifecta method for making sure these cupcakes are ultra-moist.
- Easy to make – There is no creaming of the butter, and no alternating between wet and dry ingredients. You simply mix everything with a whisk, stir the wet and dry ingredients together, and you’re done!
- Here is what some of my readers have to say:
“These are seriously the best vanilla cupcakes ever! And I am not one to like vanilla cupcakes! Every time I make these people rave over them! Thank you! Very easy recipe to follow too!” – Candice
“They are like little pillows of heaven! OMG! So good. I’m never using another cupcake recipe again! Baking is my therapy when I’m having a rough day and I must say these cupcakes put a smile on my face. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.” – April
“I just finished frosting these for Easter and they are by far the BEST homemade cupcakes I’ve ever tried! I made mini cupcakes, which took about 12 minutes at 350 and kept them barely done (how my family likes them). They came out perfect, taste fantastic and they popped right of the paper liners. Thank you SO much for this! I’ll never make another vanilla cupcake or buy a packaged mix!” – Katie
How to make vanilla cupcakes:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- You start by tossing the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar.
- Then whisk in the egg, buttermilk, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Divide the batter into 12 cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes.
How to frost the cupcakes:
You can frost these cupcakes any way you want. The frosting is firm enough that it holds really well if you pipe rosettes or tall swirls. I like to decorate these cupcakes as follows:
- Use a medium cookie scoop as pictured above.
- Using the scoop, apply a dollop of buttercream on top of the cupcake.
- Spread out the buttercream using the back of a spoon.
- Finish with a sprinkle of colorful nonpareils in the center.
You can also use a large cookie scoop to apply the buttercream if you want a more generous amount of frosting on the cupcakes. That’s what I used in the original photos with the pink liners and pastel nonpareils. Using a large Wilton 1A tip works too.
Expert tips:
- Use good quality vanilla – Since vanilla is the main flavor profile in this recipe, it’s best to use pure vanilla extract for the best taste.
- Use cold milk, yogurt, and egg – I know this is a bit unusual for a recipe that uses melted butter, but I find it works much better because it thickens the batter and gives the cupcakes a better rise. So no need to bring these ingredients to room temperature, just use straight from the fridge.
Substitutions:
- Greek yogurt – Can be substitute with regular yogurt, sour cream, or even mayonnaise.
- Buttermilk – You can use any kind of milk you have on hand or make your own buttermilk. To make your own buttermilk: Add 2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, fill to 3/4 cup with milk, stir and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Egg – Add 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce to make these vanilla cupcakes without the egg.
FAQ:
Can you freeze these cupcakes?
Yes, these cupcakes freeze very well. Place them in a freezer-safe plastic container and freeze them for 1-2 hours until the frosting is completely frozen. Then individually wrap each one in saran wrap, place them back in the plastic container, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap and thaw at room temperature for about 2-3 hours.
How to store cupcakes:
Cupcakes are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature. However, if you don’t plan on consuming them within 2-3 days, then it’s best to store them in the fridge.
How long do cupcakes last?
Cupcakes will stay fresh for 2-3 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature, or up to 5 days in the fridge.
What makes a cupcake moist?
Fat content – In other words, ingredients like butter, oil, milk, sour cream, yogurt, or egg yolks. Anything that contains fat helps make a cupcake moist. But keep in mind that it has to be in a perfect ratio to the dry ingredients because too much fat will make for a greasy cupcake, and not enough will make for a dry cupcake.
Baking just until done – Overbaking will make the cupcakes dry as well.
Should cupcakes be flat or domed?
Cupcakes can be flat or domed. It depends on the recipe. Some recipes call for filling the batter higher, baking at a hotter temperature, and/or contain more leavening agents, leading to a cupcake with a dome. Some recipes call for filling the batter less, baking at a lower temperature, and have less leavening agents, leading to a flat-top cupcake. It also depends on how you want to decorate your cupcakes. Some styles work better with cupcakes with a nice curve on top and some styles work better with a flat surface. There is no right or wrong as long as the cupcake tastes great!
You might also like:
- Tiramisu Cupcakes
- Easy Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
- Tropical Mango Vanilla Cupcakes
- Strawberry Cupcakes
- Champagne Cupcakes
These cupcakes are rich and buttery with a lovely vanilla taste. They are super moist and soft. The frosting is fluffy, creamy and dotted with gorgeous little vanilla bean seeds.
Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.
PrintBest Moist Vanilla Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Say goodbye to dry and boring vanilla cupcakes, and HELLO to these supremely moist and flavorful vanilla cupcakes of your dreams!
Ingredients
Cupcake ingredients
- 1 & â…“ (165g) cup all-purpose flour
- 1 & ½ tsp (6g) baking powder
- ¼ tsp (1g) salt
- ½ cup (114g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup (60g) Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)
- ¾ cup (188ml) cold milk (buttermilk is best, but any kind works)
- 2 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract
Buttercream ingredients
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp (1g) salt
- seeds of 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 3 cups (375g) powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsp (30-45ml) cream or milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
- In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar. Then mix in the egg, yogurt, cold milk, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredient to the dry ingredients. Whisk until just smooth and combined.
- Divide the batter into the 12 cupcake liners.
- Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
To make the buttercream:
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or handheld mixer, beat the butter, salt, and vanilla bean seeds until light and fluffy.
- Add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well in between. Add in the cream or milk, 1 tablespoon at a time as needed.
- Beat on high speed for about 1 minute after the last addition of powdered sugar for a fluffy and airy texture. Frost the cupcakes as desired.
Notes
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze these cupcakes for up to 3 months. See FAQ above for instructions.
Expert tips:
- Use good quality vanilla – Since vanilla is the main flavor profile in this recipe, it’s best to use pure vanilla extract for the best taste.
- Use cold milk, yogurt, and egg – I know this is a bit unusual for a recipe that uses melted butter, but I find it works much better because it thickens the batter and gives the cupcakes a better rise. So no need to bring these ingredients to room temperature, just use them straight from the fridge.
This post was originally published on Mar 31st, 2017 and has been recently updated with more information and step-by-step photo instructions.
By cream is it referring to heavy cream?
Hi Jaime,
By cream I’m referring to any of kind cream, light, table or heavy would work.
Hi there, I love this recipe so much! I just wanted to know…Can I put a little less sugar and yield the same results? I’d like to make a different icing for them and I don’t want it to be overwhelmingly sweet
Hi Daniella,
If you are referring to the amount of sugar in the cupcake batter, you probably could reduce it to 3/4 cup to make it a little less sweet without effecting the results too much. What type of icing where you thinking of pairing it with?
I can’t wait to try this recipe for my DS 4th birthday. I want to make it less sweet for both the cake and frosting. What is the least amount I could put. Can I also try rice malt syrup or is sugar the best?
Sugar is best. I’ve never tried this recipe with less sugar, so my best guess would be 3/4 cup of sugar for the cake and 2 cups of powdered sugar for the frosting. You can also put less frosting on each cupcake to make it less sweet overall. I hope that helps and I wish your DS a happy 4th birthday!
I have tried so many vanilla cupcake recipes. This one is PERFECT!!! Thank you for sharing it!!
You’re very welcome Sandra, and thank you for your kind words:) Enjoy and have a great week!
Hi. I don’t normally take the time to post comments but i just wanted to say thank you for sharing this recipe. I bake a lot and avoid doing vanilla cakes/cupcakes as i have never found the perfect recipe. Well now i have and my family can enjoy these for years to come. Such a moist cupcake.
You’re very welcome Katrina, and thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely comment. I’m glad you and your family enjoyed the cupcakes:) Have a wonderful evening!
Hey, I will be making cupcakes next week and was wondering if I multiplied this recipe times four if it would still work out as well.
Hi Clementine,
I had another reader quadruple this recipe and it worked out fine. Enjoy and have a great week!
These are amazing! A blue ribbon winner for sure! Thank you so much for an awesome recipe, Lily.
Made them for the first time this morning, a half batch for a small celebration at work. Baked them just until they passed the toothpick test. Perfection. I worried for a minute, there had been some references in the comments about the batter being thin, and mine was on the thicker side. Maybe the cold milk and yogurt, combined with the melted butter, may have been the cause.
We’ll be making these again soon! 💕
You’re very welcome, Heidi. Thank you for your rave review, and have a great evening!
I’ve made these before and they are absolutely to die for! Would there be an easy way to convert this recipe into chocolate cupcakes?
Hi Samantha,
Thank you for your rave review! If you are looking to make chocolate cupcakes, I would use this recipe https://www.littlesweetbaker.com/2017/10/20/chocolate-cake-easy-sheet/
It makes 24 cupcakes or you can cut the recipe in half to make 12. Please feel free to email me back if you have any other questions. Have a great day!
Do I have to use GREEK yogurt???
Nope, you can use regular yogurt or sour cream in place of Greek yogurt in this recipe.
I am going to be making a dozen of these, a dozen of chocolate, and I wanted to make a dozen of vanilla with mini chocolate chips… is this batter thick enough to keep the chips from falling to the bottom? I read about coating the chips in flour first. I appreciate your thought!
This batter is not thick enough for chocolate chips. If you really want to try adding mini chocolate chips to this recipe, I would suggest reducing the milk to 1/2 cup AND generously coating the chips in flour. Enjoy and let me know if you have any other questions:)
Finally a recipe that is simple and makes moist, delicious cupcakes. I substituted sour cream for Greek yogurt.
Will be my go to vanilla cupcake recipe!
Great to hear, and thank you for your kind words! Have a wonderful week:)
I just finished frosting these for Easter and they are by far the BEST homemade cupcakes I’ve ever tried! I made mini cupcakes, which took about 12 minutes at 350 and kept them barely done (how my family likes them). They came out perfect, taste fantastic and they popped right of the paper liners. Thank you SO much for this! I’ll never make another vanilla cupcake or buy a packaged mix!
You’re very welcome, Katie. Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely feedback. Happy Easter to you and your family!
I made these tonight and I used no fat Greek yogurt, and it was delicious. I think if I used sour cream or yogurt with fat in it would taste even more delicious ( if that’s possible). Thank you for posting this recipe 💕
You’re very welcome, Miranda. Thank you for your feedback and kind words. Happy Easter!
Thanks for this recipe! I made the cupcakes for work and they were a hit. People said they were the best cupcakes they ever had. This will be my new go-to for cupcakes
Aww, you’re very welcome! I’m glad they were a hit. Thank you for your kind words and have a great day!
Hi these were delicious!! Great recipe 🙂 if I wanted to make a layer cake how long should I bake an 8inch cake? Also is the frosting firm enough so that I can pipe roses using 1M tip? Thanks
Hi Priya,
For a two layer 8″ cake, bake for about 35 minutes, and yes the frosting is firm enough to pipe rosettes. Enjoy and have a great day!
I am gobsmacked that anyone could be disappointed with the results of this recipe. I have made so many times as cupcakes and even as large cakes. A few weeks ago I quadrupled the recipe to make a couple of larger cakes for a birthday cake. Sometimes scaling up a recipe doesn’t work that well but this one was perfect. It did take forever to cook, and I became concerned, but was great.
Hi Toni,
Thank you so much for your kind words and helpful feedback – much appreciated. Have a great week!
I was wondering if i could sub in the butter for avocado oil or something like that? Would they still turn out ok?
I don’t know. I’ve never baked with avocado oil before. If it’s anything like coconut oil, you would have to use a bit less because it’s more oily than butter. Sorry I’m not much help.
They are like little pillows of heaven! OMG!So good. I’m never using another cup cake recipe again! I didn’t have yogurt but used sour cream and it worked out just fine. I also used 2% milk which is what I had on hand. Baking is my therapy when I’m having a rough day and I must say these cupcakes put a smile on my face. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Aww, you’re very welcome, April. I’m the same way. Homemade baked goods make everything better. Thank you for your lovely feedback and kind words:)
Hi, I noticed you didn’t specify a mixer for the cupcakes, but you did for the frosting, does that mean it should be done manually? I am baking cupcakes for my son’s birthday and I want it to be a success has I have never done this before. Thanks.
Yes, for the cupcakes you just whisk the ingredients together by hand. I hope you enjoy the cupcakes, and please feel free to email me back if you have any other questions. Happy birthday to your son!
Made these today for a friend’s baby shower it was a big hit everyone loved it. All of 24 cupcakes were gone. Thank u for the recipe.
You’re very welcome Aakriti. I’m happy everyone love it. Thank you for your feedback and have a great week!
What technique did you use to “frost” the cupcakes? They’re so pretty.
Hi Min,
Thank you. I used a cookie scoop to place the frosting on the cupcakes. Then I used the back of a spoon to create an indent in the center and spread the frosting out. Feel free to email me back if you have any further questions. I hope you enjoy the cupcakes and have a great day!
This is the BEST vanilla cupcake recipe ever!!!!! If I wanted to bake a cake using the same recipe, how long would it take to bake? (I am new to baking)! Thank you! Can you use this for a sheet, round or bundt pan?
Hello again Karen:) Generally 9″ rounds take about 30 minutes, 9×13″ sheet pan takes about 35 minutes and bundt pans take about 45 minutes. Please note, because these cupcakes don’t rise much, baking it into a larger cake might sink in the middle. Please feel free to email me back if you have any other questions. Enjoy!