Easy Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe

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Easy vanilla cupcakes recipe! fluffy, spongy, light, delicious, and just perfect. This cupcakes recipe is simple and the best. Let me show you how to make cupcakes from scratch in quick steps.

Cupcakes are a great addition to any occasion. From social gatherings to birthday parties, meetings, celebrations, meetups, and tea parties.

Even when there’s the main cake such as sponge cake, cupcakes make a beautiful addition. No need for cutting up like one would with cake as they come in individual portions and it’s popular with the kids.

This vanilla cupcakes recipe is so simple and you don’t have to be Mary Berry, Martha Stewart or a great British chef to make these vanilla sponge cupcakes. So easy that even kids can bake it with supervision.

Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe

These vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting can be made as birthday cupcakes by topping with sprinkles, funfetti, or customised edible cake toppings.

These cupcakes are light, fluffy, and moist. They smell and taste amazing.

It’s made with a few simple ingredients that are inexpensive.

These cupcakes are made from scratch and not from a cupcakes box mix so no artificial preservative or flavoring.

Perfect vanilla cupcakes that are not domed, they come out flat-topped and great for piping buttercream on and decorating as desired.

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes but you can double it to get 24 cupcakes or triple the recipe to get 36.

Tools For Cupcakes

You will need these basic tools to make your cupcakes:

Muffin tin

Mixing bowl – You’ll need a mixing bowl big enough to fit the batter conveniently.

Electric Mixer- You can use a hand or stand mixer. I have used a hand mixer in this post.

Spatula – To scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl when mixing the batter.

Cupcake cases

Piping bag- This is to pipe buttercream on the cupcakes.

Piping Nozzle – The tip that goes in the piping bag for piping buttercream.

Ingredients

The detailed ingredient list and directions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Butter – I use salted butter but unsalted works fine too.

Sugar – Caster sugar or granulated sugar.

Eggs – Bring the eggs to room temperature before use.

Vanilla extract

Flour – I use self raising flour but you can also use plain flour +baking powder. Check the tips section below if using plain flour.

For the Vanilla Cupcake Icing

Butter

Icing sugar – Powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar.

Vanilla extract

Milk

How to Make Cupcakes (Vanilla Cupcakes)

Here’s how to bake cupcakes step by step:

Start by measuring out the ingredients and bring the butter and eggs to room temperature.

Add the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer till it is light and fluffy. This takes about 10-15 minutes.

Break the eggs in a separate bowl, add vanilla extract and whisk.

Add the egg mixture into the creamed butter and sugar and mix on high speed for 1-2 minutes.

Add in the flour and fold in with a spatula, when it has come together, use the electric mixer to whisk for few seconds.

Put cupcake cases in a muffin pan then using an ice cream scoop, scoop the cake batter into the cases.

Don’t overfill the cases. Fill it not more than 2/3 .

Bake cupcakes in a preheated oven at a temperature of 160C (140C fan) for 15 minutes or till toothpick when inserted comes out clean.

Bring out and leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack.

While cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream icing.

How to make Vanilla cupcakes icing

I have a detailed post on buttercream icing recipe. Read the post for useful tips, storage, and more. For a short summary on how to make buttercream cupcakes icing, keep reading.

Add butter in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2minutes.

Add half of the icing sugar and beat till it combines with the butter then add the remaining half of the icing sugar, the vanilla extract, and milk.

Mix the buttercream till it’s light and fluffy and it’s ready to use.

How to Decorate Cupcakes

Choose the piping nozzle you’d like to use and insert it in a piping bag. There are different types of nozzles you can use and get beautiful designs however for the style in these pictures, I used the 1m nozzle.

Put the buttercream icing in the piping bag. Fill it halfway and not full so you have room for it not to spill out.

When the cakes are completely cooled, pipe buttercream frosting on and decorate as desired. You can add sprinkles, chocolate chips, or customized decoration of your choice.

How to Store Cupcakes

Let the cupcakes cool completely then store in an airtight container. If not frosted, they will last up to 2 days at room temperature on the countertop/worktop. If frosted, store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Put in a container with a tight-fitting lid taking care the lid is not crushing the buttercream frosting.

When ready to eat, bring out and let it get to room temperature then serve and enjoy it.

Tips on How To Bake the Perfect Cupcakes

• For best results, weigh the ingredients using a measuring scale rather than cups.

• Sift the flour before use for fluffy cupcakes.

• Bring eggs to room temperature before use.

• If you don’t have self raising flour you can make it by adding a teaspoon of baking powder to every 125g of all-purpose flour (plain flour).

• Don’t rush the creaming process, cream the butter and sugar till it’s light and fluffy so you have fluffy cupcakes.

• Don’t overfill the cake cups as they will rise in the oven. Fill it not more than 2/3 of the case.

• Bake on low heat for flat-topped cupcake. If the oven is too hot, it will dome as it will cook on the outside faster than the inside.

• Don’t overbake. The top of the cupcakes should be light-colored and not browned.

• Leave cupcakes to cool completely before covering with icing.

• You can use other flavors of buttercream icing such as lemon buttercream icing, strawberry, etc.

• If you don’t have a piping bag, you can make do with a Ziploc.

• Don’t have a nozzle tip? You can spoon the buttercream frosting on with a spoon or ice cream scoop.

• If making fairy cupcakes adjust the baking time as they will bake faster.

• Use softened butter for the buttercream frosting.

• If you don’t have a hand mixer you can use a wooden spoon (to turn the butter and sugar till light and fluffy).

FAQ

How do I know if the cupcakes are done?

If unsure if the cupcakes are cooked in the middle, insert a toothpick or skewer, if it comes out wet then it’s not done and you should bake for few more minutes. If the toothpick comes out dry, then it’s done.

What is the difference between a muffin and a cupcake?

Cupcakes are made using the creaming method and are usually frosted while muffins are not typically creamed which makes it denser and not frosted. Muffins are also preferred to have a domed shape (mushroom shape) rather than flat-topped.

Should cupcakes be flat or domed?

Cupcakes are easier to frost when the surface is flat and even. They dome when the temperature of the oven is too hot and the outer part cooks faster than the internal part.

Why do cupcakes rise unevenly?

This can be due to too much raising agent or temperature of the oven too hot.

Other Cake Recipes on the blog

Coconut cake

Banana cake

Carrot cake

Madeira cake

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