These vanilla cupcakes are, by far, one of the most-loved recipes on this website. Using creamed butter, plus cake flour, sour cream, and egg whites (no yolks!), guarantees a soft, fluffy, and cake-like crumb. Pure vanilla extract plus the optional addition of vanilla beans seals in a classic vanilla flavor. Use a piping tip or knife to garnish each with vanilla buttercream.
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more helpful success tips. This recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
As soon as I developed it many years ago, this vanilla cupcakes recipe has soared to the top of my Essential Baking Recipes list. This list includes recipes that are in regular rotation in my kitchen including banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, and sugar cookies. (So many favorites!) Like my classic chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting, these vanilla cupcakes hold a sacred spot in my baking repertoire. In fact, today’s cupcakes have been so popular around here that I’ve used the base recipe to create several other varieties.
Here’s Exactly Why This Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe Works:
Baking is a science and that’s proved over and over again in base dessert recipes like this. Like when making white cake and vanilla cake, it’s not only the measurements you use, but the specific type of ingredient. Using cake flour instead of all-purpose produces a fluffy, soft crumb. Skipping the egg yolks keeps the cupcakes light. Sour cream helps supply a tight, yet moist crumb. My team and I have done the testing and we are confident in the results. These homemade vanilla cupcakes are simply perfect.
One reader, Kristin, commented: “This recipe was delicious and will definitely be a go to! I frosted with your Homemade Rainbow Chip Frosting and had rave reviews… several asked for the recipes! ★★★★★“
Another reader, Jennifer, commented: “Holy smokes! Best vanilla cupcakes I’ve ever had. First time using a real vanilla bean—amazing and so fluffy! ★★★★★“
Use These Carefully Selected Ingredients
This cupcake batter calls for 11 ingredients, including the handful mentioned below, as well as basics like baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Let me explain why the following ingredients are “power ingredients” in this recipe:
- Cake flour: Cake flour is much lighter than all-purpose flour and helps to produce the softest, lightest cakes and cupcakes you’ll ever eat. It’s sold next to the regular flour in the baking aisle and I promise that you’ll use up the entire box in no time after you taste these! Note that you do not need cake flour for chocolate cupcakes because cocoa powder is already very light.
- Softened butter: A base of creamed butter and sugar (instead of using melted butter or oil) often helps achieve a soft, cake-like structure. Make sure it’s proper room temperature butter and if you need a refresher, I have a helpful tutorial on how to cream butter and sugar.
- Egg whites: While egg yolks are rich in fat and moisture, they can weigh down your baked goods. Skip the egg yolks and use the whites purely for giving structure to the cupcakes. Since we are losing a little fat from the missing egg yolks, we add it back in with sour cream and whole milk.
- Sour cream: This is a power ingredient because it lightens and moistens the crumb. Though plain yogurt could be used in its place, I find that cupcakes made with sour cream are lighter.
- Vanilla Extract & Vanilla Bean: For the most well-rounded vanilla flavor, use both vanilla bean and vanilla extract in the cupcakes, just like we do in strawberry shortcake cupcakes. You can usually find vanilla beans in the baking aisle, but if you’re looking to purchase them online, I recommend these vanilla beans. See recipe Note if you’re skipping the vanilla bean or if you want to use vanilla bean paste.
- Whole Milk: Milk with fat such as whole milk or 2% milk is your best choice here. Nondairy milk is great in a pinch. I use buttermilk in this vanilla cake recipe, which is typically a fine substitution for both sour cream and regular milk in baked goods. For these cupcakes, however, the crumb stays a little tighter when using sour cream + whole milk.
Tip: Make sure ALL cold ingredients are room temperature before beginning, otherwise your batter could split and the results aren’t pleasant. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important in baking.
Want to kick the vanilla flavor up a notch? Replace store-bought vanilla extract with homemade vanilla extract and regular granulated sugar with vanilla sugar.
Success Tip: Filling Your Cupcake Pan
The batter comes together with a mixer. Give it a quick whisk by hand to make sure there are no more lumps at the bottom of the bowl.
When filling your lined cupcake pan, fill the liners only 2/3 full, which is about 3 heaping Tablespoons of batter each. Filling them only 2/3 full gives you about 14 cupcakes from this batch. Using more batter per cupcake leads to overflowing or even sinking.
This Is a Multipurpose Batter
Since the results are so crowd-pleasing, this vanilla cupcake batter has become a go-to standard for many other cupcake recipes on this website. Using this recipe as the starting point, I’ve created all of the following cupcake flavors:
- Mimosa Cupcakes
- Chai Latte Cupcakes
- White Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
- Sprinkle Cupcakes
- Pistachio Cupcakes
- Caramel Coconut Cupcakes
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes
- Wedding Cupcakes with Champagne Frosting
- Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
- Cookies & Cream Oreo Cupcakes
They’re also wonderful for filling with a variety of jams/jellies, frostings, and dessert sauces. I especially love them with this raspberry cake filling in the middle. See my How to Fill Cupcakes post and video tutorial for directions on how to do so.
Can I Turn These Cupcakes Into a Cake?
Yes, instead of cupcakes, you can use this exact batter for making a vanilla 6-inch cake. For a 1-layer vanilla cake, I recommend my similar recipe for 1-layer sprinkle cake. You can skip the sprinkles. See recipe Notes for larger layer cake options.
Frosting for Vanilla Cupcakes
This vanilla buttercream is a top choice for garnishing your vanilla cupcakes. But your frosting options are pretty much endless, including Swiss meringue buttercream, white chocolate buttercream frosting, strawberry buttercream frosting, chocolate buttercream, lemon buttercream, or cream cheese frosting. The raspberry frosting from my lemon raspberry jam cupcakes or the cinnamon-swirl frosting from my snickerdoodle cupcakes would also be fantastic. For a lighter, less sweet option, I love pairing these cupcakes with whipped frosting.
You can swipe the frosting on with an icing knife (pictured below) or with a piping bag + tip such as Wilton 1M (images in the post above). If you’re just learning how to use piping tips, my piping tips guide is a helpful resource.
And finally, here’s just one photo of our multiple test variations. The left cupcake had way too much liquid and produced a wet, squat cupcake. The right cupcake was from our final batch, simply perfect!
Printable recipe & video tutorial below.
Recommended Tools
- 12-count muffin pan. I use and love this muffin pan.
- Cupcake liners
- Handheld mixer or stand mixer
- Vanilla beans
- Icing knife or Wilton 1M piping tip + piping bag
Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 14 cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is my favorite recipe for homemade vanilla cupcakes. Using creamed butter, cake flour, sour cream, and egg whites, these cupcakes are soft, sweet, fluffy, and infinitely buttery. This recipe is also in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (207g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- seeds scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean (optional)
- 1/2 cup (120g/ml) whole milk at room temperature
- vanilla buttercream
- sprinkles, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 liners—this recipe makes about 14 cupcakes. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg whites, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds (if using) and beat on high speed until smooth and well combined, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream and beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 1 minute. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients, and then slowly pour in the milk and beat just until combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it by hand a few times to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick. Pour/spoon the batter into the liners—fill only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides.
- Bake for 19–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan set on a cooling rack for 20 minutes, then remove them from the pan and return to the rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost cooled cupcakes with vanilla buttercream. You can swipe the frosting on with an icing knife or use a piping tip such as Wilton 1M. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cupcakes can be made ahead 1 day in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature. For best results, make the frosting the day you plan to serve the cupcakes. Frosted or unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Icing Knife | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Wilton 1M Piping Tip | Cupcake Carrier
- Amount of Batter: This recipe yields between 3–4 cups of batter, which is helpful if you’re reviewing the Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions page.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is the only ideal flour for this recipe. In a pinch, you can make your own homemade cake flour but the cupcakes won’t taste as light. You can find cake flour in the baking aisle near the all-purpose flour.
- Leftover Egg Yolks? I have some recipe ideas for you!
- Vanilla: For best flavor, pure vanilla extract is strongly recommended. If using imitation, increase to 1 Tablespoon (3 teaspoons). If you can’t get your hands on a vanilla bean, simply leave it out or replace with an extra 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. If you want to use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract and vanilla bean, use 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste.
- Whole Milk & Sour Cream: Whole milk and sour cream are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full-fat plain yogurt would work instead, though the cupcakes may not be as light. Same goes with a lower-fat milk. Nondairy milk works in a pinch. You can replace both the whole milk and sour cream with buttermilk (1 cup; 240g/ml) if needed.
- Room-Temperature Ingredients: All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read here for more information.
- Mini Cupcakes: For about 30–36 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11–13 minutes, same oven temperature.
- Vanilla Cake: I suggest following my white cake recipe as the base, which is almost double this cupcake recipe. I also have a taller 3-layer vanilla cake recipe as well. For a 1-layer cake, I recommend this 1-layer sprinkle cake (you can skip the sprinkles in the batter).
- Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking the BEST cupcakes before you begin.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hello! Just a question please! we do not have cake flour however we have baking flour written on it: Description
Best Mix Self Raising Flour is great for light and fluffy baking products. I’ll go for it??
Thanks in advance!
Hi Angela! You do not want to use self-rising flour in this recipe. How about using this cake flour substitute? It works in a pinch.
I will! Thank you!
Ihave been struggling to find a great vanilla recipe, it always comes out way to dry or way to dense. This recipe is amazing! thank you for sharing this!
Hi I’m making these for a wedding this weekend, I know the recipe will be great but wondering if I can double it?
Thank you so much!
Hi Nancy, it is best to make separate batches for best results. Hope the cupcakes are a hit!
i also need to double the recipe… but might just risk it! it’s 10 year old birthday. ill keep you posted!
Hi I have a question. What are the nutritional facts for this recipe?
Hi Cakery, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Can I make mini cupcakes with this recipe?
Hi Michelle, for around 30–36 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11–13 minutes, same oven temperature.
Any idea why my cupcakes fell?
Hi Tanya, could the cupcakes be slightly under-baked? That’s a common culprit for sinking and a very easy fix!
These cupcakes were amazing
Absolutely delicious, thank you. Question: I made four batches for a party tomorrow and put them in the freezer a few days ago. If I don’t have the refrigerator space to thaw overnight, is there harm in thawing on the counter?
Hi Laurel, you can thaw these on the counter no problem. I usually thaw them slower, but have also just thawed them at room temperature without issue.
This recipe was sp good the outcome was so delicious
does this recipe work as a 1 layer 6 inch cake, or 2 layer 6 inch cake??
3 layers! You can get the instructions here: https://route-span.live/6-inch-cake-recipes/%3C/p%3E
Hi Sally, I’m an American living in Germany, where I’ve been for almost 40 years. Over the years, I I have kept trying to bake American white cake using German flour, and it never seemed to work. I came across your recipe and decided to try it, but did more research on flour types first. I settled on your recipe, using another cut of flour less finely milled, and beat the egg whites before adding them. The result was spectacular! the cake was so tender and feather-light. I made a cream cheese-butter cream frosting. My first successful American white cake made with German flour! Thank you so much.
What brand of cake flour do you recommend? Some brands have baking powder and salt in it…
Hi Joanne, Sally always uses either Swans Down or King Arthur brands, neither of which contains a leavening agent or salt.
Am I reading the recipe right to see that I can make 30-36 MINI cupcakes?
Hi Peggy, correct, for around 30–36 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11–13 minutes, same oven temperature.
I didn’t have enough granulated sugar so added brown sugar mixed with granulated sugar. The cupcakes turned out dense and moist. Is the brown sugar the reason for the dense and moist texture?
Can I use half the amount of granulated sugar for less sweet, or does this impact texture?
Hi Nava, the brown sugar is likely the culprit here. We don’t recommend halving the amount of sugar, as that will impact the taste, texture, and structure of the cupcakes.
Well…after weighing my dry ingredients and carefully following all instructions, I realized after I put them in the oven that I used two sticks of butter instead of one. I can’t remember the last time I made a mistake that bad. Blame it on pregnancy brain. However….they were delicious! They flattened out on top a bit which I believe is due to the higher fat content. And I imagine they were a little more pound cakey than the original recipe but they were still light and fluffy! Great texture. I topped with the cream cheese icing from this site too and everyone loved them. You only really need 1/2 of the cream cheese icing recipe. I have a lot left over!
Wait how funny, I didn’t realize I did the same exact thing until I read your comment! Also blaming it on pregnancy brain.
Can I sub Greek yogurt for the sour cream?
Hi Anne, Greek yogurt is a good substitute for the sour cream here. Or you can replace the whole milk AND sour cream with buttermilk in this recipe (1 cup total).
I am going to make these for a party. Any suggestions for the best way to transport them without messing up the icing?
Hi Anjie! We always use a cupcake carrier to transport cupcakes. You can find the one we like to use on this baking tools page.
Hi Sally, I make your Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes all the time and they are always a hit. I’ve tried the Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcake recipe a few times now and while they taste great, the middle always sinks. When they’re baking, they look round and dome-like, but once I take them out to cool, they always flop. What am I doing wrong? Thank you in advance for answering!
Hi Leyna, could the cupcakes be slightly under-baked? That’s a common culprit for sinking and a very easy fix!
Hello! I just finished baking this recipe and the cupcakes have cracked while baking – no smooth round tops 🙁 Why did this happen? Followed the recipe to a T 🙁
Hi Kathleen, do you have an oven thermometer by chance? It sounds like your oven may run a bit hotter than it reads, which is causing the tops of your cupcakes to heat and expand quickly, leading to the cracking.
Update: I made these (weighed all the dry ingredients, so important!) and froze them for 3 weeks. Defrosted overnight on the counter. OMG SO LIGHT AND FLUFFY! The flavour was nice and pure, kids and adults loved them. No eggy flavour as with yellow cake batter. They held their shape nicely after freezing. This recipe is a keeper!
These were extremely stodgy but the flavour was good
I have never heard of a recipe referred to as “stodgy”. Could you please explain why you used that particular word?
Thank you
Can these be frozen after baking?
You bet! See recipe Notes for details.
I made these delicious cupcakes for my granddaughter’s second birthday party, and frosted them with your Not-So-Sweet Whipped Frosting. They were a big hit!
Could I use pasteurised egg white liquid (from a carton)? If so, how much?
Hi Alissa, You can use carton egg whites in this recipe if needed – there should be conversion instructions on the package.
This cupcake was very soft and moist but was light on vanilla flavor. I used homemade vanilla extract that I keep the beans and seeds in, so there were some seeds in the batter. I also made a cake flour substitute since I didn’t have any. The texture was nice but lacked the vanilla flavor. How can I fix that? Also my batter was very thin. I followed each instruction and timing in the recipe. Why was it not “slightly thick” like the instructions said?
Hi Jamie! You can add more vanilla extract, or add vanilla bean pate for extra vanilla flavor. Did your batter look like the video tutorial above? Did you use full fat sour cream and whole milk? Make sure to use proper room temperature butter, as well.
I used the full fat sour cream and I only had 2% milk. My batter looked similar to the video until the milk was added, mine was thinner. Would 2% make that big of a difference? I’m going to try again with the whole vitamin d milk.
2% will make a slight difference. Whole milk is best!
Hi 🙂 I see it says in the recipe I need a paddle attachment. I only have a hand-held mixer with a beater blender attachment. Will that work when creaming the butter and suagr?
Hi Gillian, yes, that will work just fine!
I don’t know what happened, I weighed my ingredients, made sure they were room temperature, made 14 cupcakes, so they were not overfilled, but the cupcakes did not “mound” at all, they spilled over the sides of the liners and made a mess. SBA is usually my go to for baking recipes, but I don’t know if I’ll try these again. I may have to stick to the lemon blueberry cupcakes and the cookie recipes. I made the chocolate cupcakes and they did the same thing. Any clue as to why?
Hi Wendy, that is really strange! I’d be happy to try to help troubleshoot. This happened with both the vanilla AND the chocolate cupcakes? Are you using a standard-size muffin pan and standard cupcake liners? It sounds like you did everything right… are you baking in a conventional oven?
Making now for Quild dinner hope I like them
These are perfect!! Love the recipe. I was wondering if I Can double it?
Hi Chris, it is best to make separate batches for best results. Glad you enjoyed them!
Good day, I hope you are well. If I make and ice these cupcakes on Sunday, will they last until Thursday if kept in the fridge?
Hi Kayla, they probably won’t be great after that many days. You can absolutely freeze them though! See the recipe notes for make ahead instructions.
Can I half this recipe for less cupcakes?
Absolutely.
Hi , can we bake this cupcakes on Saturday and decorate it on Sunday and give it out the teachers at my daughter school! Do we have to put in the refrigerator with the vanilla buttercream? Can vanilla buttercream with the cupcake put in the room temp or is best in the refrigerator if it was refrigerator will the cupcake be hard or dry?
Hi MM, you can bake the cupcake Saturday, decorate Sunday, and distribute on Monday. We haven’t had any issues leaving the frosted cupcakes at room temperature for up to 24 hours, but after that we would recommend refrigerating.
Oh ok that’s good to know. So the cupcakes to give out on Monday should be okay! And I will put it in the box that is frosted and should be still good?