THE BEST Vanilla Cupcake Recipe (stays moist!) - Scientifically Sweet (2024)

It's hard to beat the classic combination of vanilla cake with chocolate frosting and I can tell you with confidence that this is THE BEST Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe, so if you've been searching for a perfect vanilla cupcake that is soft, moist, fluffy and flavorful, you can stop looking. This is it! The recipe is so simple too, and the frosting is also THE BEST Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. I'm not a fan of American buttercream, so if I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it right. This one tastes like whipped chocolate ganache, but it uses a simple buttercream method. It is so intensely chocolatey and not too sweet. This is the quintessential birthday cake combination and the recipe makes an even 12 cupcakes which is a reasonable batch size that you can easily double up for a crowd! If you're looking for an easy birthday cake idea, check out my One Bowl Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting. If you prefer chocolate cakes, here's my recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Super moist vanilla cupcakes - these cupcakes are so moist and they stay moist for days! I promise you well be blown away.
• Soft and fluffy vanilla cupcakes - the cake crumb texture is so soft and fluffy that it just melts in your mouth. They're a great balance of being soft and light but also substantial without being dense.
• Butter AND oil - butter adds wonderful flavor to these vanilla cupcakes, and oil is essential to keeping them soft since it is a liquid fat. Butter is a solid fat which means that butter cakes are delicious while warm, but can be slightly firm when once cooled.
• Rich chocolate buttercream frosting - this frosting is so rich and chocolatey and not too sweet! It's so easy to whip up and you will love it even if you are not a buttercream person like me.
• Small batch! This recipe makes 12 perfect little cupcakes which is great because they are best enjoyed the day you make them so hopefully there aren't any leftovers and no waste. If you have a crowd to serve, then you can easily make a double batch.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST VANILLA CUPCAKE RECIPE

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• All purpose flour - you do not need specialty cake flour to make wonderful cupcakes. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake and leads to tough and dry cake. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup piling it high and then use a knife to level it off.
• Granulated sugar - simple fine white granulated sugar keeps the flavor clean so the vanilla shines. Bonus points if you use extra fine (caster) sugar which will create an even finer texture.
• Pure vanilla extract - you can use inexpensive flour, milk and sour cream, but it is nice to have good vanillafor this recipe! It’s the main flavor so you want it to taste great. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Unsalted butter - butter brings the flavor! I couldn't make the perfect vanilla cupcake without butter. Make sure it is completely softened to room temperature. You will also need soft unsalted butter to make the frosting.
• Oil - just a bit of oil is my secret to making soft cupcakes. Oil is liquid at room temperature while butter has more solid fats. That means if I were to use all butter, the cupcakes would have a firmer texture. Oil will help bring down the fat melting profile so that these cupcakes stay soft. You can use any neutral oil like sunflower oil or canola oil.
• Egg - one whole egg will provide structure, lift and of course flavor to these cakes.
• Milk - you can use whole milk at 3.25% or 2% milk. I would avoid anything with less fat content than that (i.e. avoid skim milk).
• Sour cream - full fat sour cream adds so much flavor, balances the sweetness and makes these cupcakes meltingly tender.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
• STEP 2). Cream the butter and sugar. Combine soft butter with sugar, oil and vanilla extract in a large bowl and beat using an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes until very pale, creamy and fluffy.
• STEP 3). Beat in egg. Add egg and beat until well incorporated and fluffy, about 30 seconds on medium-high speed. Mix in sour cream.
• STEP 4). Mix in dry ingredients and milk. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on medium-low speed until mostly incorporated. Add half of the milk and beat until well blended, about10-15 seconds. Beat in half of the remaining flour mixture followed by the last of the milk on medium speed just until the batter is smooth, but do not over beat. Finally, mix in the rest of the flour mixture on low until evenly combined. Then, just when the flour is combined, beat on medium-high speed for 5-10 seconds to emulsify the batter.
• STEP 5). Bake. Divide the batter evenly among paper cups, filling them about two-thirds full and bake for 18-20 minutes until just lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• STEP 6). Make the frosting. Prepare the frosting as directed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post and pipe or spread it over the cupcakes. Decorate with your favorite sprinkles and enjoy!

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR THE BEST VANILLA CUPCAKE RECIPE

• Use very soft (but not melted) butter. Take your butter out of the fridge two hours before you plan to bake. I usually take mine out the night before if it's not a hot day. It should be nice and soft but not melted to whip properly with the sugar during the initial "creaming" step.
• Do not over-bake. The cupcakes are ready when they spring back when pressed gently and a skewer comes out clean. They will not get very browned on the top, just lightly golden so don't wait for browning.
• Gradually add the wet and dry ingredients. Alternating additions of dry ingredients and milk will help ensure that the ingredient incorporate smoothly without over-mixing.
• Do not over-mix, but DO mix! Just mix in the dry ingredients and wet ingredients until just combined between additions, and then mix on medium-high speed at the very end to emulsify the batter. An emulsified batter is the secret to the soft texture.
• Have eggs at room temperature. Take your egg out of the fridge 2 hours before baking, or place it in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes.
• Cool the chocolate for the frosting. Make sure the melted chocolate is cooled or else it will melt the butter and can cause the frosting to separate.
• Have the cream at room temperature when making the buttercream. Cold cream straight from the fridge will not emulsify into the butter and may cause it to split. It will also make the chocolate harden, which will stiffen up the frosting.
• Use chocolate between 55% and 70% cocoa solids. The dark the chocolate, the firmer the frosting will be because it has more cocoa butter which is hard at room temperature. However, it will taste more intensely chocolatey. Semi-sweet chocolate will make a slightly softer and sweeter frosting.

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