Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (Easy and Moist!)

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Sweet, moist, and delicious Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. Light and fluffy vanilla cupcakes with double the amount of vanilla and one special ingredient to help enhance the flavor, as well as make each cupcake tender and moist! Each cupcake is then generously frosted with an easy to make vanilla buttercream frosting. Every bite is soft, moist, full of vanilla flavor, and perfectly sweet. Trust me, these vanilla cupcakes are the BEST and truly perfect for any and all occasions! So. GOOD.

About The Recipe

When looking back at recipes published on our blog, my mom and I realized that we hadn’t shared a plain vanilla cupcake in our almost 5 years of blogging! We’ve shared funfetti cupcakes, jam filled cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, tiramisu-inspired cupcakes…

There’s just a little bit of everything. Just no plain vanilla cupcakes!

Honestly, I don’t know what took us so long, but trust me when I say…it was definitely worth the wait!

Though, my mom and I decided that these weren’t going to be an ordinary vanilla cupcake. We wanted to share the ultimate vanilla cupcake!

So, we got to recipe testing. It took us a few tries to finally achieve the perfect cupcake. There are two ingredients in this recipe that make ALL the difference!

Using cake flour and buttermilk.

It may sound a bit boring, but trust me, using cake flour provides the perfect texture. It makes these cupcakes so light and airy, while the buttermilk makes these cupcakes moist and really enhances that vanilla flavor.

I could eat this whole batch myself! Using those two ingredients makes ALL the difference between a plain vanilla cupcake and a decadent vanilla cupcake.

The best part?

These cupcakes are seriously SO easy to make and ready to eat in just about 35 minutes. Seriously, what’s not to love?!

Reasons You Will LOVE These Vanilla Cupcakes

• Moist, tender, and FULL of vanilla flavor.
• Easier to make than you might think.
• Perfect for any and every occasion! Birthday’s, holiday’s, etc.
• Quick to make!!
• A serious crowd-pleaser.

Equipment Needed

• Stand Mixer
• Rubber Spatula
• Muffin Pan
• Cupcake Papers
• Cake Tester
• Piping Bag
• Piping Tips

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

For The Cupcakes:

• Cake Flour – For this recipe, cake flour is a necessity! Since it has a low protein content and less gluten than other flours, cake flour creates a soft and light textured cupcake.
• Baking Powder – Just a dash of leavening creates the perfect domed cupcake!
• Salt – Cuts some of the sweetness, while also helping enhance the flavor.
• Unsalted Butter – We personally like to use unsalted butter in this recipe to help us control the amount of salt going into these cupcakes. Though, if all you have is salted butter, that’s fine! You can use that. Just omit the salt in the recipe!
• Granulated Sugar – Adds the perfect amount of sweetness to this recipe.
• Large Eggs – Remember to set your eggs out ahead of time to allow them to come to room temperature!
• Vanilla Extract – For this recipe, we highly recommend using a high-quality vanilla extract for the best flavor.
• Buttermilk – This is our secret ingredient that creates the ultimate vanilla cupcake! By using buttermilk, it yields in a tender, but oh-so moist cupcake that’s irresistible.

For The Frosting:

• Salted Butter – We always recommend that you use salted butter for frostings, as it helps enhance the flavor of the frosting and cuts some of the sweetness. Though, if all you have is unsalted, you can use that. Just add a pinch of salt!
• Powdered Sugar – Be sure to sift the powdered sugar, as lumps in the powdered sugar can mean a lumpy frosting.
• Heavy Cream – Using heavy cream in this frosting helps loosen it to make it pipable, while also keeping it light and fluffy!
• Vanilla Extract – A splash of vanilla to give this frosting a delicious flavor.

How To Make Vanilla Cupcakes

Step 1: Prepare cupcake batter

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Mix in vanilla.

Step 2: Bake

Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes, or until done.

Step 3: Make frosting

With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy.

Add cream and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 4: Pipe

Pipe desired amount of frosting onto cooled cupcakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
For this recipe, cake flour is a necessity! Though, if you don’t have cake flour, don’t fret. You can actually make your own by measuring out 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Then, remove 4 Tablespoons. Add in 4 Tablespoons of corn starch and whisk until well combined. Voilà! Homemade cake flour.

How can I elevate the flavor of these cupcakes?
I get it. Vanilla cupcakes can sound pretty basic…but trust me, when you get a good vanilla cupcake, that will TOTALLY change your mind! This recipe uses buttermilk to help really make these cupcakes scrumptious, but there are a few things you can do to really enhance the flavor of these cupcakes. The first thing you can do is use a high quality vanilla extract! Another thing you can do, if you have access to it, is use vanilla sugar instead of granulated sugar.

How much batter should I put for each cupcake?
Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ – ¾ full. I like to use a large cookie scoop (about 3 Tablespoons) to help me get each cupcake the same size!

Can I use a different frosting?
Of COURSE! I highly recommend using a different flavor of frosting, too. From chocolate buttercream to strawberry buttercream. You can really do almost anything!

How To Achieve The Perfect Buttercream

There are are a few things you can do to make sure you get the creamiest, silkiest buttercream every single time!

The first is making sure your butter is room temperature. This is super important! Another is sifting your powdered sugar. Lumps of powdered sugar = lumpy buttercream!

Lastly, if you feel your buttercream is too thick, you can add a splash (1/2 – 1 Tablespoon) of whole milk or heavy cream. This will help loosen it a little.

Decorating Ideas

With a vanilla cupcake, the possibilities are pretty much limitless when it comes to decorating! If you need some inspiration, here are a few of our favorite ways to decorate these delicious cupcakes.

• Sprinkles of any kind! From rainbow, holiday themed, and everything in-between. Sprinkles always add a cute and fun decorative element to the cupcakes.
• Use a different frosting like our Chocolate Buttercream Frosting!
• Speaking of chocolate, you can use mini chocolate chips or chocolate curls on top.
• A drizzle of salted caramel sauce or even chocolate sauce would add a delicious and gorgeous element to these cupcakes.
• Feel free to color the frosting with food coloring to add a fun pop of color!
• Use edible flowers, especially during the spring and summer.
• Pipe shapes or patterns onto each cupcake. Flowers, animals, anything holiday-themed!

How To Store

If you have cupcakes leftover, the best way is to definitely refrigerate them! If placed in a lidded and airtight container, the cupcakes should last up to a week. You can also freeze these cupcakes for up to 1 month!

Substitutions

• If you don’t have cake flour, you can make your own! Measure out 2 cups of all purpose flour and place in a glass bowl. Remove 4 Tablespoons and then add 4 Tablespoons of corn starch. Whisk until well combined.
• No buttermilk? No problem! You can also make that yourself by measuring out 1 cup of whole milk and adding 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice (or white vinegar!). Let it stand about 10 minutes. From there, measure out ⅞ cup (this is equal to ¾ + 2 Tablespoons) and you’re ready to go!
• This recipe can be made vegan by using a plant-based homemade buttermilk (follow the directions above but with oat milk or soy milk), your favorite plant-based butter, and aquafaba. For the aquafaba, you will need about 8 ounces. For the frosting, use your favorite vegan butter and plant-based milk.

Expert Tips

• Set your eggs, butter, and milk out ahead of time to allow them to come to room temperature.
• Check your baking powder to make sure it’s still in-date.
• Remember to preheat your oven!
• Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl OFTEN! This is super important to make sure the butter is fully incorporated.
• Be careful to not over-mix your cupcake batter.
• We recommend using a large cookie scoop to ensure that each cupcake is equal in size and not over-filled or under-filled!
• If you’re unsure the cupcakes are baked, you can use a cake tester or tooth pick. If it comes clean, the cupcake is baked through!
• Let the cupcakes cool COMPLETELY before frosting them.

When you make these Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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