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Vanilla Cupcakes

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By Jenn Segal
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Made with buttermilk and topped with cream cheese frosting, these are the most luscious vanilla cupcakes. 

Vanilla cupcakes on and around a raised platter.

When my kids were little, I started a baking business specializing in cakes and cupcakes, mostly for children’s parties. Before I began, I spent weeks testing every type of cake recipe under the sun, often baking into the middle of the night. Michael would wake up in the morning to find the kitchen overflowing with all flavors of cakes and cupcakes. He thought I’d lost my mind—little did he know I was just discovering my passion for developing recipes, which was the motivation for starting my blog. These are the vanilla cupcakes that won me over. They have a fluffy, downy texture and rich vanilla flavor. Top them with swirls of cream cheese frosting or rich chocolate buttercream.

If you’d like to make the recipe as a layer cake, it works beautifully; simply divide the batter into two 8-inch cake pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The recipe also works in a 9×13-in cake pan, baked for 30 minutes.

What you’ll need to make vanilla Cupcakes

vanilla cupcake ingredients

Step-by-Step Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.

eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla ready to whisk

Whisk well and set aside. The mixture will start to look curdled as it sits; that’s okay.

whisked buttermilk mixture

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in electric mixer

Beat on low speed for 30 seconds to combine.

mixed dry ingredient mixture

Add the soft butter and half of the buttermilk mixture.

adding butter and half of buttermilk mixture

Mix on low speed until moistened but still a little crumbly, about 1 minute.

moistened vanilla cupcake batter

With the mixer running on low, gradually add the remaining buttermilk mixture,

adding remaining buttermilk mixture

Increase the speed to medium and mix for three minutes, stopping once to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The batter should look pale and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again, making sure the batter is evenly mixed.

pale and creamy vanilla cupcake batter

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pans, filling the cups almost full.

vanilla cupcakes ready to bake

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, switching the pans from top to bottom and back to front midway through. Remove from the oven when the cupcakes are set, lightly golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean (note that one pan may finish cooking before the other). Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

vanilla cupcakes cooling on rack

Frost the cooled cupcakes with icing and store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Vanilla cupcakes on and around a raised platter.

Note: The cake portion of the recipe is adapted from Nick Malgieri’s Perfect Cakes. I’ve mentioned this book before — it’s full of reliable, delicious recipes.  

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Vanilla Cupcakes

Metric Cup Measures
By Jenn Segal, cake portion of the recipe adapted from Nick Malgieri's Perfect Cakes

Made with buttermilk and topped with cream cheese frosting, these are the most luscious vanilla cupcakes. 

Servings: 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes, plus time to cool the cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

  • 1 cup buttermilk (see note)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2¾ cups cake flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off (see note)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • Heaping ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pans
  • Cream cheese frosting or rich chocolate buttercream

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Lightly grease the top of the muffin pans with butter so the cupcake tops don't stick.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside. (Note that the mixture will start to look curdled as it sits; that's okay.)
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds to combine. Add the soft butter and half of the buttermilk mixture and mix on low speed until moistened but still a little crumbly, about 1 minute. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the remaining buttermilk mixture, then increase the speed to medium and mix for three minutes, stopping once to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The batter should look pale and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again, making sure the batter is evenly mixed.
  4. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pans, filling the cups almost full. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, switching the pans from top to bottom and back to front midway through. Remove from the oven when the cupcakes are set, lightly golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean (note that one pan may finish cooking before the other). Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Frost the cupcakes and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. The cupcakes are best served fresh on the day they are made, but they will keep nicely for up to 2 days.
  5. Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, check out the easy method here.
  6. Note: Cake flour gives the cupcakes a fine texture. All-purpose flour can be substituted, but the cupcakes will be a bit heavier. To make your own cake flour, you can whisk together 2½ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch.
  7. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cupcakes can be frozen without the frosting for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and then in foil. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving. (Wait until the cupcakes are defrosted to ice them.)

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Serving size: 1 cupcake
  • Calories: 379
  • Fat: 19 g
  • Saturated fat: 12 g
  • Carbohydrates: 49 g
  • Sugar: 37 g
  • Protein: 4 g
  • Sodium: 155 mg
  • Cholesterol: 83 mg
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

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  • Would love to make for a group but don’t have fridge space to store them overnight, etc. If I use a buttercream frosting instead, might they still taste good/optimal if made a day or two ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temp? No worries if so, just appreciate your honesty, as always, Jenn.

    • Hi Diane, One day ahead would be best (and fine to store at room temp), but these keep pretty well and will still taste good after two.

      • Great news! THANKS! Question: Does Cream Cheese Frosting always need to be refrigerated? Or does it depend on the ratio used in the recipe? Your recipe sounds fantastic but my fridge space is small.

        • Technically these should be refrigerated because of the icing, but I have left mine on the calendar and they’re fine.

          • So helpful! Thanks Again!

            • — Diane

  • I made this recipe for my son’s 1st birthday and they were delicious. I don’t even like cake, but I do have a weakness for cream cheese icing. I made a very small alteration by using 1/2 the amount of vanilla extract and then substituting an extract called Fiori di Sicilia I get from King Arthur Flour for the other half. That extract kind of smells like a creamsicle…sort of a mix of citrus and vanilla. I use it in my pizzelles and it turned out wonderful in this recipe as well. Kind of my way of making it my own. 🙂

  • I have 4 kids
    My eldest just started school and we live in Countey Australia!

    He gets cranky if I forget to put baked goodies in his lunch box!!

    I have been searching and manipulating recipes for the best part of 10 years and the one that has always got away from me is the simple vanilla cupcake!

    Thank you! I have finally found it! FINALLY!!!
    this is the most delicious thing I have ever eaten and I will probably still get in trouble for having no goodies for him!! 🙂

    I made it with home made butter and buttermilk as we live on a dairy farm… so why not!!!

    Thank you again so much!!!
    🙂

    • — Jessica Wenham
    • Reply

    • So glad you feel you’ve finally hit the mark with this one! Hope you (and your kids!) enjoy. 🙂

  • If I just want to make 12 cupcakes, do I divide the ingredient measurements in half?

  • Excellent recipe! I made cupcakes with this recipe for my son’s class party and will be using this recipe again and again. The cupcakes baked up perfectly (although I think I over cooked them slightly). Darn, I have to bake a few more batches to get them just right! 😉

    Thank you for another fabulous recipe, Jenn!

  • Would this recipe work with two 13x9in pans? I want to make a double layer sheet cake for a party

    • Hi Gretchen, It will work but you might want to increase the recipe by 1.5. I’d love to know how it turns out!

  • First of all, this recipe is incredible as both layer cake and cupcakes. Someone asked about piping–I successfully piped the frosting for cupcakes and it looked great. The key was to make the frosting and fill the piping bags, then chill, bring back to cool room temp, and pipe before it got too warm. I frosted them generously but still only used about 60% of it. Extra cream cheese frosting in a piping bag is a dangerous thing to have around…

    I’m planning a birthday party and need to serve about 36 people. I would like to 1.5x the recipe and bake it in two 9×13 pans to make a double layer sheet cake. Do you think this would work and, if so, how long would you recommend baking it?

    • Hi Erika, I do think it’d work but it’s hard to say on the cook time as I’ve never tried it. My guess is 35-40 minutes. Hope that helps, and please lmk how it turns out.

      • Thanks, I will!

  • I made the chocolate and vanilla cupcakes for my husband to take to work as a thank you for all the help he received on a project and they turned out great. Thank you for the recipes!

  • Hi- love your recipes. I am making a 4 layer cake using 9 inch pans. Can i double this recipe or should I make 2 batches? Thanks. About how high will a layer be using 9 inch pan?

    • Hi Chithra,

      I think you could safely double it. A 9-inch pan will make a 1.5-inch high cake. Would love to see a photo when it’s done!

  • Just made these they are amazing. Thank You for sharing….

    • — Debbie Avakian
    • Reply

  • Hi, does 2-3/4 cups mean 2 cups and 3/4 of a cup? As in almost 3 cups? Thanks 🙂

    • Correct– hope you enjoy!

  • Do you have a chocolate cream cheese recipe?
    The cupcake reviews are FABULOUS. I will be baking the cupcakes next Sat for my son-in-law’s 43rd birthday party.
    #goddessbuzz Tampa Bay

    • — Richardene #goddessbuzz
    • Reply

    • Hi, Are you referring to chocolate frosting?

      • Yes, do you have a recipe for chocolate creme cheese frosting? Thank you

        • Hi Richardene, I don’t have one that contains cream cheese. Feel free to take a peek at this one though to see if it appeals to you.

  • I made these cupcakes (as 48 mini cupcakes) and they were a perfectly light and tasty birthday treat for a 7yr old’s party. I followed the directions almost exactly and found it was so easy to make – and also there wasn’t too much to wash in terms of utensils/bowls which was a nice plus.
    I used whole wheat flour (to try and convince myself it was healthier that way) and it turned out fine.
    The icing was a good workout as I mixed it by hand and the cream cheese was a little hard to manipulate….but perseverance paid off and it became light and fluffy….and delicious! I found I could have easily halved the ingredients to ice all 48 mini cupcakes.
    Thank you for another great recipe!

  • HI i have another question.
    Can i use 4 medium eggs instead of 4 large or do i use more medium eggs.
    Thanks once again
    DV

    • Medium eggs should be fine– no need to use an additional egg.

  • Hi, God, I’m such a fan of your recipes. By far all have been fabulous.I had a few a questions, it would be great if you would help.
    1. Can I substitute the butter with oil?
    2. Can I enjoy these darlings without the icing?
    3. I have fresh pineapple at home can i add it into the cake mix and bake it, do you think i need to alter anything?
    4. Can I reduce the sugar, as i don’t like very sweet cakes?
    Thanks a ton.
    DV

    • Hi DV, I’m glad you like the recipes and am happy to help! I’ve answered your questions in the order you asked: 1. No- you won’t achieve the right texture with oil. 2. Yes! 3. Yes- just make sure to drain any juice from it and, because it will add some liquid to the mix, reduce the buttermilk by 1/4 cup. 4. Yes, you could reduce the sugar by up to 1/2 cup. (Keep in mind that sugar does help keep the cake moist.) Hope that helps!

      • Thank you for your reply

  • Can cake flour be used instead of all purpose flour?

    • Hi Krystal, I would stick with the all-purpose flour here– sorry!

  • This is an awesome recipe, thank you!!

  • About high altitude baking. I live at 7000 feet in Park City, UT. As a former Californian I had to re-learn baking at this altitude. 🙂 I did make slight changes to the recipe: I didn’t change the baking soda amount, but did reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup (you won’t notice) plenty sweet. I also changed the temperature to 375 degrees, it helps set the batter faster, but I reduced the baking time by 5 minutes. Check your oven, they often differ. Mine came out great. Hope this helps.

  • These cupcakes were delicious and the instructions were super easy and straightforward. no one could believe i made them from scratch! i cant wait to make them again

  • Hi,
    Is the cream cheese frosting sturdy enough to pipe out and hold its shape?

    • Hi Reva, I don’t recommend this recipe for piping. Sorry!

  • My daughter is requesting yellow cake with chocolate frosting for her birthday. I’ve been searching and reviewing recipes online but know I can rely on your recipes. Loved your vanilla birthday cake. Is your buttermilk cake a “yellow” cake? And have you ever made it with chocolate frosting?

    • Hi Molly, the cake is a pale yellow. Does that count? 🙂 And you can definitely use chocolate frosting here if you prefer. Happy birthday to your daughter!

  • What are your suggestions for high altitude adjustments?

    • Hi Jenny, I don’t have any experience baking at high altitudes, but these tips should be helpful. Hope you enjoy the cupcakes!

  • Hi – My daughter and I made these cupcakes and loved them. Can we use these same buttermilk cupcake ingredients and make a cake?

    • Definitely– this works beautifully as a layer cake– just divide the batter into two 9-inch cake pans (buttered and lined with buttered parchment paper) and bake for 30-35 minutes.

  • This recipe is the perfect example of why you should learn to bake using a scale instead of measuring by cups. So you want to half this recipe? Quick, whats half of 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour? But it’s simple to half 340 grams. Life would be so much simpler if more sites presented recipes like Jenn does!

  • I baked these cupcakes for the very first time last night and they were delicious!
    The only thing I did different was combine all the dry ingredients together, then I added the butter until it was a sand like texture, then I added my wet ingredients. Either way it’s a great recipe and a great base for any cupcake?
    “Happy Baking”!

  • Have just made these cupcakes will they keep uniced in an airtight tin for 2 days? They seem alright but contain a lot of sugar was 400grammes correct?

    • — Christine Shawcroft
    • Reply

    • Hi Christine, Yes, they should keep fine and 400 g is correct. Hope you enjoy them!

  • This looks amazing and am going to make them this weekend for a baby shower! Would it work to substitute lemon juice instead of vanilla for the icing? And filling the cupcakes with a bit of lemon curd? Or would these flavors not work well together? I’m a novice 🙂

    • Yes Mollie, both the lemon juice and the lemon curd should work– hope you enjoy!

  • Hello Jenn,
    I will be making my daughter’s first birthday cake this week-end and have decided to use your vanilla buttermilk cupcake recipe which sounds great. I will be making it x1.5 and using three 9″ pans and adding food coloring for a pink and orange cake 🙂 I noticed there is no baking powder in your ingredients and I am used to always seeing that ingredient in cake recipes so I wanted to check with you before I make a cake fail…! Thank you in advance!

    • Hi Arianna, Sounds like it will be a pretty cake! This recipe doesn’t require baking powder because it contains buttermilk which helps with the leavening. Happy 1st birthday to your daughter!

  • Jenn,

    Do you think I could halve this recipe? All of the ingredients would seem to divide well except the flour — any thoughts on that? Thank you!!

    • Sure, this could be halved. For the flour you would need 1 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. Hope that helps!

  • Can a 2 layer cake be made with this recipe?

    • Definitely– Just divide the batter into two 9-inch cake pans (buttered and lined with buttered parchment paper) and bake for 30-35 minutes. Enjoy!

  • Hi,

    Will be making these cupcakes for a friend’s birthday tomorrow. However i will be using a 6 muffin pan and baking in batches. Do we need to refrigerate the batter between the batches?
    Please let me know

    Thanks!
    Sri

    • Hi Sri, If you’re making the batches back-to-back without much lag time in between, you don’t need to refrigerate the batter.

      • Thanks for the awesome recipe.Made a princess pullapart cupcake cake with these cupcakes and they were a hit!
        This recipe sure is a keeper. Thanks once again!

  • What is the substitute for liquid buttermilk? The only available ingredient in my place is powdered buttermilk. Thanks 🙂

    • Hi Sunshine, you can make your own buttermilk: Just add 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or white vinegar to regular milk and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

  • These cupcakes are amazing! I baked 3 batches for my elementary club kids for our party tomorrow. Can’t wait to surprise them with these yummy treats. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

  • These cupcakes are excellent! Moist, flavorful and light. I diced up some strawberries and added to the batter before baking for some strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. They were out of this world amazing.

  • I made this but used lemon instead of vanilla flavoring and was very pleased with the results. Very moist cupcake and lovely frosting. Pinning it as my main cupcake base recipe to change it up and get creative.

  • These cupcakes were amazing!!

  • Absolutely hit it outta the park!! These were a huge hit in my house.
    I served this w/ chocolate cream cheese frosting. Thanks again for another AMAZING recipe 🙂

  • Can I use milk instead of buttermilk? Will it affect the outcome?

    • Hi Diana, Unfortunately, the cake won’t rise without the buttermilk. If you don’t have any, you could always make your own by adding lemon juice or vinegar to the milk. Here’s how.

      • Thanks Jen!

        I made the recipe exactly as you wrote it for my son’s first birthday. Everyone loved them!

        A few notes. I ended up with 20 cupcakes instead of 24. I also halved the amount of frosting and still had enough frosting for another batch of cupcakes. I also sprinkled coconut flakes on top of each cupcake.

        • Thanks for the feedback, Diana. So glad everyone enjoyed them!

  • Hi!
    can I use cake flour instead?
    Great site thanks! ,

    • I wouldn’t use cake flour with this recipe. Sorry!

  • These were absolutely delicious, made exactly as Jenn wrote.

    • Glad you enjoyed them, Sara!

  • Hello – I made your Lemon Buttermilk Pound cake all summer (at least 4-5 times!) and it was spectacular.

    I need a yellow/vanilla/butter cake recipe for my son’s 2nd birthday party so I came to your site since the lemon buttermilk pound cake worked so well for me. I notice an earlier commenter mentioned a vanilla birthday cake. I don’t think I saw that on your website. Please advise. Thanks!

  • Hi Jenn! Do you think these would work well as “mini cupcakes”? If so, how long do you think I should bake them for? Thanks so much!

    • Yes Natalia, I think you could make mini versions of these. I’d start checking them for doneness after about 10 minutes.

  • I have used this recipe twice as the yellow cake for a traditional Doberge Cake. It was absolutely delicious both times! The vanilla birthday cake is great too. I’ve always had trouble keeping my cakes moist, but I haven’t had problems with these recipes.

  • These cupcakes are good, and easy to make! One thing, is that they are a bit heavy with the butter. Not really a fan of the taste of butter, and I could taste it in the cupcake a little bit.

  • Hello, What is the best way to freeze these cupcakes? I need to bake ahead for a large party. Thanks.

    • Hi Lynne, I would let the cupcakes cool completely, then wrap them (individually) in plastic wrap, then in foil. The frosting doesn’t freeze well, so definitely wait until they are defrosted to ice them.

  • I made this for my son’s 3rd birthday last week. Added a few sprinkles on top of the icing for color. I made them the night before so I had to refrigerate them overnight. Took them out to get to room temp about 2 hours before serving.
    Everyone loved them. Very yummy and moist. Thanks for another great recipe Jenn!

  • Hello, I’m wanting to make this cake for my son’s second birthday but we live in a very hot country so I tend to make my icing with crisco so it doesn’t melt. Am I able to substitute crisco for butter?

    Many thanks

    Samantha

    • Hi Samantha, Yes, that’s fine — or you might try substituting just part of the butter with Crisco so you get a little butter flavor.

  • I don’t bake and usually buy cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday…but this year she wanted to bake them from scratch. We made these and they were so delicious and easy! You might just make a baker out of me 🙂

  • Charming and delicious, just a note; my mom taught me to ‘make’ buttermilk out of whole milk and lemon juice. It works fine with this recipe.

  • I don’t have mixer, can I make this with wooden spoon and Ballon whisk?

    • Hi Mala, Your arm might get sore but yes 🙂

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