Vanilla Cupcakes
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Made with buttermilk and topped with cream cheese frosting, these are the most luscious vanilla cupcakes.
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
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.
Whisk well and set aside. The mixture will start to look curdled as it sits; that’s okay.
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.
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,
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.
Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pans, filling the cups almost full.
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.
Frost the cooled cupcakes with icing and store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
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.
You may also like
- How to Make Buttermilk
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Creamy Chocolate Frosting
- Vanilla Birthday Cake with Old-Fashioned Vanilla Buttercream
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Vanilla Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Vanilla Cupcakes
Made with buttermilk and topped with cream cheese frosting, these are the most luscious vanilla 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
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.
- Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, check out the easy method here.
- 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.
- 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
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- 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
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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I made this in two 9 inch cake pans, as the recipe proposed. The cake was WONDERFUL (5 stars!) but the frosting was way too sweet (2 stars). I appreciated the alternative cake pan instructions will make the cake again, but look for a different vanilla frosting.
Thank you so much! These were a hit! Honestly, they taste so much like sugar cookies… and I love sugar cookies!
I made 3 different frostings with them. Whipped cream, buttercream and cream cheese. I’ve made them and taken them to the hospital staff and they were gone within 30 min!
I’ve tried other cupcake recipes and this is by far the best, got comments on how moist they are! Thanks again.
I baked these cupcakes with my siblings and they turned out perfectly! Thank you so much for the recipe. I loved it!
Hello,
If you have them, could you please give me the Nutrition facts on these cupcakes. My granddaughter is diabetic and i need the carb count.
Thanks so much!
Hi Jeannette, I just added the nutritional info. 🙂
Can I add chocolate chips to the recipe, and if so how many? I was thinking that if they were mixed in the flour first they wouldn’t sink to the bottom. Would love to hear what you think.
Hi Li, yes, you can add 1/2 – 1 cup of chocolate chips to the recipe. I’d toss them in a tiny bit of flour and fold them into the batter at the end. And I’d suggest mini chips as due to their lighter weight, they are less likely to sink. Please LMK how they turn out if you make them!
Hi there! Your recipes are fabulous. My son really wants a vanilla Costco sheet cake for his birthday next week and I am going to attempt to make this cake for him. Do you recommend I use this recipe with vanilla frosting or the vanilla birthday cake recipe? Just trying to mock a sheet cake with vanilla/vanilla flavor. Thanks so much!
Hi Mimi, So glad you like the recipes! I think I’d probably go with this recipe for a sheet cake. Happy early birthday to your son! 🙂
Thanks so much Jenn! I will use this recipe. Question about the frosting- wanted to make it less of a cream cheese flavor and more vanilla. Would you suggest I use less cream cheese and add an extra tsp of vanilla or more powdered sugar? I can play around with it for flavor, but a good base point will help!
Hi Mimi, Based on what you’re describing, you may want to use the frosting from the Vanilla Birthday Cake. Hope that helps!
Hi,
Is this a high altitude recipe?
I live at 7000 ft.
Thanks
Mad
Hi Mad, This was not designed as a high altitude recipe and I don’t have experience baking at high altitudes so, unfortunately, I don’t have any wisdom to share in terms of any necessary changes – I’m sorry! You may find these tips helpful though.
Hi Jenn👋
Can i use milk instead of buttermilk?
because we don’t have buttermilk where i’m from.
Hi Hasti, You really need buttermilk for this, but if you don’t have access to it, you can easily make your own. See how here. Hope that helps!
Thank you
Hi Jenn,
Recently made your banana nut muffins but substituted nuts for choc chip and they were amazing.
Now, I’d like to try these cupcakes but need some help;
1) is confectioners sugar the same as icing sugar?
2) as we don’t have buttermilk where I’m from, I’ve read some suggestions to use sour cream and thin it out; how much milk would need to be added to the sour cream? I have no idea what buttermilk consistency should be. Would it alter the taste/texture?
Hi Ash, Glad you liked the muffins! In answer to your questions:
1. Yes, confectioners’ sugar and icing sugar are the same thing.
2. To substitute sour cream for buttermilk, combine 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk plus enough sour cream to equal 1 cup and whisk to combine. You can also make your own buttermilk. See how here.
Hope that helps!
Jenn can I make a cake from this recipe instead of cupcakes? My mom’s 83 birthday is tomorrow and I think she would love this.
Definitely. Just divide the batter into two 9-inch cake pans (buttered and lined with buttered parchment paper). Bake time will be about 30 minutes. Happy birthday to your mom!
I made these cupcakes once before and they were divine, so I decided to use the recipe to make my son’s first birthday cake. I had never made a cake from scratch before. It was easy and turned out so well. He loved it, especially the frosting!
When I combined my ingredients it looked as if it was curdled. I did add some more flour and it tasted like really great cornbread
Hi Mo, would you say the flavor or texture was more like cornbread? If it was the texture, these cupcakes are a little more on the dense side and if you added more flour, that would’ve made them more dense.
So should it look curled??
It wasn’t thick like your pictures,
Do you weigh your ingredients??
but I will try again
Hi Mo, Some batters do look a bit curdled as your mixing them, but I haven’t found that to be the case with this one. While I do provide weights/metric conversions for my recipes, I generally prepare my recipes using measuring cups (but I definitely recommend weighing ingredients if that’s what you typically do – it’s definitely more precise). I hope you have better luck next time around!
This was my first time making this recipe and I also noted the curdling effect. I always weigh my ingredients (flour, sugar), and did not overbeat at any step. I did make my own “buttermilk” using lemon juice and whole milk. Making a cake of this and it is in the oven as I type..I expect it will be fabulous, as are all the recipes on this site. Am not expecting a little curdling to make a difference.
hi there. this looks amazing. what if we only want to make 12? just cut it in half?
thank you!!!
Yup!
what would you use on the flour amount? thank you so much!!! cant wait to try
Hi Annie, I just did a little math and it sounds like you’ll need 1 and 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp.
thank you!!!
I do not like the texture of the cupcakes- very heavy/dense.
Hi Jenn!
I made this cake recipe and it was delicious! The only difficulty I am having is with the frosting. I’m in Tanzania and I cannot find cream cheese. Is there another name for cream cheese (I googled to see if there was but was still unsure). Is paneer similar, or the same? I have seen this available but am not sure if it is indeed cream cheese and/or if this would be a good substitute. Cheese is really expensive here so I wanted check. Any advice would be appreciated!
Hi Jama, I don’t know of another name but mascarpone cheese would also work. If you can’t find that, just replace the cream cheese with more butter. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn! I love all your recipes and I would like to try this one for a friend’s birthday, can you advise if I could add sprinkles to make them funfetti cupcakes and if I could replace the butter milk with sour cream instead? Thanks so much and looking forward to hearing back from you!
Hi Trish, so glad you like the recipes! Yes, I think you can add sprinkles to the batter and replace the buttermilk with sour cream. You’ll just need to thin the buttermilk out with a little bit of milk to get it to the right texture. Hope that helps!
Thanks for your quick response! How much sprinkles would you recommend I add to the batter? I am looking forward to trying this recipe!
Hi Trish, I suggested about 1/2 cup. 🙂
Hi Jenn, just wanted to let you know, I replaced the buttermilk with sour cream and added sprinkles to the recipe, it turned out super delicious so much so, I made it twice! Thanks so much again for your recipes, they are the BEST! (this will be my go to birthday funfetti cupcakes!!)
Hi Jenn! I would like to bake these for a friend who is allergic to eggs but is it possible to remove the eggs or an egg replacement suggestion? I have heard you can sub eggs out for baking soda/vinegar or yogurt or bananas, would any of these work in the recipe? Thanks so much!!
Hi Trish, A number of readers that avoid eggs have mentioned that they use flax eggs when baking. I would assume many baking recipes would also work with some kind of egg substitute. Hope that helps and that your friend enjoys!
Jenn – You are my idol! I don’t think that there is ONE recipe of yours that I have tried that has been nothing less than stellar! I made these gluten free and they’re amazing. Love Love Love!!!! Thank you for all the hard work you do to make this blog as amazing as it is!
You’re so welcome!! 💗
Hi Lilli and Jenn,
I agree with Lilli’s praise of Jenn and her recipes!!!!
Could you explain how you made these GF?
I need to bake for my daughter’s April wedding while traveling to multiple states, so we decided cupcakes topped by small cake would be easiest.
Hi Liz, I’d recommend using an all-purpose gluten-free flour. A lot of readers have commented that they have good luck with King Arthur brand. Hope that helps and congrats to your daughter!
Hi Jenn! Love your recipes. Everything I’ve made from this site has been delicious. I want to make these but don’t have any buttermilk. I’ve read that you can make your own by adding a tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks so much 🙂
Yes, Denise, it’s perfectly fine to make your own buttermilk. Hope you enjoy!
Delicious cupcakes, especially the frosting!
One comment: I will try using foil liners next time – I bought really cute printed paper liners (the cupcakes were for my friend’s birthday), but the amount of butter in the batter soaked through the paper and just about obliterated the nice printed design!!
I made this as a single layer cake, and it turned out so fluffy and light! The flavor was also very light and the cream cheese icing went perfect with it. Highly recommend.
Hi – do you use granulated white sugar, or caster sugar? thanks
Hi Alex, the cupcakes call for granulated white sugar and the frosting confectioners’ sugar. Hope you enjoy!
As expected these cupcakes are another winner from Chef Jen. The cupcakes and frosting are delicious. I made the cupcakes gluten free by substituting an all purpose gluten free flour mix for the flour and they turned out perfectly.
Hi Jenn, I’m torn between this receipe and your “vanilla bday” cake. I need to make a vanilla bday cake for my niece… and I was going to use the later receipe however after tasting these cupcakes…I really like the taste of these. What effect does buttermilk have and using full eggs instead of egg whites… these seem to be the main diff btw the two? Which receipe do you think i should I use to make the cake?
Hi Priya, You can really go either way depending on your preference. This one with whole eggs makes a richer, moister cake that keeps a bit longer, if that helps. 🙂
I made this as a layer cake and used the frosting from your “Chocolate Lover’s Birthday Cake” recipe in your cookbook. Wow! The perfect combination of yellow cake and chocolate frosting if there ever was one. Divine. The cake was perfectly moist with a nice crumb and slight tang which balanced out the rich, creamy fudge-like frosting. Upon seeing a picture of the finished product, I was asked to make the same for an upcoming birthday party. I can’t wait. Thanks so much, Jenn for another outstanding addition to my collection. I’ve tried a lot of yellow cake recipes and finally this one really delivers the moistness I was always looking for. Thanks Again!
I have a quick question! If i wanted to make these into mini cupcakes for my nephews birthday party would anything change? For example baking time or anything like that?
The only thing that would change is the baking time; I’d start checking them at about 10 minutes. Hope your nephew enjoys!
Hi jenn
Can i add color to the cream cheese frosting?
Sure, Fanny, I think using a bit of food coloring would work here. 🙂
How long does buttermilk cup cake keep for
Hi Lou, if stored in an airtight container in the fridge, they should keep nicely for 2 to 3 days.
A different review….
This is a quick and easy recipe to put together with good results and it makes plenty of cupcakes. Five of us ate them for dessert the day they were baked, and we thought they were fine, but we were not as enthusiastic as many of the other reviewers. I made a similar frosting which we all liked. We divided up the remaining ones and truthfully, we forgot about them. So 2 days later, I was ready to throw them out, but decided to taste another one. Oh my goodness! The flavor went through and they were really good. So I called my daughter and told her to taste hers, and she agreed wholeheartedly, even though they were now an extra day older. Plus, both of us left them on the counter rather than refrigerate them (which I certainly wouldn’t do in warm weather). So my review is really to share my experience with holding them for more than 2 days. While I know many people wouldn’t want to keep them, I know that I could make them a few days in advance and be happy to serve them (probably wouldn’t frost till day of serving, but maybe the frosting kept them fresh and moist). Thanks, Jenn, for sharing your recipes. I really enjoy your site and the recipes I have made.
Hi Jenn, my son wants cookies and cream cupcakes for his birthday so I was thinking of adding chopped Oreos to this recipe and/or maybe placing an Oreo at the bottom of the cupcake. Would this change the baking time? Thanks!
Hi Renee, I think it would work with no adjustments necessary to the baking time. Please LMK how they turn out this way!
Amazingly light and moist. Got rave reviews! I was even told I had to make someone’s wedding cake after eating these!
I love these! Definitely a keeper. Thanks.
I was thrilled to find this recipe is easy, fast and so delicious. I made one batch as indicated and added shredded coconut to the icing in the second batch. Excellent!
I made these cupcakes last night and they are my new go to recipe for cupcakes! I love to bake, so I have a question for you. Is it worth it to buy really expensive vanilla? I have just been using Durkee from the grocery store. I bake so often that I go though vanilla quickly, which is why it is hard for me to justify the expensive stuff.
If you do think it is worth it, maybe for special recipes, what kind of hi end vanilla do you recommend?
Thanks!
Hi Liza, Vanilla extract has gotten so expensive. I don’t think it’s worth it to buy a pricey brand – just be sure to buy pure vanilla rather than imitation. McCormick Pure Vanilla is a good choice.
Great! Thanks so much for the advice! Will switch to McCormick 🙂
I wanted to do a 9X13 double layer cake. Do you think that would still be okay? Has anyone tried this? If so, what do you recommend for cooking time?
I haven’t found another recipe with such great reviews and would love to make this!
Hi Margaret, Sure you could bake this in two 9 x 13-inch baking dishes, but you’d need to double the recipe. The baking time may be a little longer- I’d start checking for doneness at about 35 minutes. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
It was my second time making cupcakes, but my first time making vanilla ones. I was doing it for a trial run for my daughter’s birthday party. My husband loves them. I reduced the recipes in half and it turned out fantastic regardless. So I am definitely using this recipe for the birthday and other future events. My husband found the icing perfect. But I found it a bit sweet as I can’t handle too much sweet. Is it possible to reduce the icing sugar to four cups instead of six? Or would that affect the texture of the icing?
Sure, you could reduce the sugar – it will change the texture of the frosting a bit, but it should still work. I’d try it with 4 coups like you suggested and if the frosting is too thin, you can add a little more sugar, bit by bit, until it reaches a spreadable texture. Hope that helps!
Very simple but delicious. Tried with whipped cream frosting and topped with berries. They were amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe.
I love this recipe! Do you think it would work for a large birthday cake (a number
One cake tin)? Thank you!
Great Question, Louise! I’ve never baked anything in a tin like that – I suspect it should work, but just make sure to thoroughly grease the baking pan before putting the batter in. I’d hate for it to stick. I’d love to hear how it turns out! 🙂
The cake was absolutely divine. I googled another recipe for cream cheese frosting that could be piped https://www.carveyourcraving.com/cream-cheese-frosting-for-piping-and-decorating-cakes-cupcakes/
And the results were just amazing. I can’t seem to post a photo though. I have never really found that there are many cupcakes that taste as good as they look but this cake had been perfect as cupcakes, a layer cake and for a huge cake tin. It’s my new go-to recipe. Thank you!
So glad they turned out well!
I’m eager to try your recipe after seeing all the positive reviews. Will the cake turn out well with less sugar? Will 300gm sugar be too little? I’m not allowed too much sugar for health reasons, but I just can’t resist a good buttery cupcake.
Hi Mei, I think you’d be fine reducing the sugar to 300 g, but I wouldn’t reduce it any more than that. Please lmk how they turn out!
Hi Jenn, the reduced sugar cupcakes turned out well – still buttery and moist, and rose nicely. Thank you!
Made these a bunch of times and they are to die for .. best cupcakes EVER .. every time I’ve made them everyone was asking for the recipe ..thank you so much for sharing !!
Just made these cupcakes for my daughter and nephew’s birthday and they were a hit. So delicious and easy to make!
Jenn, thanks for another great recipe! 😀
How do you think the buttermilk cupcakes would turn out with the chocolate frosting from your chocolate cupcake/frosting recipe?
I think they’d be delish! 🙂
How long would you recommend baking these as mini cupcakes?
Hi Amanda, I’d recommend checking them starting at 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Hi, is it ok to just cut the ingredients in half to make 12 cupcakes or will it alter the outcome of the cupcakes? Thanks!
Sure, Kristy – that’ll be fine.
Hello, Im planing to make 3 dozen of cupcakes for my kids party. My younger one asked for pink frosting. Instead of adding food coloring can i add strawberries to this frosting? Thank you.
Hi Dorota, In order to achieve a pink hue, you’d need to puree the strawberries and add them to the rest of the icing ingredients. Because you’re adding that, you may need to play with the amounts of the other ingredients in order to achieve the right texture. Hope everyone enjoys!
Do these cupcakes freeze well?
Hi Louise, yes, these freeze nicely, but wait until you’ve thawed them to frost. Hope you enjoy!
The cupcakes taste wonderful. I am surprised that they are dense and heavy because the batter was so very light
Can I add a color to the frosting and is the frosting good to use with decorating tips
Hi Robin, Yes on the color but, unfortunately, this is not a great frosting to use with tips — it’s a bit too soft.
I’ve tried so many of your recipes. It’s like you can’t fail! This was so easy to make. I made it for my neighbors as a thank you a few days ago. Everyone is asking for the recipe. Thanks for making me a neighborhood sensation. 🙂
🙂
Your recipe sounds delicious! I need to make some chocolate cupcakes too. Do you have a chocolate buttermilk cupcake recipe?
I do! Here’s a link to the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Hi! Love your site! I want to try this but where I live they don’t sell vanilla extract at all, only vanilla essence (I’ve looked everywhere, believe me when I say they just don’t sell it). So I was wondering if I have to change the amount to get the right flavor but I worry it will affect the texture?? HELP! lol
Hi Laura, so glad you like the site! You could use vanilla essence in place of extract, but because it’s less potent, you’ll need double the amount. Some other options are maple syrup (and the ratios are the same as vanilla extract) or vanilla beans (the ratio for beans is 1 vanilla bean = 1 teaspoon extract). Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn
Can I add corn syrup light to keep bright white) For cream cheese?if yes how much?
Thanks again for help!
Hi Fanny, It’s the butter and vanilla that make the frosting off-white in color — unfortunately, there’s no way to avoid that with this recipe.
Fabulous- just finished making these for my twin 17 year olds’ birthdays.
A gigantic hit…I tasted just the **tiniest** bit of frosting ( following a ketogenic diet, very low carb ) and it was creamy and delish! The boys loved the springy texture and flavor of the cakes. It was quite an easy recipe as well, so extra thanks to you!