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A close-up of the best vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting on a cake stand.
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5 from 2 votes

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

The Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe that delivers rich, buttery vanilla cupcakes with a soft, moist interior! Easy to make and always a hit!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Total Time37 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
Servings: 24
Calories: 398kcal
Author: Kelly Anthony

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

  • 2 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

  • 2 cups room temperature butter
  • 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk, half-and-half, or heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes:

  • Set out your eggs, milk, and sour cream up to 2 hours in advance and bring to room temperature. See blog post for tips on bringing these ingredients to room temperature faster, if needed.
  • Line two 12-cup, standard-sized muffin tins with cupcake liners and then spritz with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the room temperature, melted butter and sugar until well combined. Then, add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla, and whisk until blended. Whisk in the dry ingredients in three separate additions, alternating with the milk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and whisk once more.
  • Fill the cupcake liners ⅔'s of the way full and bake for 22-24 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking process. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

  • Add the butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt to a large mixing bowl mix with a handheld mixer, starting on low and working your way up to medium-high speed. Mix for 2-3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
  • Add big scoops of the icing into a piping bag fitted with a large piping tip. Twist the bag shut and pipe swirls across the surface of the cupcake. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 272mg | Potassium: 138mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 873IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg