Vanilla Cupcakes (Made with Buttermilk)
These Vanilla Cupcakes are the cupcake take on my beloved Vanilla Buttermilk Cake, same tender, fine crumb, same soft flavor, just in perfectly portioned form.
Table of contents
Why I love this recipe
These Vanilla Cupcakes are adapted from my Vanilla Buttermilk Cake — one of my favorite all-purpose cake recipes.
The batter is easy to mix, bakes evenly, and makes cupcakes with a fine, tender crumb that stays soft for days. The flavor is not too sweet, so it pairs beautifully with any frosting or filling.
I love this recipe because it’s reliable, versatile, and has that classic “bakery cupcake” texture — light but substantial enough to hold a swirl of buttercream.
It’s the kind of recipe that works just as well for a casual batch of cupcakes at home as it does for a celebration.
Why these Vanilla Cupcakes are so soft
The secret to the soft, tender texture is a careful balance of ingredients and technique.
On the ingredient side, a combination of oil and buttermilk gives these cupcakes their delicate crumb. You’ll find a detailed explanation of how these ingredients work in the “ingredient notes” section below.
As for the technique, emulsifying the oil and eggs with the other wet ingredients forms lots and lots of tiny air bubbles in the batter, which are then expanded by the baking soda and powder. This produces a very fine and even crumb that melts in your mouth.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Cake Flour – I like to use bleached cake flour for the softest and most tender cupcakes. Unbleached cake flour is also a good choice. As a last option, use all purpose flour to make the cake flour substitute in this post.
- Buttermilk – Acidic buttermilk tenderizes the crumb and adds a beautiful tangy flavor. The best substitution for fresh buttermilk is buttermilk powder. It’s shelf stable and keeps in the pantry for months. A third option is to add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk.
- Oil – Oil coats the flour proteins which reduces the amount of gluten development for a tender crumb. The oil also reduces the amount of water absorbed by the flour, leaving more water available for a moister crumb.
- Vanilla – For a relatively small amount of batter we use a full 2 teaspoons of vanilla. These cupcakes have a discernable vanilla flavor. You’ll find a link to my favorite vanilla extract in the recipe card.
Step by step photos
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Sift the dry ingredients and set aside.
- Combine the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Beat the ingredients until they are smooth and emulsified.
- Add the flour to the batter.
- Mix until the flour is completely incorporated.
- Use a scoop or small measuring cup to divide the batter among 12 cupcakes.
- Bake until the cupcakes are nicely domed and the center of a cupcake springs back when lightly pressed.
- Cool completely before icing.
Tips, Tricks & Funfetti
- It’s super easy to make “funfetti” cupcakes with this recipe. Simply fold a 1/2 cup of sprinkles into the batter after the flour is added.
- This is a very thin batter. It’s easiest to portion the batter with a scooper or cup with a pouring spout.
- The recipe will make 12 standard size cupcakes. You can use the batter to make mini cupcakes or jumbo cupcakes. Fill each cup about 2/3 full no matter the size of the cupcake. Adjust the baking time as needed.
- Cool the cupcakes fully before frosting — warm cupcakes = melted buttercream.
Frosting & Decorating Suggestions
Choose any of these frostings for your cupcakes or just finish them with a simple sprinkle of powdered sugar.
- American Buttercream – Simple and sweet! A classic for kids’ birthday celebrations. Top the frosting with colorful sprinkles for a festive look.
- Chocolate Ganache – For the unapologetic chocoholic, this rich chocolate truffle frosting is a dream.
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream — Silky and less sweet, meringue buttercream is the frosting I prefer. You can flavor the basic meringue buttercream with melted chocolate for a chocolate-on-vanilla treat, flavor it with raspberry puree for a beautiful fruit finish or add strong espresso powder for a jolt of coffee flavor treat.
- Cream Cheese Frosting — This wonderful frosting is a rich and tangy contrast for the vanilla cake.
- Ermine Frosting — The old fashioned flavor of this milk & flour frosting is absolute perfection with these cupcakes.
A swirl of frosting is a lovely decoration as is, but you can also add a flourish with colorful sprinkles, mini chocolate chips or a perfectly ripe berry.
Storage & Freezing
The batter can be mixed and held in the refrigerator for a day before baking.
The baked cupcakes will keep for 4-5 days stored in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Do not refrigerate the baked cupcakes unless you use a frosting that requires refrigeration (e.g. cream cheese frosting).
Baked and unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to a month. Defrost before icing the cupcake. Sometimes the paper wrapper may separate after freezing.
Yes, you can double the recipe for two dozen cupcakes or halve the recipe to make just six.
Yes. But be sure to mix the wet ingredients vigorously with a hand whisk or spatula until all the ingredients are well emulsified. This is the key to an even crumb.
No, this recipe was developed using vegetable oil. Butter would alter the balance of the recipe. I suggest using this Vanilla Butter Cake recipe if you prefer a butter based cake.
If you didn’t measure your ingredients carefully, especially the baking powder/soda, the cupcakes may over-rise and then sink. Always weigh your ingredients for the best results.
If you don’t sift your dry ingredients, you can end up with unmixed bits of baking powder or baking soda which can cause tunneling or large holes in the cake crumb.
FAQ & Troubleshooting
More Cupcake Recipes
- Chocolate Cupcakes – The yin to this vanilla cupcake’s yang.
- Red Velvet – The classic cake batter can be baked as moist and delicious cupcakes.
- Marble Cupcakes – Why choose between chocolate and vanilla when you can have both?
- Lemon Meringue Cupcakes – Everything you love about the classic pie in a cupcake.
- Strawberry Filled Cupcakes – These little beauties are stuffed with homemade strawberry filling and topped with a fluffy of pink strawberry buttercream.
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Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 6 oz cake flour (1 ¼ cups, see note)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 8 oz granulated sugar (1 cups)
- 4 oz vegetable oil (½ cup)
- 2 large eggs
- 4 oz buttermilk (½ cup)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Sift 6 oz cake flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon table salt, and ¼ teaspoon baking soda into a small bowl and set aside.
- Combine 8 oz granulated sugar, 4 oz vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 4 oz buttermilk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in a mixer bowl. Mix on medium speed to combine the ingredients. Continue mixing for 2-3 minutes to emulsify the ingredients. With the mixer running on low, add the dry ingredients.
- Use a scoop to divide the batter evenly between the cups. Bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed, 12-15 minutes. Cool completely before icing.
- Pipe or spread a generous dollop of your favorite frosting onto each cupcake.
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