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Don’t overlook the classics! These vanilla cupcakes are sweet and tender and full of vanilla flavor. Top them with your favorite frosting for the perfect treat.
I know that everyone is all about flavored cakes and cupcakes: chocolate, lemon, strawberry, peanut butter…the list goes on.
But don’t overlook vanilla!
If you don’t think vanilla cupcakes are anything special, then you don’t know what you’re missing. If you use really good vanilla and know how to make a super tender cake, you are in for a real treat!
So don’t sleep on this vanilla cupcake recipe. I can promise it’ll make you ask for vanilla cupcakes all of the time.
THE BEST VANILLA CUPCAKE RECIPE
Don’t let anyone tell you that vanilla is “boring.” That probably just means they haven’t had a good vanilla cake or cupcake before!
The truth is that vanilla cupcakes are a classic, and when they are done right they can be really flavorful on their own or make a great slate for pairing with your favorite frostings and fillings (see “frosting and filling ideas” below).
These vanilla cupcakes are tender, moist, and packed FULL of vanilla flavor thanks to both a vanilla bean (or vanilla bean paste) and vanilla extract. They will totally make you rethink how you see vanilla!
HOW TO MAKE VANILLA CUPCAKES
If you’ve made my funfetti cupcakes, this recipe might look familiar to you. That’s because they’re really similar!
The funfetti version obviously includes sprinkles, while the vanilla version includes two different types of vanilla!
Ingredients you’ll need
This vanilla cupcake recipe is simple, but that just means that all of the ingredients are important!
Cake flour: Cake flour makes for a super tender crumb. I really like Swan’s Down cake flour, but you can also use my cake flour substitute if you don’t have any on hand. Make sure you also know how to measure flour properly before starting.
Baking powder: Baking powder is our leavening for this cupcake recipe.
Kosher salt: I usually use kosher salt in this recipe, although I have also used fine sea salt. Check out my guide on the types of salt for more info.
Whole milk: I prefer to use whole milk in this recipe, but you could probably use a non-dairy milk substitute just fine.
Vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste: Is there anything better than seeing little flecks of vanilla bean in a recipe? If you don’t have vanilla beans, feel free to use your favorite vanilla bean paste in this recipe instead.
Vanilla extract: We want tons of vanilla flavor in these cupcakes, but let’s be real: vanilla beans can be pretty expensive. So I like to use one vanilla bean or a bit of paste for those gorgeous vanilla bean flecks and combine it with vanilla extract to boost that flavor.
Make sure to use a really good quality vanilla extract in these cupcakes, though. Don’t use artificial vanilla here!
Unsalted butter: Make sure your butter is at room temperature before you get started. Learn how to bring butter and eggs to room temperature.
Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar gives us the sweetness we need in these cupcakes. They’re just sweet enough to balance well with a sweeter frosting.
Egg whites: For this recipe, we are just going to use the whites of the eggs, not the yolk. Beating the egg whites and folding them into the batter helps to lighten the batter and make for a tender cupcake.
Making this recipe
This recipe makes 24 cupcakes, so line two standard cupcake pans with paper liners.
To prep the dry ingredients, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
To prep the wet ingredients, whisk the milk and vanillas together in a measuring cup.
Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Alternate adding the flour mixture with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined after each addition.
Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
Stir ¼ of the egg whites into the batter. This helps to lighten the batter so we can fold in the rest of the whites.
Gently fold in the remaining whipped egg whites, one half at a time, by cutting the spatula down the middle to the bottom of the bowl, then sweeping it around, up and over. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until no streaks of egg whites remain.
Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake tins and bake for 18-24 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely before decorating.
FROSTING AND FILLING IDEAS
These classic vanilla cupcakes make a great base for adding all of your favorite fillings and frostings. These cupcakes bake up just the perfect height for topping with a beautiful swirl of frosting.
Some of my favorite classic frostings include my homemade buttercream frosting, homemade chocolate frosting, and strawberry frosting.
But don’t be afraid to get creative with your frosting flavors! The lemon-lime frosting from my lemon-lime cupcakes or the nutella frosting from my banana nutella cupcakes are two great examples. Cinnamon frosting would also be delicious!
And don’t forget about filling your cupcakes! Some of my favorite fillings include:
- Microwave lemon curd
- Strawberry jam (or your favorite jam or preserves flavor)
- Strawberry pie filling (cut the berries into small pieces if using it as a cupcake filling)
- Nutella
- Peanut butter
You can also use any flavor of frosting as a cupcake filling as well.
STORAGE AND FREEZING
Store undecorated vanilla cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a day before frosting. You can also freeze them, tightly wrapped in a zip-top freezer bag, for up to 2 months before decorating.
Store decorated cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you are using a buttercream frosting and your house is not too warm, you can store them at room temperature for up to a day.
Classic Vanilla Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 4 large egg whites room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Line two standard cupcake pans with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a measuring cup, combine the milk, vanilla seeds or paste, and vanilla extract.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed for 3 minutes, or until the butter and sugar are very light and fluffy. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, beating on low speed. Beat in half of the milk mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until well incorporated. Add the rest of the milk, beating until the batter is fully incorporated and smooth, then add the last of the dry ingredients, beating until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Add the egg whites to a medium bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Gently stir ¼ of the whipped egg whites into the cupcake batter with a rubber spatula until no streaks of egg whites remain. This will help lighten up the batter. Gently fold in the remaining whipped egg whites, one half at a time, by cutting the spatula down the middle to the bottom of the bowl, then sweeping it around, up and over. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until no streaks of egg whites remain.
- Use a large scoop or ¼-cup measure to distribute the batter between the 24 muffin wells, filling each well 2/3 full.
- Bake for 18-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack completely before topping with desired frosting and decorating.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could i use this recipe in a cupcake macker ?
Tammy-
I’ve never used a cupcake maker so I am not equipped to answer that question.
-Jamie
I have been trying for MONTHS to find a wonderful white cupcake recipe that works and this is AWESOME!!! I am so glad I found this. I tomorrow I am making 80 cupcakes for a baby shower and then my daughters 3rd birthday saturday and I am using this. I did have to change a couple things because I did not have real vanilla bean or whole milk so I used 2 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract and buttermilk and they turned out WONDERFUL!!! I am so EXCITED!!!! Thank you so much I wish I would have found this earlier! I am now on to try your frosting for this and off to work this trial batch goes :) Thank you again!!!!
Tanya-
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback. I hope your trial batch went over well – have a great day!
-Jamie
Everyone at work LOVED the trial batch!!! Thanks again! I will be looking throughout your website more since this one worked so well for me :) Thanks again!
I just made these and they are AMAZING!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!
Pam-
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the cupcakes! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback – have a lovely day.
-Jamie
I made these for a baby shower and they were a hit. I wanted to make something that would be universal enough that they would be loved by all, but that would still have that special touch that makes it feel a bit more special than everyday cupcakes. These were perfect! I love how gorgeously flecked with vanilla beans they were and how the cake and frosting were lightly sweet but not aggressively so. I don’t like a ton of frosting so I halved that recipe and they were perfect. Love the texture on these too!
Kelly-
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe – thanks for stopping by and leaving your feedback! Have a great day.
-Jamie
I’m so excited about making these later! Being from the UK, we don’t really have cake flour over here, but a flour mill near me has started bringing out a flour called ‘cake and pastry flour’, so I’m going to use this recipe to test it against the standard plain flour + cornflour substitute. Fingers crossed it will go well, I’ve been looking for the perfect vanilla recipe for ages :).
Love the presentation!
Just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing your fantastic recipe! I made these with oreo frosting for my son’s 2nd bday & they were a huge hit! The texture is so wonderful & they taste like heaven! My go-to vanilla cupcake recipe now :-D
Melanie-
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the Vanilla Bean Cupcakes recipe. Thanks so much for coming back and telling us your thoughts! Have a great day.
-Jamie
I’d give the cupcakes 10 stars out of 5. Amazing! Unfortunately I ate too many today! Looking forward to more recipes.
Hey! I like those sprinkles! Are’nt they like a Jewel color or something I went in this store in McKinney and they had those! :) :D
Jamie,
I can’t wait to try these for my son’s birthday party. I have to make 60 cupcakes (sigh). I’m wondering if I can double the recipe so I only have to make two batches (same goes for the frosting recipe)? Also, do you think the frosting will hold up for a couple of hours at the park? There are so many cupcakes that I have to transport; I can’t keep them in a cooler. It’s not super hot here, only in the low 70s…
Thanks for the recipe and for your input!
-April
April-
I typically don’t recommend doubling recipes, I just find that I end up with a better product if I mix them separately – but that’s just personal preference. I think they’d be fine at the park for a couple of hours. Hope this helps.
-Jamie
I have oogled this recipe (no, didn’t mean to type google), I am now ADDICTED to bakeitpretty.com, thank you for pointing me in that direction. So, I am finally going to bake these. My husband loves vanilla on vanilla, although his favorite icing is a Swiss Meringue buttercream that I use mostly vanilla with a touch of almond extract in there, it’s heavenly. (:
Anyway, I am certain these cupcakes will be epic!
I made these again last night. They are absolutely delicious! My three year old assisted me in quality control and generously sprinkled on the jimmys. He is such a doll :) With the buttercream, I made the same change I did with your cream cheese frosting recipe, added more liquid, again, my kitchen is cold. I LOVE love, LOVE this vanilla bean cake recipe. It’s a fluffy cloud of yumminess from the cupcake goddess, the speckles of the vanilla bean make it even more special. I do not know how I ever lived before without this recipe. THANKS so so much, you have helped me make memories with my kids :)