Vanilla Cupcakes
Soft and moist vanilla cupcakes that are sweet and bursting with vanilla flavor. Top them with your favorite topping for a perfect treat. You can’t go wrong with good nostalgic vanilla cupcakes!
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Servings: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
For Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups (195g) cake flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (3/4 stick/85g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup (60ml) canola oil, or vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste*
- 1/4 cup (600 ml) whole milk*
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream
For Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounce (226g/1 block) full fat block cream cheese (not cream cheese spread), softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (1 stick/113 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (170g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- A splash of lemon juice, optional
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
To Make Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Set aside.
- In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and oil on medium speed until combined, and no visible lumps of butter remain. The mixture will look lumpy but it’s fine. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. On medium speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Add milk and sour cream and beat until combined. Add the remaining half of the dry ingredients and beat slowly or fold by hand using rubber spatula only until combined. Do not over mix.
- Divide the batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Allow cupcakes to sit for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
To Make Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Add sifted powdered sugar, lemon juice (optional) and vanilla extract and beat on low speed for 30 seconds until incorporated, then beat on high speed for 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, pipe the tops of the cupcakes in a swirl pattern. I like to use the Wilton 1M piping tip, but you can use any tip you’d like. Garnish the cupcakes with sprinkles, fruit, jam or caramel sauce, or however you want. Enjoy!
Notes
*Cake Flour Substitute: You can make cake flour from all purpose flour and cornstarch. Measure 1 1/2 cups (195g) of flour, and then remove three tablespoons. Replace with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, sift together and whisk to combine.
*Vanilla Bean Paste: You can double the amount of pure vanilla extract in this recipe (total 2 teaspoons) if the vanilla bean paste is not available.
*Whole Milk: Non-dairy milk will work in this recipe too.
*Made Into a Cake: This recipe can be made into 2 6-inch layer cake, with the same amount of frosting that is enough to frost the entire cake.
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