The Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes | Recipe

We love baking and have always enjoyed cupcakes over traditional cakes for birthdays – they’re small, kid friendly, and portable. So we thought what better time to try to find the most PERFECT vanilla cupcake recipe to make at home, and this one was incredible!

pro tip: use this recipe for the most delicious buttercream frosting to pair these cupcakes with ; )

Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

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Servings: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 1/4 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Set flour mix aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed 5 minutes until thick and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition then scrape down the bowl. Add 2 tsp vanilla and beat to combine.
5. Reduce mixer speed to medium and add the flour mixture in thirds alternating with the buttermilk, mixing to incorporate with each addition. Scrape down the bowl as needed and beat until just combined and smooth, and don't overmix. Divide the batter evenly into a 12-count lined muffin or cupcake pan, filling 2/3 full.
6. Bake for 20-23 minutes at 350 °F, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature before frosting.

Things to remember:

• Room Temperature Ingredients – eggs, buttermilk and butter must be at room temperature to keep your batter an even consistency.
• Alternate Adding Flour and Buttermilk – this keeps the mixture uniform and well blended. If you add in all of the flour or buttermilk at once, it can saturate the creamed butter and cause the mixture to separate. Mix well between each addition.
• Measure Correctly – be sure to use the proper measuring cups for wet and dry ingredients. Watch our video on measuring ingredients to ensure great results every time.
• Don’t Overfill – Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full or they will overflow and cause a muffin top. If you divide evenly between 12 cupcakes, you should have exactly enough batter. A trigger release Ice Cream Scoop makes portioning easier.
• Bake until the tops are springy and a toothpick inserted int the center comes out clean.