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Easy Vanilla Cupcake (from scratch!)
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Easy Vanilla Cupcake Recipe (from scratch!)

There’s something magical about a perfectly baked vanilla cupcake—soft, fluffy, and bursting with sweet, buttery flavor. In just 20 minutes of prep, you’ll have a batch ready to bake, filling your kitchen with the comforting aroma of vanilla and warm butter.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cool Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 489
Ingredients Method Nutrition

Ingredients
  

Vanilla Cupcakes
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch of salt
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 Tablespoons heavy cream

Method
 

  1. Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
  2. Cream. In the bowl of a standup mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
  3. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, on medium speed followed by the vanilla extract.
  4. Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  5. Put it all together. Mix a third of the dry mixture with the wet ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk. Repeat until you are out of ingredients, ending with the dry mixture.
  6. Bake. Spoon the cupcake batter into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
  7. Cool. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Vanilla Frosting
  9. Cream the butter. Beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. On medium speed, mix in the vanilla and then the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time.
  10. Adjust the consistency. On low speed, mix in the heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
  11. Beat. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high speed and beat until light and fluffy.
  12. Frost. Spread or pipe the frosting over the fully cooled cupcakes.

Nutrition

Calories: 489kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 3gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 116mgPotassium: 52mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 52gVitamin A: 819IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 1mg
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