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Vanilla Cupcakes

A soft, fine vanilla crumb and a generous swirl of simple buttercream make these classic cupcakes easy to bake and share.

Twelve golden vanilla cupcakes are topped with simple white buttercream swirls on a serving plate.

These cupcakes rely on familiar pantry ingredients and a gentle mixing sequence for a soft, fine crumb. A straightforward vanilla buttercream gives each one a classic finish without obscuring the cake.

Start with room-temperature ingredients

Soft butter can trap air when beaten with sugar, while room-temperature eggs and milk blend into that mixture more evenly. Measure and line the pan before mixing so the batter can go directly into the oven.

Mix just until combined

Creaming creates lift, but the flour needs only enough mixing to disappear into the batter. Alternating the dry mixture with milk helps it blend smoothly while limiting gluten development.

Vanilla cupcake batter is divided evenly among paper liners in a standard muffin tin. — Evenly portioned batter fills the lined cups with space left for a gentle rise.

Use the spring-back cue

Begin checking at 17 minutes because ovens and pans can vary slightly. A cupcake that springs back in the center and has no wet batter on a toothpick is ready; baking much longer can dry the edges.

Wait for a cool cake

The buttercream is deliberately simple: butter, powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Cool the cupcakes fully before piping or spooning it on, then serve at room temperature for a soft cake and creamy frosting.

A close view shows the fine vanilla crumb beneath a simple piped buttercream swirl. — A tender vanilla crumb sits beneath a simple piped swirl of buttercream.

Vanilla Cupcakes

12 cupcakes

93 minutes total

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (188 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened, for frosting
• 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, for frosting
• 1/8 tsp fine salt, for frosting

Method

Heat the oven
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 350 F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners so the batter is ready to portion as soon as it is mixed.
Look for: The oven is fully preheated and all 12 cups are lined.
Combine the dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until the leavener is evenly distributed. Set the bowl beside the milk and keep the butter and eggs at room temperature for a smooth batter.
Look for: No visible clumps of baking powder remain in the flour.
Cream butter and sugar
Beat the cake-batter butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bowl once, until pale and fluffy. This incorporates air for a light crumb without requiring extra leavening.
Look for: The mixture looks noticeably lighter and holds soft ridges when the beaters lift.
Add eggs and vanilla
Beat in the eggs one at a time, allowing each to disappear before adding the next, then mix in the vanilla extract. Scrape the bowl so no thick butter-sugar mixture remains stuck to its sides.
Look for: The batter is cohesive and the eggs are fully incorporated.
Finish the batter gently
With the mixer on low, add the dry mixture in three additions alternating with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with flour. Stop as soon as the last flour streak disappears; a few small lumps are preferable to overmixing.
Look for: The batter is thick, smooth enough to scoop, and has no dry flour pockets.
Fill the muffin tin
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 lined cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Use a scoop or spoon and scrape the bowl clean so the cupcakes bake to a similar height.
Look for: Each liner has a similar amount of batter with room to rise.
Bake until springy
Bake at 350 F for 17 to 19 minutes, rotating the pan once if the oven browns unevenly. The cupcakes are ready when their centers spring back after a light touch and a toothpick comes out without wet batter.
Look for: The tops are lightly golden and the centers spring back instead of staying indented.
Cool completely
Leave the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Let them cool completely before frosting so the buttercream stays in place rather than melting.
Look for: The cupcake bottoms and centers feel room temperature before frosting.
Whip vanilla buttercream
Beat the frosting butter on medium speed until creamy, then add the powdered sugar in three additions on low. Beat in the cream, frosting vanilla, and frosting salt, then whip on medium for 1 to 2 minutes until fluffy and spreadable.
Look for: The buttercream is pale, fluffy, and holds a soft piping peak without feeling stiff.
Frost and serve
Pipe a simple swirl or spoon a generous mound of buttercream onto each cooled cupcake, dividing it across all 12. Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate briefly if the frosting needs to firm before carrying the cupcakes.
Look for: Each cupcake has an even layer or simple swirl of vanilla buttercream.