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These Moist Vanilla Cupcakes are super easy to make and so moist – for days! They are my new favorite vanilla cupcake!
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Moist Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe
I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I’d be bringing you some new basic favorites and I started with my easy moist chocolate cake. Today, we are talking about these moist vanilla cupcakes and I’m pumped! One of the things that I’m always messing with is vanilla cake/cupcakes. It’s the never ending quest for all the best versions. I’m a believer that if you don’t have a good vanilla cake, you have NOTHING! 🙂 Ok, dramatic, but it’s like the “tell”. If you don’t have a good vanilla, can anything else really be that good? There are so many ways to vary a vanilla cake and I want the best of all of them! I’m greedy like that. Plus, I know not every has the same idea of the perfect cupcake, so I like to have options.
You may or may not have tried my original vanilla cupcakes. They are loved by many and were my favorite for some time. I still remember the batches upon batches of cupcakes I made while testing those and the fabulous friends that lined them up and tasted tested them all to help me find the best one. If you haven’t tried them, they are worth checking out. But while I still love them, these are my new fave. Sorry “OG cupcake”, there’s a new star in town. 😉
So let’s talk a bit about these cupcake. There’s no need for creaming to get involved, which is kind of a plus. Creaming butter and sugar together makes quite a fabulous cupcake, but sometimes you just want quick and easy and to barely even need to use a mixer. I mean, basically like a box mix but not, you know? These are those cupcakes. The “OG cupcake” was that way too, but used butter and were a little denser. These cupcakes use oil and are lighter.
We’ve got the usual suspects in this cupcake, starting with the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Easy, common ingredients that you should totally have in your pantry already. Mix ’em all together and set ’em aside.
Next are the wet ingredients: milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs. The oil is the fat component instead of butter and in my opinion, tends to make a more moist cake that stays moist for longer. Totally true for these cupcakes. The milk (I typically use 2%) adds to the structure of the cake, in addition to adding moisture. Milk adds fluff and I love some fluff. 🙂 I used a full tablespoon of vanilla extract to make sure there’s plenty of delicious vanilla flavor. Then the eggs add more moisture, structure and flavor. I switched it up in these and went with whole eggs instead of egg whites. No more egg yolks getting wasted here!
Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, the water is added.
There’s so much moisture in these cupcakes! I love them! I’m a big, big fan of their ease of making, their flavor and moisture. They use such simple ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry too – score! When topped with my favorite vanilla buttercream, these vanilla cupcakes really are a dream! They were a big hit in our house and I hope you love them as much as we did!
Watch How To Make These
Read Transcript
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Moist Vanilla Cake
Moist and Fluffy Vanilla Cake
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Easy Moist Chocolate Cake
NOTE: Some people have reported having trouble with this recipe, while others love it. I have no idea why some people have trouble. There could be any number of factors – improper measuring of ingredients, oven type, altitude, etc. I have never had an issue with these and cannot troubleshoot a problem that I cannot recreate. If you’d prefer a more traditional vanilla cupcake that uses butter and a little bit of oil, as well as the creaming method, and seems to be less finicky for people, try out these Easy Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes. They are currently my favorite vanilla cupcake.
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Moist Vanilla Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24-26 Cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Made with oil instead of butter, this Moist Vanilla Cupcake Recipe makes cupcakes with a light, tender crumb that’s super moist without being dense or heavy. The batter comes together in just a few minutes, making these an easy dessert to whip up anytime.
Ingredients
VANILLA CUPCAKES
- 2 1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
- 2 cups (414g) sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder (NOT baking soda)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (240ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) water*
VANILLA FROSTING
- 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (460g) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2–3 tbsp (30-45ml) water or milk
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a cupcake pan with liners.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixer bowl and combine. Set aside.
- Add the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs to a medium sized bowl and combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
- Slowly add the water to the batter and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined. Please note that the batter will be very thin.
- Fill the cupcake liners about half way and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the cupcakes from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter in a large mixer bowl until smooth.
- Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of water or milk and mix until smooth.
- Add remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Add remaining water or milk, as needed, and salt and mix until smooth.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I used Ateco tip 844.
Notes
If you’d prefer a more traditional vanilla cupcake that uses butter instead of oil, and the creaming method, try out these Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes.
*Some people report having issues with these cupcakes. If that happens to you, could try leaving out the water entirely.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 31 g
- Sodium: 129.2 mg
- Fat: 12.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Protein: 2.7 g
- Cholesterol: 25.1 mg
Enjoy!
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Hi Lindsey
I don’t have actually have vanilla extract since it very expensive from where I live , so I was wondering is there an substitute that could easily be replaced in it?
Not that I know of. You’ll need some way of adding the flavor.
My cupcakes stuck to the wrapping is there something im doing wrong?
I made these tonight with some orange buttercream for Halloween. I have to say I was skeptical about these because the batter was so thin. They turned out amazing! I will be making these again for sure! Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you enjoyed them!
The best vanilla cupcakes which I have tried so far. I tried a lot of recipes from different countries and different websites, but yours are stunning. so moist and tasty!!!
I put already on my Instagram account a pic with your vanilla cupcakes in my vision (with Halloween buttercream frosting) and I have warmly recommended your recipe to all my followers. Great-great recipe!!!
Glad you enjoyed them!
When I made this batter it was still liquid even tho I followed the measurements exactly
It is a more watery batter than most, but it doesn’t affect the way the cupcakes turn out at all! They are wonderful and so moist!
can i add a few tbsps of spices (cinnamon, cardamom) etc without altering the texture?
Yes, you can.
Love this recipe. I made two changes, I used cake flour and coconut oil instead. Came out moist and fluffy!
I’m testing various vanilla cupcakes, and needed an oil-based version that would last a couple days. These are absolutely delicious – even on the second day. I’m not sure why a cup of water is called for in the recipe though (to stretch the batter maybe?) – I left it out entirely and these turned out great. I swapped in buttermilk for the regular milk; I like the faint tang that buttermilk brings to the party. Great recipe – thanks!
This recipe did not work for me. I followed it exactly using the cup measurements given. I have backed the cupcakes for 20 mins now and still raw… Batter way too running. It’s like water. Maybe I’ll try again sometime but I will have to start over now as I have an order for tomorrow!
Hi,
I’ve always struggled with putting the right amount of wet to keep it at good height after baking. How much liquid vanilla mix do you place in each cupcake cup to ensure it sits just perfectly?
Looking forward to trying this 🙂
The comments here make me very sad for humanity. If you tried the recipe and didn’t like it, move on. There is no need to be mean and hateful towards another person. By the way, my husband loves the cupcakes. Thumbs up!
Hi what are all the names of the brands that you use for the ingredients used.
my friend wanted me to test this recipe out as she failed her bakes. I did half a recipe and i got 12 pretty cups. Its not as fluffy as those creamed butter/sugar type, but it is acceptable. We, Chinese got a cake with similar texture, that we call it ‘Huat Kueh’ – 發糕。
Hey!! Is this recipe soy free??
Hi I am from Pakistan and am 10 and a half and this is my first recipe in which I didn’t need my mom’s assistance and these are the best cupcakes in the world!!!!! I love how my cupcakes turned out and honestly I don’t know how you write these recipes. 10 out of 10 would recommend………..
Amazing cupcake recipe! I did not make the buttercream/frosting because I have my own special recipe, but these cupcakes were tasty, moist, and my friends loved them! You did such a great job!