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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
Perfect Moist and Fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes
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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Absolutely delish and easy
Delicious & moist! Follow the recipe!! So easy. Didn’t even need to use my electric mixer. Will be making again.
I made these cupcakes today, they are really good! The texture is nice and the flavor great. Would recommend! (:
This is a great recipe, the cupcakes are soft and moist. Do pay attention as mine didn’t look done (they were still a light blonde) but they were completely cooked.
Hi, I was wondering if i could make these on Sunday and then use them on Wednesday, would they still be fresh and moist?
Ehh that’s a bit of a stretch. I would typically recommend making 24 hours ahead. You could do maybe 48 hours, but Sunday for Wednesday may be a little long.
I have tried this recipe already a dozen times. Made cupcakes, cakes, apple pie with this. Turns out great and very very yummy even without any frosting.
At first I hated it because the first batch failed. Then I added less water and an extra egg and it almost never failed me since then! But sometimes it happens that it doesn’t rise or cook properly or turns out too dense, I haven’t found the reasons why this happens though. But it’s still a safe and a cheaper recipe with great results, to me tastes much better then sponge cake. Thanks!
This is THE best vanilla cupcake recipe. Period. I’ve tried so many recipes claiming to be the best, and this is the winner, hands down. No complicated techniques, no reverse creaming… Just a simple, moist, flavorful, delicate, delicious, perfect vanilla cupcake. THANK YOU!!
I should add that I discovered this recipe because a nine-year-old made these for me, completely independently, and they were the best vanilla cupcakes I’d ever had. I was embarrassed because I had tried so many recipes, many of which were very good, but none of which were as good as hers. Now she’s delighted that she found the recipe we all agree is the winner, and the fact that it’s easy enough for a kid to make is just a bonus.
So glad you love them! And fun to hear the story of how you found them!
Hello, this was a horrible recipe and it was not cooked and it just bubbled up and exploded. it was not edible. the water was not necessary.
I added a little less water just because the batter was getting too liquidy. If this happens to you I would recommend 1/2 cup of water. But otherwise so GREAT!
If you are vegan what should you use instead of the eggs?
These are my favorite cupcakes. Can I double the recipe to make a three layer 9 inch cake? Will it hold together well?
Yes, you can double it to make cake. I did a three layer 8 inch cake (https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/berry-mascarpone-layer-cake/), but a 9 inch would be fine. Your layers would just be a little thinner.
This recipe is great for cupcakes but for some reason my cake apears really doughy
Hmm, I’d expect it to turn out the same. I did use it as a cake in this Berry Mascarpone Cake. But I do know some people have trouble with the recipe, I would just think that if it worked as cupcakes, it’d be fine as a cake. You could try leaving the water out and see if that helps.
Can this recipe be used for whole cakes? or do you not recommend?
Yes, it can.
Tried this recipe for the first time and the cake was so fluffy and light! Absolutely love it
This recipe left me cupcakes undercooked and dry wouldnt try again sorry
Mine turned out perfect. Followed instructions. Easy peazy:))) thumbs up!
These cupcakes are great! I made them for my mom. She loved them, too.
With all due respect to anyone who has hegative feedback, there’s something that you may have missed. But I know you can do it!
Thank you, Lindsay!
Glad you enjoyed them!