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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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I made these with coconut milk and no water.. omg they are delish!! 😋 I used another recipe for the icing.
this didn’t work the cupcakes are way too dense and taste like wet flour
Im planning to make this recipe but Id like to know what can I use instead shortening for the frosting??
Replace it with additional butter.
This is a great recipe. I made it a week or two ago! Did you adjust the recipe? I swear there was shortening in the frosting recipe last week and now i don’t see it! Was it previously 1/2 cup of butter, 1/2 cup of shortening for the frosting? Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes I did adjust it. It was half butter and half shortly if you would like to do it that way.
I’m going to try and make these today. Was wondering, with the milk, I have skim and whole. Is it ok to use one of these and if so, which would be better?
Whole milk would be better.
Can this be divided into two 8 inch round cake pans ? What will the bake time and temp be ?
I baked it as a three layer 8 inch round cake in this cake. Not sure what the time would be for just two layers.
I have made this recipe twice and both times have been a real success.
Love it.
One question, can i use this same recipe to make a one layer cake?
Glad to hear it! You could make it as a 9×13 and bake for 28-32 minutes. I wouldn’t do it as a one layer 8 or 9 inch cake unless you cut the recipe in half.
For the frosting, could you use all butter and leave out the shortening?
Definitely
One good reason to use this recipe is that it’s really hard (although not impossible) to overbake. What with 2 eggs, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of milk, and OIL, a few extra minutes in the oven isn’t going to ruin your party. It’s a cardinal sin to overbake your baked goods. Just never do it 🙂 But if you do, soak it in booze and feed it to your husband.
Trying them for valentines day! Turned out great. But can I substitute eggs?
Wonderful and easy! I halved the icing recipe and had plenty left over. It’s very sweet.
Hi. Would I be able to use canola oil instead of vegetable oil? I tried looking through the comments to see if someone already asked but didn’t see it there. Have you tried it that way before? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it before but I would think it would be fine.
Hi,
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’ve been looking for good oil based cupcakes for ages.
I’ve just made these with your metric measurements and I didn’t notice that these are wrong. Tasty cupcakes but far too sweet as I followed the wrong measurements. Will try them again this time using cups instead. Love from England
The measurements are not incorrect. They are the exact ones that I use. I weigh my ingredients as well. There are a few notes about this recipe within the post.
I think I’ve tried all of your vanilla cupcake recipes. I can never remember which I like best because they’re all so good. I have noticed that the vanilla flavor is enhanced after about a day. What a nice surprise. Anyway, thanks for introducing me to the wonderful world of cupcakes. You’re awesome.
So glad you’ve enjoyed them all!!
On water there is a star was i not supposed to use it?
There is a star because there is a note in the recipe card. Some people seem to have trouble with this recipe and it seems like leaving out the water helps. Other people use the water and have no issues. You could try it either way or both ways.
I love this recipe so much!! I have been looking so long for a good vanilla cake recipe! Thank you!!
I love this recipe! Easy and the cupcakes were the perfect texture. Can I use this recipe like a basic recipe for most cupcakes? I would like to use it to make cookies and cream cupcakes. What do u think?
So glad you enjoyed them! With it being a very thin batter, you can’t really add anything to it or it will sink to the bottom. I do have a cookies and cream cupcake recipe though. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/cookies-and-cream-cupcakes/
So I’ve been using this recipe for a while! I love it. Now, I’ve done it two times and they aren’t working. I don’t understand. So frustrating.