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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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These cupcakes would have been better with more sugar and less oil
This is an easy recipe. I would halve the sugar as its way too sweet for my liking.
I use this recipe for every birthday we have and have for several years. It’s the best I have found! I discovered I had a major gluten allergy a few years ago and just switch out the flour for King Author cup for cup Gf flour and they taste amazing. I have also used melted butter instead of oil when in a pinch. It changes the texture slightly but are still yummy. Oh and we love throwing a handful of chocolate chips in the batter too!
So glad you enjoy them!
I made these for my son’s 7th birthday party and they were great!! Very moist, dense and flavourful. The icing was good too, I will make these again!
Glad you enjoyed them!
So good! Perfect ratio of cupcake and frosting too!
So glad you enjoyed them!
How far in advance can you make these?
They are best if eaten within 3 to 4 days, so you want to make them and serve them within that time.
Trying these for the first time! Can they be left overnight frosted or should they be refrigerated?
Yes, they can be left at room temperature for a day or so and then you may want to refrigerate them.
I want to make these for a one year birthday party. They look delicious! Can I ask where you got the star sprinkles you used to decorate?
They are from sweetapolita. But you can also find them here – https://sprinklepop.shop/collections/edible-glitters/products/gold-glitter-stars
I made these yesterday, used whipped cream and sprinkles for a topping once they had cooled off. Made a few mini cakes with the extra batter, everyone loved them! Will probably make these sometime again.
Glad you enjoyed them!
I have used this recipe so many times for showers and birthday parties and they always turn out amazing! I am not usually the biggest fan of cupcakes but these are delicious, light and moist and I’ve heard many people say how surprised they were to enjoy vanilla cupcakes so much. Great recipe.
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed them!
Hi can I use one springform pan and wats bake time
No, I’d recommend at least two pans.
Hi I was wondering if I could halve the sugar or if it would affect the recipe? Also do these dome?
Yes, it affects the recipe. Sugar affects sweetness, moisture and texture. You could adjust it, but it will change the outcome. And yes, they dome typically.
These cupcakes were amazing! I truly was hesitant with the addition of water as I saw how thin the batter became, but they turned out so light and flavorful. They melted in the mouth and everyone ate them up.
I emptied out the center, filled them with strawberry jam after the bake, and topped them with buttercream and fresh strawberries. Truly a great summer treat. Thank you!
Hi, will this work with non dairy milk such as oat milk?
I haven’t tried it to be able to say for sure. But I believe others have used different milks and had success
I love this recipe so much
I’ve made your chocolate recipe numerous times with rav reviews. Attempting these ones now. Curious if I leave them out frosted in airtight container at room temperature for a day, will they be ok or do you recommend frosting them day of consumption?
Frosting them the day before will be fine.