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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
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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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The recipe calls for 1cup of water but it’s not in the directions. Do we add the water when mixing the wet ingredients?
The water is added in step 5.
I followed this recipe exactly. Of course, this is my first time, so I included the cup of water and was thinking how are these going to really come out with the batter being so thin. The cupcakes do not rise like normal cupcakes, so the baking cups need to be fillled to at least 3/4, not 1/2. I ended up with many of them just half full after baking, which necessitated frosting piled high to make them look normal. The cupcakes take way longer to cook than normal cupcakes. After taking them out the oven, the tops looked like the cupcakes were not done, however, after inserting a toothpick, they appeared to be done according to the instructions. I have been baking cupcakes successfully for years and was excited to try this recipe due to the great reviews. To be honest, I was very disappointed with the way these came out and felt like it was a waste of my time.
I’m very sorry to hear that. As you noted, there are notes and warnings all over the recipe. Far more people have success with these cupcakes than not and I still am unable to figure out why some people don’t have success. That said, I have several vanilla cupcakes on the site because everyone has different preferences. I have a post that compares and links to them all if you’d like to check that out and see if one may work well for you. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/vanilla-cupcake-comparison/
I havent tried the recipe but im so exited too just a question if i wanna make 30 cupcakes how do i double it?
Are you able to use this recipe for a sheet cake? I loved these as cupcakes and would love to use this again for a sheet cake if possible.
Yes, you can find it as a 9×13 here – https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/homemade-vanilla-cake-mix/
I love this recipe, so happy with the results. Just a quick question, my cupcakes on the top have a moist the next day, is this normal? Or I did something wrong?
I would say it’s normal. It’s really just moisture from the cupcakes.
I just.made these and had to come back to make sure I didn’t do anything wrong in the recipe, but I really don’t think I did.
These just tasted like water, flour and sugar mixed together. Really unpleasant. Appearance was fine. Taste was terrible.
super moist and easy to make! i ended up having leftover batter so i made a small cake 🙂
I substituted buttermilk for milk in a pinch and it totally made these cupcakes 5 star! Love this recipe
good day i wanted to ask if i can combine this recipe with the Moist Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes recipe to make marble cupcakes and if i can do i need to increase temperature
Can I ask? Hao many cupcakes can bake if I follow this recipe? Cause I need 20 cupcakes for my bake sale at school 🥲
It should make 24 cupcakes.
I have been searching for a good vanilla cupcake recipe that was EASY to make and after trying so many recipes, I have found the best one here. So simple and easy and they taste so delicious. My nephew who loves cupcakes said it was the best one he’s ever had! I was so impressed at how moist these stayed for DAYS!
This is now my go to recipe! Thanks so much!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them!
they are really nice, now this could be that I’m in the middle east. But these need to filled 3/4 not 1/2 cos mine rose but didn’t fill the entire cupcake case.
I used 1/2 the amount of water to be safe. They are a little stodgy but think they should have been left in a little longer.
My question is, can I freeze them?
Yes, they should freeze fine. Just wrap them well and thaw them in the fridge before using.
Love these cupcakes! I have made them a few times. The last batch I made ended up with a lot of air bubbles. What can I do to avoid that from happening?
Air bubbles are typically formed from over mixing. If you’re whisking all of the ingredients together, you just don’t want to overdo it.
I love the recipe so so much
Have you used this for a cake?
Yes, it works well.
I did this recipe for a demo speech for school and everyone and I loved them
So glad to hear that!