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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 are beautiful, can you share where you buy are your sprinkles for you desserts?
Thank you! Where I buy, my sprinkles really varies. These gold stars, and some of my fancier. Sprinkle mixes come from sweetapolita. But I also get sprinkles from Walmart and HomeGoods when I see ones that I like.
Hello!! I always use your cupcake recipes and they’re a hit. I’d like to make a smash cake for my son. I have three 4 inch round cake pans. What temp and for how long should I bake in those pans? I know it’ll make more than I need so I’ll just make cupcakes with the rest of the batter.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes! I would bake the cakes at the same temperature. I’m not sure of the time though. I don’t ever make any 4 inch cakes.
Can you use egg white only to keep them super white? I have made these several times and they are fantastic as is. I am making them for a wedding shower and the bride requested white cupcakes. I am switching vanilla out for clear. I could also add a little bright white food coloring gel?
Usually when swapping around eggs and egg whites, you need to make other adjustments because it’s not a one to one swap, but could try playing with them. I would also recommend my white cupcake recipe. They are excellent.
I made these twice and both times it was a fail. It was really dense and… Not good.
So I have a note above the recipe card about the fact that this recipe doesn’t work well for some and suggest trying them without the water. Did you try that, by any chance? Just curious if it helped. Either way, I have 4 different vanilla cupcake recipes on my site. This one seems to be the least reliable, but the most popular for those it works for. If you’d like to try one of my other 3 (they use various mixing methods and have a few ingredient differences), feel free to check them out here:
Easy Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes
Moist and Fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes
White Cupcakes
I found I needed to bake them for 25 minutes and they turned out great with all the added water.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
How much or how little should the batter be mixed? Electric mixer, or just until it’s smoothly combined by hand? The cupcakes were delicious but looks like it shrunk/tightened after cooling
Just mix until things are combined. Once well combined, don’t keep mixing or you can over-mix, which can cause shrinkage or make things more dense.
I made this with my two 7year olds for a school project. Was quick, cheap and easy and very delicious!! Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Can I divide this recipe in half if I only want to make 12 cupcakes?
Yes
Just made this recipe (the cupcakes are still warm on my counter) after my six-year-old wanted to make cupcakes with mommy. I’m a cook, not a baker. I had never made cupcakes in my life (I do own a muffin tin, and it practically looks like new, LOL). I was looking for something easy, and was hoping this would be it. I didn’t want to mess with creaming butter. In fact, I didn’t even break out my mixer as the recipe was an easy enough consistency to mix by hand when I added the water. Maybe that’s where I went wrong? The cupcakes turned out very moist, as promised. The flavor is great, but they’re like little coffee cakes. They’re dense, not fluffy. They didn’t rise above the liners. Was my mistake not using my mixer, or an issue with leavening? Can baking powder expire?
I’m really sorry they didn’t turn out as expected. There is a note above the recipe card that for some reason there’s some people that these just don’t turn out well for it seems. In that case, I recommend trying them without the water. But since I cannot re-create the issue myself, I cannot really test for it and try to fix it for those that are having an issue. It’s also possible that it could be the leavening. Baking powder does expire.
I live at 10,000 feet altitude and need to adjust the recipes. What state are you baking in or what is your altitude?
I’m in Georgia. Our altitude in our area is 968.
Hi,
Just wanted to know if the cupcake taste great without the frosting or should I try your other cupcake recipe. Hoping to get a quick reply. Been wanting to try a plain cupcake for long and tours looks perfect..soft & moost.
I would say these are going to be better plain than the other ones.
Unfortunately I found this recipe super sweet and it misses the buttery taste.
how long are the cupcakes good for refrigerated without frosting
With or without frosting, they should be good for 4 to 5 days.
Best cupcake I ever had in my life
Definitely try! 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
These cakes looked great but were very sticky to the touch. Soft, spongy texture and nice flavour but left a very greasy after taste.
I wont be baking with vegetable oil again but may just be a personal preference.
Do these need to stay refrigerated?
No, they would be fine at room temperature for up to two days and then should be refrigerated. I would still serve them at room temperature though.
My niece makes this recipe and the cupcakes are delicious and moist! I want to make a 9×13 vanilla cake that tastes similar. I’ll be pairing it with a fluffy whipped cream cheese frosting. Which of your cake recipes do you recommend?
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! You can use this recipe for 9 x 13 cake. You can see the baking instructions for that here.
These cupcakes are incredible!! I was so worried about how watery the batter seemed after adding the water, but we baked them anyway because I didn’t want to waste the ingredients and I’m so glad we did! They turned out amazing! I think those having “trouble” with the water may have not completed baking them. Who knows. What I do know, is these are amazing!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!