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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 cupcakes for a bake sale that my sisters and I are doing. I desided that i would try these cupcakes, and they turned out so good… really light and fluffy.. to beautiful. Thanks Lindsay!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Could I use this recipe for a layer cake?
Yes, you can.
Great and easy recipe, just made it with my 3 year old! I halved it, also substituted oat milk for regular milk, skipped the water, and added an extra egg. Extra egg not on purpose just my daughter likes cracking eggs 😅 anyway it came out great! Definitely recommend. (Used a different recipe for vegan vanilla frosting)
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
I wanted to like these but they really did taste very much like pancakes. I thought I may have messed something up, but then I read the reviews and saw a number of other reviewers say the same thing. The texture was also very thick and heavy, not very crumbly.
Yes, that’s why there’s a note right above the recipe card that mentions that a number of people have trouble with them for some reason that I can’t figure out. I have never had that problem, but it seems to consistently happen for some people. The vast majority of people don’t have trouble though. I have not been able to re-create the issue to be able to fix it, but I do recommend above the recipe card that you can try it without the added water.
Leave everything as it is!! ( keep the water) These cupcakes are ah-mazingly moist and just perfect! Thank u! Will be my go-to vanilla cupcake recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Could I make a vanilla sheet cake out of this recipe? I really love the taste of this recipe.
Yes, it works well as a 9×13. It should bake for about 25-20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Hi my cupcake sank completely like really completely wats the causes
I wish I knew, but I don’t. I’m sorry. You could try reducing the amount of baking powder a bit.
I’ve been looking for a super moist cupcake recipe and this is the one!! They are so perfect they don’t even need icing, they’re sweet enough. Enjoy!!!
Glad you enjoyed them!
I’m going to use this recipe to make cupcakes for my nieces birthday party! Can I use buttermilk instead of milk?
I don’t think I’ve tried buttermilk. I would think it’d be ok.
I am planning on using this recipe for a cake for my son but he has an egg allergy. What could I use as a substitute?
I’m not really familiar with egg substitutions, so I’m not sure. I’m sorry.
Awesome recipe! Can you use baking soda instead of powder? You use soda instead of power in your delicious moist chocolate ones and they are nice and flat for piping… wondering if the same can be done with these vanilla ones
No, it doesn’t turn out the same. Baking soda requires something acidic to react with, like cocoa powder, which is absent in these vanilla cupcakes.
I made these cupcakes today and it came out absolutely amazing. My new favorite recipe. Thank you for sharing
So glad you enjoyed them!
I love this thanks
These were SO easy and turned out AMAZING! I quartered the recipe to make just six, I’m glad I did because these were irresistible!!!
So glad you enjoyed them!
Can you add a small teaspoon of jam in the middle?
You could. I’d recommend doing that after they bake.
I love the recipe soo much