This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.
These Moist Vanilla Cupcakes are super easy to make and so moist – for days! They are my new favorite vanilla cupcake!
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!
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Moist Vanilla Cake
- Moist and Fluffy Vanilla Cake
- Perfect Moist and Fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes
- Easy Moist Chocolate Cake
- Homemade Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
Watch How To Make These
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.
Print
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!
This post contains affiliate links.
This is the easiest and yummiest cupacake recipe. I read some comments about people not getting good results but it might also be due to the altitude of the region where they’re living. You can just google “High Altitude Baking” and try to find a way to adjust the recipe to where you’re living and that’s it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Wonderful recipe! I receive compliments every time we make these and we’ve been making them for a couple years. The recipe never lets me down. I sometimes have to let them bake a little longer, but that could be due to my oven. The cupcakes freeze well and the frosting recipe is divine!
Awesome! So glad you enjoy them!
I love this recipe 😋
The worst cupcakes EVER!
Quite a disappointment. Please don’t use this recipe!
This recipe was horrible, I spend the entire morning baking and following the recipe to a T – you specifically say that we shouldn’t fill the cupcake trays and only do it half now and now I’m stuck with 24 mini cupcakes. Completely unacceptable and it’s too only and dense. Revise this recipe. Your measurements also don’t add up.
I’m very sorry you had trouble. It sounds like your baking powder might be off, since they didn’t rise. I’m not sure what happened, but I can tell you I use this recipe regularly and that’s how I fill them and they rise perfectly to fill the liners. They shouldn’t be “mini” as you describe, so something was off.
These are our favorite! How do you store these? Fridge? Counter? Thanks!
You can store them on the counter for up to 48 hours, then they should be refrigerated due to the frosting. So glad you enjoy them!
Can you freeze these?
Yes, they should do well. You can freeze them in an air-tight container or flash freeze them and seal them in a ziplock bag or wrap them in clear wrap. Thaw them in the fridge before frosting/serving them.
Hi there
Should the water be boiling or cold? Thanks
I usually use cool or cold water. It doesn’t need to be boiling.
I do like this recipe. BUT….It takes longer than 15-17 minutes to bake. Took my oven (which is a new oven) 22 minutes! They cupcakes were still watery/halfway baked after 17 minutes. AND….I didn’t even use the water that was suggested in the recipe.
Lindsay thank you so much for this incredible recipe. It is an absolute favourite and one of the most requested amongst family and friends. The only change I made, was instead of using 240mls of water, I used half and the batter consistency worked perfectly for me. Thank you again and again. Blessings 🌸
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I love ❤️ this’s cupcake’s they where so good 🤩
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Good flavor but I had to cook the cupcakes for like 19-20 mins not 17mins but other than that great!
It’s not unusual for there to be variations between ovens and perhaps need to bake it a minute or two more or less. I’m glad you were able to find the time that worked for you and that you enjoyed them.
I’ve been using this recipe for months and I love it! I would love to know if I could make them the same but chocolate? Do I drop some flour and add some cocoa powder or just add the cocoa powder on top of the already listed ingredients?
I’m so glad you enjoy them! You can find the chocolate cupcakes version here. It’s very similar, but a little more different than just adding cocoa powder. 🙂
This recipe worked so well, I loved it so much and the directions were very easy to follow and the cupcakes taste delicious!
Wonderful! So glad to hear that!
I have used this recipe so many times and they always come out perfect and everyone raves about them. To make it even more perfect they are so easy to make. Thank you 🙏🏻
Awesome! So glad to hear that! ❤️
Best cupcakes ever! Followed instructions and they came out perfect!
Awesome! So glad to hear that!