Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
This is the ultimate vanilla cupcake recipe, and the only one you'll ever need: it's tender, flavorful, well-behaved, and made with oil so it stays at peak freshness for days. It's pictured here with whipped buttercream frosting for that ultimate vanilla vibe.
Servings: 12
Calories: 176kcal
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (150 grams) sugar
- 1 ¼ cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (120 grams) sour cream
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
- ¼ cup (60 ml) safflower oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Line one standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or a large mixing bowl and a hand-held electric mixer), mix sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed until well-combined.
- Add egg, sour cream, milk, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Mix on medium speed just until batter is smooth and all ingredients are incorporated.
- Divide batter among muffin cups.
- Bake cupcakes for about 18 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Notes
- Whole milk provides just the right balance of liquid and fat, but if you need to make these cupcakes dairy-free, you can use your favorite plant-based milk instead.
- A little bit of sour cream provides acidity, which keeps the crumb very light and tender. For a dairy-free version, you can use a plant-based sour cream or swap in an additional ½ cup of your plant-based milk plus one tablespoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar. You won't taste it.
- A combination of baking soda and baking powder creates just the right, even rise, gentle browning, and combination with the sour cream. As in all baked goods, don't confuse them or alter the ratio.
- This recipe uses safflower oil instead of butter to keep the cupcakes beautifully soft and at peak freshness for a longer period of time. They have plenty of great flavor even without butter thanks to a careful balance of ingredients. Safflower oil is my high-smoke-point, neutral-tasting oil of choice, but you can swap in another oil with similar properties, such as canola, sunflower, peanut, corn, or vegetable oil blend.
- These cupcakes are extremely flexible. I've pictured them here with whipped buttercream frosting for an ultimate vanilla vibe and with whipped chocolate frosting for another classic combination, but they work well with pretty much any fillings and toppings you like.
- Since they're made with oil instead of butter and have a nice, soft crumb, these cupcakes will stay nice and tender for several days. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to about 48 hours — leftovers will be fine, if not at peak freshness, for a week.
Nutrition
Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.9g | Protein: 2.3g | Fat: 8g | Fiber: 1.1g