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These are the most incredible vanilla cupcakes you’ll ever try! They are incredibly moist and finished with the most delicious homemade vanilla buttercream frosting!
Not a fan of vanilla buttercream frosting? Frost them with cream cheese frosting or chocolate buttercream frosting instead!
Table of Contents
This recipe was given to me by my best friend’s mom Marcia, who makes these at home and sells them. After much begging, she finally shared it with me. Now, with her permission, I’m thrilled to share it with you all.
These cupcakes are incredibly soft, and if stored properly, they can stay moist for up to four days. Feel free to add some food coloring to the buttercream for a unique look or when making them for a baby shower.
For more of my favorite cupcake recipes, check out these banana cupcakes and rich chocolate cupcakes.
INGREDIENT NOTES
- Butter – Make sure to use softened unsalted butter.
- Sour Cream – You won’t actually taste the sour cream, it’s only added for extra moisture.
- Eggs – Don’t use cold eggs! Make sure they are at room temperature for even baking.
TOP TIPS
- Allow the butter to soften naturally at room temperature. Microwaving can cause uneven melting, with some parts becoming too soft while the inside remains hard. For the best, moist cupcakes, use naturally softened butter and room temperature eggs.
- Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and avoid overmixing the cake batter, otherwise the cupcakes can turn out dry. It’s fine if the batter is slightly lumpy.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
- Don’t overbake the cupcakes! These baked for 18 minutes, but start checking them around the 16-minute mark.
STORAGE
I highly recommend storing these in an air-tight container at room temperature. If you leave them uncovered, they will get super dry!
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Moist Vanilla Cupcakes
Equipment
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For The Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- To the butter mixture, beat in the eggs one at a time until combined. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add the sour cream and mix until just combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For The Buttercream Frosting
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low speed until fully incorporated.
- Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- If the frosting is too thick, add more heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
For Piping The Frosting
- Fit a piping bag with a round piping tip (open tip).
- Fill the piping bag with the prepared vanilla buttercream frosting.
- Starting from the outside edge of each cooled cupcake, pipe a spiral towards the center to create a smooth swirl of frosting.
- Once you reach the center, release the pressure on the piping bag and lift it away to finish the swirl neatly. Enjoy!
Notes
- Allow the butter to soften naturally at room temperature. Microwaving can cause uneven melting, with some parts becoming too soft while the inside remains hard. For the best, moist cupcakes, use naturally softened butter and room temperature eggs.
- Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and avoid overmixing the cake batter, otherwise the cupcakes can turn out dry. It’s fine if the batter is slightly lumpy.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
- Don’t overbake the cupcakes! These baked for 18 minutes, but start checking them around the 16-minute mark.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
