Name: Easy Vanilla Cupcakes - Printable Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 48 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: English
Ingredients: 12 Hole Cupcake/Muffin Tin; Cupcake Cases (I use Foil); Electric Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk; Jug; Fork; Piping Bag and Nozzle; 400g (3 + 1/3 Cup) Icing Sugar; 200g (3/4 + 1/8 Cup) Unsalted Butter, room temp and cubed; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 2 tbsp Milk; 80g (1/3 Cup) Unsalted Butter, room temp; 280g (1 + 1/4 Cup) Golden Caster Sugar; 240g (1 + 2/3 Cup) Plain Flour; 1 tbsp Baking Powder; 1/4 tsp Salt; 240ml (1 Cup) Whole Milk, room temp; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 2 Eggs, room temp

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(This post has been updated from the original February 2016 version to provide a better experience for you)

Need simple cakes for a party? Don’t have time for faff? These easy peasy vanilla cupcakes are exactly what you need! Made using good quality ingredients and simple methods, this easy vanilla cupcake recipe will guarantee great results every time! Keep reading to learn how…

A vanilla cupcake in a silver case with a number 1 candle on top

Why yummy vanilla cupcakes?

My lovely daughter Tilly turned 1 yesterday. I’m sure all you Mums out there can relate when I say… Where the hell did the time go?! I can, hand on heart, say it has been the most challenging yet incredibly amazing year of my life. And I wouldn’t change it for the world! She makes me a better, stronger person and I truly love her for it.

Naturally a person as great as this, deserves awesome cakes for her birthday right?! These simple, vanilla cupcakes are ideal when you’re up against it. And seriously, who doesn’t like vanilla?

Top tips

Having made a fair few cupcakes in my time, I’ve made a mistake or two and learnt some things along the way! Here’s some tips I’m sure you’ll find helpful while making these vanilla cupcakes.

Bringing your chilled ingredients to room temperature is quite important if you want lovely light sponges. Ingredients blend together much better when all at the same temperature.
Use a good quality vanilla extract (like Little Pod). It makes a huge difference to the overall flavour!
Don’t store cupcakes in plastic tubs. Especially those with sugar decorations on top! Sugar sweats in plastic, so this will ruin all your hard work.

Still not feeling confident enough to attempt these vanilla cupcakes yet? Check out baking for beginners for an immediate knowledge and confidence boost!

If you like this recipe…

…you might also like:

Easy Vanilla Cupcakes – Step by Step Picture Recipe

(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)

Ingredients

Here is what you will need to make 14 – 16.

For the sponge

80g (1/3 Cup) Unsalted Butter, room temp
280g (1 + 1/4 Cup) Golden Caster Sugar
240g (1 + 2/3 Cup) Plain Flour
1 tbsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
240ml (1 Cup) Whole Milk, room temp
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs, room temp

For the frosting

400g (3 + 1/3 Cup) Icing Sugar
200g (3/4 + 1/8 Cup) Unsalted Butter, room temp and cubed
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tbsp Milk

Essential equipment

12 Hole Cupcake/Muffin Tin
Cupcake Cases (I use Foil)
Electric Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk
Jug
Fork
Piping Bag and Nozzle

Sponge instructions

Preheat your oven to 170°C/Fan 160°C/338ºF and line a cupcake tin with cases.

In either an electric stand mixer or a large bowl with an electric hand whisk, beat together the butter (80g | 1/3 Cup), caster sugar (280g | 1 + 1/4 Cup), plain flour (240g | 1 + 2/3 Cup), baking powder (1 tbsp) and salt (1/4 tsp) on a medium to high speed until sandy in consistency.

Dry cupcake ingredients in an electric stand mixer bowl

Measure out the milk (240ml | 1 Cup) in a jug then add the vanilla (1 tsp) and the eggs (x 2) to it. Beat with a fork then add half to the bowl. Beat until smooth and thick.

Cupcake batter with half the liquid ingredients added to it

Add the remaining liquid and mix again until smooth.

Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases until half full. If you have any mixture left over, make more cupcakes. Don’t add more to the ones you have already filled. I like to use an ice cream scoop and a teaspoon to do this.

Cupcake batter divided between 12 cupcake cases in a tin

Place into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for 15 – 18 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. If you have hot spots in your oven, you may like to turn the tray round two thirds of the way through the cooking time.

When cooked, remove the cupcakes from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

Frosting instructions

To make the frosting, sift the icing sugar (400g | 3 + 1/3 Cup) into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. (Or a large bowl if you are using an electric hand whisk.) Then add the butter (200g | 3/4 + 1/8 Cup) and the vanilla (1 tsp). Beat it all together on a low speed at first, so you don’t end up in a mushroom cloud of icing sugar! Then build up to a high speed.

Scrape the bowl down occasionally, but keep mixing until the buttercream is very light and fluffy. At least 5 minutes. If you want to loosen the consistency, add a little milk (up to 2 tbsp) and mix again until you are happy with it. Remember, it needs to be loose enough to pipe but still hold it’s own shape.

Vanilla frosting in a large mixing bowl with a spatula

Decorating instructions

Load a piping bag up with your favourite nozzle then fill with the frosting. Pipe swirls on the tops of all the cakes.

Want to pipe a rose? Use a 2D drop flower nozzle and work in a circular motion from the middle, outwards. If you want to pipe a swirl, use a 3M nozzle and pipe in a circular motion from the outside, inwards.

If you have a theme for your child’s party, you can buy printed wafer toppers at very cheap prices nowadays! Simply cut them out and place onto the top of freshly piped cupcakes. (I had Twirlywoos ones for Tilly.)

How to store vanilla cupcakes

Store in a cardboard cake box and consume within 3-4 days.

A few vanilla cupcakes on a table with party blowers

And there you have it, your very own Vanilla Party Cupcakes! You can decorate them with anything you want or even leave them plain. Either way will look pretty on a party table!

This recipe has been tried and tested by myself about a thousand times, and it’s one I certainly stick by. I implore you to use good quality vanilla extract though, it really does make an unbelievable difference to the final flavour.

Loved this vanilla cupcakes recipe? Pin it!

A vanilla cupcake in a silver foil case with a number 1 candle in the top

Easy Vanilla Cupcakes - Printable Recipe

Yield: 16

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 48 minutes

Easy vanilla cupcakes that are guaranteed to impress! With good quality ingredients and a simple recipe, anyone can achieve beautiful cupcakes for all celebrations.