This recipe for Easy Vanilla Cupcakes is a classic that everyone will love. (You might also like these Banana Pudding Cupcakes!)
Jump to:
I love a good cake recipe, but after making an entire cake, I’m left feeling a little worn out! These Easy Vanilla Cupcakes give you all the deliciousness of a nice moist cake but in a small cupcake form! These cupcakes are simple to make, but they are still just as light, fluffy, and moist as any complicated cupcake recipe out there!
At first glance, they might not seem like much, but underneath all that decadent frosting, you’ll find a cupcake that could rival any baker’s dozen! Although cupcakes can be a time-consuming process, my vanilla cupcakes are so easy to make! The most challenging part of this recipe will be not eating them all in one sitting!
This is a great recipe to have on hand for parties, birthdays, or any time where you feel like a cupcake is needed! These easy vanilla cupcakes will satisfy any sweet craving you might be having, and is the ultimate treat for those short on time and looking for something easy.
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Milk
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
Frosting:
- Salted butter
- Shortening
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a cupcake pan with liners.
- Add the dry cupcake ingredients to a large mixer bowl and combine. Set aside.
- Add the wet cupcake ingredients 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. Make sure everything is well combined. The batter will be very thin.
- Fill the cupcake liners about halfway and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool.
How to Make Vanilla Frosting
- To make the frosting, combine the butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl and mix.
- Add 2 cups of powdered sugar in small amounts and mix until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of water or milk and mix.
- Add remaining powdered sugar.
- Add remaining water or milk as needed until you've reached a frosting consistency.
- Frost the cupcakes.
More Cupcake Recipes
- blueberry filled cupcakes
- lemon cupcakes
- pink velvet cupcakes
- root beer float cupcakes
- s'mores cupcakes
Easy Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe
Easy Vanilla Cupcakes
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Equipment
- electric mixer
- Muffin Tins – Two 12 Count
Ingredients
VANILLA CUPCAKES
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup water
VANILLA FROSTING
- ½ cup salted butter room temperature
- ½ cup shortening
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 –3 tablespoon water or milk
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (or 176°C) and add cupcake liners to a pan.
- Add the dry ingredients for your cupcakes (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) to a large mixing bowl and combine. Set aside.
- Add the wet ingredients for your cupcakes (milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs) to a medium-sized bowl and combine.
- Combine the wet and the dry ingredients and beat well.
- Slowly add 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. The batter will be very thin.
- Fill cupcake liners about halfway and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out cleanly. A few crumbs are fine.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes. Then move them from the pan to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Frosting
- To make the frosting, combine the butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl and mix until smooth.
- Add 2 cups of powdered sugar, about a half a cup at a time, into your mixing bowl and mix until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of water or milk and mix.
- Add remaining powdered sugar and mix.
- Add remaining water or milk as needed. Mix until the frosting is smooth and creamy, but not too wet.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes using the piping tip of your choice.
For best results, be sure to check our Tips and FAQs above with important tips and questions that can help your delicious recipe come out perfectly.
We'll never share your email or send you spam.
Amber says
I guess it may have been better for me to follow the recipe completely, in order to give a more accurate rating. I really like this recipe, but I substituted applesauce for the oil and added a tablespoon of salted butter for flavor. My version tasted really good but didn't rise quite as well as most cupcakes. Perhaps I will try it with the oil next time and update this rating. Great base recipe, though! 😃
Ang Paris says
Hi Amber! I always recommend trying a recipe as it is written before making changes because our recipes are tested so that our readers get the best results 🙂
I find that applesauce can sometimes result in a more dense baked good that (while tasty), doesn't rise as much. I hope you will try the recipe again as it is written and let me know what you think!