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Almond Cupcakes

You all loved my WASC cake recipe so much, I decided to base this recipe for almond cupcakes on it! It uses the perfect amount of almond extract to create well-balanced, absolutely delicious white almond cupcakes.

This recipe uses sour cream, which creates soft and tender cupcakes that are a bright white color! It might sound like an odd ingredient in a cupcake recipe, but sour cream is one of my favorite ingredients to bake with.

image of an almond cupcake

The other key ingredient in these cupcakes and their frosting is almond extract! While this recipe also uses vanilla extract, the almond extract is what really gives these cupcakes their amazing flavor.

I usually order my almond extract online, and love using almond extract made by either Nielsen-Massey or Simply Organic.

Substitutions and Swaps

While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all of these ingredients on hand!

image of an almond cupcake frosted with almond buttercream

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe:

  • All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten free flour blend or cake flour if that’s all you have on hand. I don’t recommend using straight almond flour though!
  • Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cupcakes.
  • Sour Cream – You can also use full fat yogurt, buttermilk, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
  • 1 Large Egg – If you don’t have eggs on hand or you have an egg allergy you can use a flaxseed egg in its place or 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce.
  • Vegetable Oil – You can use any flavorless oil in this recipe, so canola or even sunflower oil would work great! I advise against olive oil, as it doesn’t taste great with the almond extract.
  • Almond Extract – Other extracts can also be used in place of the almond extract like coconut extract, hazelnut extract, or even pistachio extract.
  • Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
  • Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) will work fine in this frosting recipe if that’s what you have on hand.

How to Make Gluten Free Almond Cupcakes

Gluten free flour can be used in place of the all-purpose flour if you want to make gluten free almond cupcakes.

I prefer King Arthur’s gluten free flour blend and find that 1 1/4 cups of GF flour weigh about 150 grams.

In addition to swapping the flour, there are two additional steps you need to take when making gluten free almond cupcakes.

image of almond cupcakes decorated with a wilton 1m frosting tip and a fancy white sprinkle blend

Gluten Free Baking Tip #1: Over-Mix Your Batter

The first step is to vigorously whisk your batter for a few minutes once it’s made to help give it structure.

Now, I know this goes against everything you’ve ever heard about baking! But over mixing your batter is key when making anything gluten free.

It helps cupcakes rise better as they bake and gives the cupcake a more tender crumb.

Gluten Free Baking Tip #2: Let Your Batter Rest

The second step I recommend is letting your batter rest for about 30 minutes before baking your cupcakes.

Gluten free flour blends can have a hard time absorbing moisture and fats. Letting the batter sit before baking it gives the flour more time to absorb all that goodness.

This helps thicken the batter and prevents your cupcakes from having a gritty texture.

image of almond cupcakes that have been frosted with almond buttercream on a wire rack

Tips for Making the Best Almond Cupcakes:

  • Use a cookie scoop to easily fill your cupcake liners.
  • Be sure to use high quality almond extract in this recipe, since it is the main flavoring!
  • To make gluten free almond cupcakes, swap in your favorite GF flour blend for the AP flour in this recipe. Be sure to over-mix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results.
  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set cold ingredients out ahead of time.
  • Bang your cupcake pan on the counter before putting it in the oven. This brings any air bubbles that are trapped in the batter to the surface.
image of an almond cupcake

Making These Almond Cupcakes in Advance & Storage Tips:

You can make these cupcakes in advance! Frosted cupcakes can sit at room temperature overnight or be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

They can also last up to a month in the freezer. If you plan to freeze them, I suggest waiting to frost them until they’re thawed.

You can also make the buttercream ahead of time or save any leftovers. This buttercream frosting will last in the fridge for up to a month.

Be sure to give the frosting a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

You can also store buttercream in piping bags in the fridge. I find buttercream keeps its consistency well in piping bags and doesn’t require any mixing after it’s thawed.

image of an almond cupcake that's been unwrapped on a cupcake stand

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you make this almond cupcake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations on social media.

Other Posts You Might Like:

Yield: 12

Almond Cupcakes

image of almond cupcake unwrapped

This recipe for almond cupcakes uses the perfect amount of almond extract to create well-balanced, absolutely delicious white almond cupcakes.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 58 minutes

Ingredients

Almond Cupcakes:

  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or gluten free flour blend (150g)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (6g)
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature (128g)
  • 1/2 cup water (120g)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature (56g)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil (56g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (4g)
  • 1 tsp almond extract (4g)

Vanilla Almond Buttercream:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (2g)
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract (2g)
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt (1g)
  • 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar (220g)
  • 1 Tbsp heavy cream or whipping cream or milk (15g)

Instructions

WASC Cupcakes:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C and place 12 cupcake liners in muffin pans.
  2. Sift 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt together into a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
  3. Pour in 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup water, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp almond extract into a separate, large bowl and whisk together until combined.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a whisk or rubber spatula. Mix until the ingredients are just combined, and you can’t see any streaks of flour.
  5. Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  6. Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. If you want to accelerate the cooling process, pop the entire pan into your freezer for about 30 minutes.

Almond Buttercream:

  1. Beat 1/2 cup of unsalted butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a stand mixer and paddle attachment or hand mixer until smooth.
  2. Add in 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp almond extract, and 1/4 tsp salt. Beat on low until the ingredients are incorporated. 
  3. Slowly mix in 1 3/4 cups of powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp of heavy cream on a low speed.
  4. Once fully mixed, check to see if the frosting has reached the desired consistency. if the frosting seems too thick, add in additional cream or milk (1 tsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).
  5. Mix on a low speed for a couple minutes to make the frosting super smooth.
  6. Place the buttercream in a piping bag fit with a fun frosting tip (I love using a Wilton 1M) and decorate the cooled cupcakes as desired!

Notes

Almond Cupcake Variations:

  • To make eggless, dairy free almond cupcakes, use an alternative dairy milk to replace the whole milk (almond, oat, or soy) and dairy free yogurt (almond, oat, or soy) in place of the sour cream.
  • To make gluten free almond cupcakes, swap in your favorite gluten free flour blend for the AP flour this recipe calls for, and be sure to over-mix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results.

Making These Almond Cupcakes in Advance & Storage Tips:

You can make these cupcakes in advance! Frosted cupcakes can sit at room temperature overnight or be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

They can also last up to a month in the freezer. If you plan to freeze them, I suggest waiting to frost them until they're thawed.

You can also make the buttercream ahead of time or save any leftovers. This buttercream frosting will last in the fridge for up to a month.

Be sure to give the frosting a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

You can also store buttercream in piping bags in the fridge. I find buttercream keeps its consistency well in piping bags and doesn't require any mixing after it's thawed.

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 371Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 47mgSodium 228mgCarbohydrates 52gFiber 1gSugar 34gProtein 4g

Lisa

Tuesday 9th of January 2024

Hello. Is there a way to make these cupcakes whiter-for white wedding cupcakes? Like can I use egg white instead of the whole egg? The flavor is perfect-just want them to more closely match the frosting. TIA

Chelsweets

Sunday 14th of January 2024

Hi Lisa,

Great question! You can use two egg whites in place of the whole egg, and that should help. You could add a bit of white gel food coloring, but I'm not sure if that would really brighten up the color much. Hope that helps, happy baking!

Michelle

Wednesday 29th of November 2023

Hi..I was wondering if this recipe could be made in the 6 ct jumbo cupcake pans.. How would I adjust the baking time..

Chelsweets

Tuesday 5th of December 2023

Hi Michelle,

Great question! I've never tested this recipe in a jumbo cupcake pan, but I'd think it should bake up just fine. I'm not quite sure how much longer they'd need to bake though. I'd recommend keeping an eye on them until they look like they've risen fully, then insert a toothpick into the center to see they're done! When they're fully baking the toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs. Hope that helps, happy baking!

Almond Buttercream: Easy, 6-Ingredient Recipe

Monday 27th of November 2023

[…] used it to frost my WASC cake recipe, almond cupcakes, French macarons, and even my buttercream cookies! […]

Susan

Wednesday 1st of November 2023

I forgot to ask; What are the white long things on top of the cupcakes??

Chelsweets

Saturday 4th of November 2023

Hi Susan,

The long white things on top of the cupcakes are fancy sprinkles! I ordered them on Amazon a couple years ago, but sadly the exact kind isn't sold on there anymore. They're similar to these though: https://amzn.to/3Ss2NUn

Hope that helps!

Susan

Wednesday 1st of November 2023

All these weird "gluten" , "overmix"?? I do not understand. I want cupcakes that are MOIST and absolutely NOT CAKE LIKE. They must be moist and NOT DENSE.

Pls respond.

Chelsweets

Saturday 4th of November 2023

Hi Susan,

Over-mixing happens when you stir the batter too much, and it can cause baked goods to turn out denser than they should be. I recommend mixing just until the ingredients are combined to make sure that the cupcakes turn out nice and fluffy.

When I make this recipe the cupcakes do turn out moist and fluffy, like I show in the pictures above with the cupcakes that have been cut into. Happy baking!

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