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.
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!
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 weighs about 150 grams.
In addition to swapping the flour, there are two additional steps you need to take when making gluten-free almond cupcakes.
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.
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 the best results.
- Ingredients at room temperature mix together better! Set cold ingredients out ahead of time.
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.
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.
Almond Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Almond Cupcakes:
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 150g
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 6g
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
- 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature 128g
- 1/2 cup water 120g
- 1 large egg, room temperature 56g
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil 56g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
- 1 tsp almond extract 4g
Vanilla Almond Buttercream:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 113g
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 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 milk, room temperature 15g
Instructions
WASC Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C and place 12 cupcake liners in muffin pans.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Slowly mix in 1 3/4 cups of powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp of heavy cream on a low speed.
- Once fully mixed, check to see if the frosting has reached the right 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).
- Mix on a low speed for a couple of minutes to make the frosting super smooth. Place the buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a fun frosting tip (I love using a Wilton 1M) and decorate the cooled cupcakes as desired!
Video
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
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I CAN’T WAIT TO TRY THIS RECIPE!!!!!!!, THANKS!!!!!!
Haha I hope they turn out wonderfully Carol 🙂
these cupcake where so good! they where also very fun to make i love your recipes and bake them every week!
That’s so great to hear, thank you for sharing Natalie!! 🙂
How do you get you teeth so white and clean -onansa
Can you use this recipe for cakes?
@Gabrielle Zaccour, she has a cake recipe! https://chelsweets.com/wasc-cake/
My dad just tried it… he said that it was awesome, he ate 3 cupcakes. Like wow girl. Love ittt
Do you measure them sift flour, or sift until you have the measure of flour required?
Hi Amy,
I usually just weigh out the flour then sift it! So I’d recommend measuring it, then sifting it. Hope that helps!
I made these cupcakes last night and they were oh so good! My husband took a bite out of one and said “why do they taste like that?” I said “taste how?” He replied “Godly!” 10/10!
Can you double or triple this recipe?
@Carla LeBlanc, did you double it and it came out good?
Would your triple this frosting recipe for a three layer cake? Or even more? I live in fear of running out, can you advise on how much frosting using this recipe would work for a generously frosted cake?
I made them and they are AMAZING! Can I double the recipe and frosting recipe?
Can I make mini cupcakes using this recipe? What is the cooking time for mini’s?
Thank you,
Christine Cooke
I need to make frosting without refined sugar due to diet. My person is also dairy and gluten free, what could I use in place of powdered confectioner sugar for the icing? Also, in the cupcake mix I would replace the granulated sugar with a liquid sugar alternative, will this affect the consistency of the cake? Not familiar with sugar alternatives in a dry consistency. Your thoughts?
@Michelle, OMG it’s nice to know someone share my dietary constrictions. I hate that I am 4 years too late… But better late than never. I bake using canola oil instead of butter or a vegan butter. I also use gluten-free flour, my favorite is King Arthur. A great sugar substitute is monk fruit sugar. Enjoy
Is the vanilla/almond buttercream frosting sweet or no?
Love this recipe !!! So delicious and now my go to cupcake for family gatherings
These came out amazing! Thank you! Could I make these a funfetti cupcake leaving out the almond? Can I double it ?
These were delicious! I made these for my mom for Mother’s Day, and she LOVED them! The only change was I used salted butter AND 1/8 tsp of salt in the frosting. We like the salty sweet, so it was right up our alley!
Can this recipe be used for a cake? I made someone these cupcakes and they raved about them- wanted to know if it can be made in the form of a cake
@Jessica, she has a cake recipe! https://chelsweets.com/wasc-cake/
These turned out AMAZING!! We made 3 dozen, each with a different fruit filling (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry) and garnished with the matching fruit on top. They were a Huge hit at our 4th of July family reunion.. my Aunt thought I bought them and they were professionally made! This is definitely my new favorite recipe!
i love u
Wow! Were these good! Could have eaten a half dozen at once but stopped at 2. Love them. Thanks for sharing.
Notbsure if I misses it somewhere, but does this make 12 standard size cupcakes? Thank you
The cupcakes are outstanding and the exact cake I’m looking for for my husband’s upcoming birthday. Will this exact recipe translate to a cake pan? I notice the cake version adds a cup of butter and uses cake whites. I don’t want a denser cake so wary of making it.
HI;
HELP:
How do we 1/2 the recipe.We only can do 1/2 the recipe.
4-5-22
Making these for a 50th Anniversary. Nice and white, smells great, but the batter was so lumpy. I sifted as per instructions, and not sure what went wrong. Any suggestions?
These are seriously the most delicious vanilla cupcakes I’ve eaten. The day after making a batch my grandson asked for one. I had to confess to finishing them off with a promise to make another batch. Oops
Hi Helene,
I’m so happy to hear that!! I love this recipe too 🙂 Haha happy baking!!
Is this recipe okay to double or triple, or is it best to make the recipe as is?
Hi Mary,
This recipe can be doubled / tripled, but I recommend sifting the dry ingredients in to make sure that the leavening agents get properly distributed throughout the batter. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Second time making these in 2 weeks! I don’t do dairy so I substituted Oatmilk and apple cider vinegar for the sour cream, vegan butter for regular butter, and Oat milk for cream. Easy and delicious! The flavor was a bit uniform (Almond cupcake and Almond frosting) so this time I may try them with a white chocolate buttercream. Thanks for the great recipe!
So happy to hear that Erica!! That sounds like a delicious idea for next time 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Hi! I absolutely love this recipe! Making them for my son’s wedding. We are also looking for a great lemon cupcake. I was wondering if this recipe would work with lemon extract or lemon zest? I’m having trouble finding a great lemon cupcake recipe that is as moist as this one!
Hi Mary,
So happy to hear that! You can totally add in some lemon zest or lemon extract.
You can either add in an additional tsp of lemon zest with the almond extract, or use lemon extract in place of the almond extract. I’d also recommend zesting 1 large lemon into the cupcake batter and another lemon into the frosting to give it an extra bright, citrusy flavor. Hope that helps, happy baking!
@Chelsweets,
Thank you so much for your advice! The lemon was a big success! Thank you for your recipes and all the detailed information to make every recipe perfect!
YAY!!!! I’m so happy to hear that Mary 🙂
These were super easy to make and my husband rated them 10/10. ??
YAY! So happy to hear that Colleen 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
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.
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!
I forgot to ask; What are the white long things on top of the cupcakes??
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!
Hi..I was wondering if this recipe could be made in the 6 ct jumbo cupcake pans.. How would I adjust the baking time..
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!
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
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!
I made these for a retirement party. BEST CUPCAKES EVER! Easy to mix, baked beautifully, and tasted just like a “wedding” cake. The frosting was delicious… Loved the almond taste and the texture was smooth and creamy. I will make these often. Thank you!
So happy to hear that Judy!!! It sounds like they turned out perfectly 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Can you sub liquid egg whites for the egg? Like how you would use egg whites in the cake format?
Hi Juli,
You totally can! I’d suggest using a quarter cup of liquid egg whites in place of the egg. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hello, is there a reason this recipe does not have butter like the cake?
Hi Carissa,
Great question! Yes, the main reason this cupcake recipe skips the butter and uses oil instead is to make the batter easier to mix and to create softer, more moist cupcakes.
Because oil is liquid at room temperature, it blends super easily with the other ingredients! Which means no need to cream anything or use a hand mixer. You can just whisk everything together in a bowl, which is especially helpful if you’re short on time or don’t want to fuss with extra tools.
Plus, oil-based batters tend to make cupcakes that stay moist longer, even after a couple days, which is perfect if you’re baking ahead or making them for an event. So while butter adds a rich flavor to cakes, this oil-based version is all about convenience and texture.
I personally just prefer oil based cupcake recipes! But you can use melted butter in its place if you want! The texture will be slightly denser but they’ll still be delicious. Hope that helps, happy baking!
We made 200 of these cupcakes for our wedding! We also made the cake version for our cake! It was AMAZING. For the 200 cupcakes, we made them a week in advance and froze them and then frosted them the morning of. I could not recommend this recipe enough. It has become a family favorite and I’m constantly asked to make them for parties and holidays! We were easily able to alter the recipe to make 1 dozen gluten free/vegan cupcake.
Hi Iris,
Wow, 200 cupcakes and the cake too?! That’s incredible!! I’m so happy they were such a hit for your wedding and that the recipe’s become a family favorite. Love that you were able to adapt it for gluten-free/vegan too, such a great tip for others! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Hi there! I would like to know if 1/2 cup room temperature whole milk can be substituted for the water called for in the cupcake batter?
Also, I haven’t found a white cupcake recipe yet where the cupcakes dome well. The beautiful frosting hides their flatness, but I am striving to make white cupcakes that dome well, too. In your opinion, how domed come the cupcakes for this particular recipe? Thank you so much!!
Hi Dionakaye,
Great questions!! Yes, you can swap the water for 1/2 cup of whole milk in the batter. It’ll give the cupcakes a bit more richness and tenderness without throwing off the structure.
As for domes, this recipe bakes up pretty flat! I think that makes it easier to frost, but if you really want extra lift, you can try the trick of baking at 400°F (200°C) for the first 5 minutes, then lowering to 350°F (175°C) for the rest. This gives the batter a little push upward at the start, but it can make them a bit less moist! If you’re looking for a super domed cupcake recipe though, I’m not sure this is it :/ Hope that helps, happy baking!