Moist Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

image of a vanilla cupcake that's been dunked in rainbow sprinkles

4.80 from 449 rating

Moist Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

This vanilla cupcake recipe with oil is insanely easy to make! It comes together in one bowl and makes the most tender, moist cupcakes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time18

Additional Time5

Total Time33

Course: Cupcakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Calories: 301kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Equipment

Ingredients

Vanilla Cupcakes

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 160g
1 cup granulated sugar 200g
1 1/2 tsp baking powder 6g
1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature 120ml
1/2 cup water, room temperature 120ml
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil 60ml
1 large egg, room temperature 56g
1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 12ml

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 113g
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 6ml
1/4 tsp fine salt 1g
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 188g
1 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature 15ml

Instructions

Vanilla Cupcakes

Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F / 175°C and line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners.
Whisk 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt together in a large bowl.
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add 1/2 cup of buttermilk, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 large egg, and 1 Tbsp vanilla extract into the opening. Whisk the wet ingredients together, then whisk them into the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. If you want to accelerate the cooling process, pop the pan into the freezer for about 30 minutes.

Vanilla Buttercream

Beat 1/2 cup of room-temperature butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
Mix in 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp fine salt on a low speed.
Slowly mix in 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Halfway through add 1 Tbsp of heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
Mix on low for a couple of minutes until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
If the frosting is too thick, add additional cream (1 Tablespoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time).
Place the buttercream in a piping bag fitted with your favorite piping tip (I used a Wilton 1M). If you don’t have any frosting bags and tips, use a freezer Ziplock bag and trim the corner to have a 1-inch opening.
The last step is to decorate these cupcakes! Pour your favorite sprinkle blend into a small bowl (I combined 3 different types of rainbow sprinkles to make my own blend). Then, pipe a buttercream rosette of frosting onto each cupcake. Start in the center, then pipe a swirl out toward the edges of the cupcake.
Gently dunk the edges of the cupcake into the sprinkles, then enjoy!

Video

Notes

This recipe can also be used to make mini vanilla cupcakes! It makes about 40 mini cupcakes, which only need to bake for 12-14 minutes.

Make these vanilla cupcakes in advance!! If stored unfrosted in an airtight container, they can last for:

1 day at room temperature
Up to a week in the fridge
Up to 3 months in the freezer

Make your frosting ahead of time, too, or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

Frosted cupcakes can sit out at room temperature overnight in an airtight container, but I find frosting them right before serving is best.

Nutrition