Vanilla Cupcakes
This is the best vanilla cupcake recipe I’ve come across. It’s a volume measured, basic ingredient staple that can be a blank canvas for just about any flavor of cupcakes you can think of. It easily scales to be as many as you need and yields a slightly domed top that is perfect for decorating. It also uses a blending method of mixing - meaning the wet ingredients are added to the dry all at once - so you can easily make it either by hand of using an electric mixer and only get two bowls dirty. Win, win!
I’ve found that cupcake recipes that use a solid fat like butter are too dense for the tininess of a cupcake. Butter based cake is perfect for stacking in a layer cake format, but to get the best rise for a domed top and tender crumb of a cupcake, you need oil. The recipe calls for buttermilk as its liquid. I do notice a definite difference when using actual buttermilk vs. a substitute like milk + a tsp of white vinegar. The recipe is formulated for actual buttermilk and you’ll get a better quality cupcake and rise out of using the real stuff. That said, I’ve totally made these a million times using milk + a tsp of white vinegar or lemon juice and they turn out just fine that way. You do you. But whatever you do, don’t substitute the liquid for something less acidic than buttermilk without also omitting the baking soda. Baking Soda needs an acidic ingredient in order to react and rise.
I use these cupcakes as a base for so many of my cupcake flavors - cookie dough, birthday cake Oreo, any berry flavor, any lemon flavor, apple crumble etc. Basically everything except chocolate. Feel free to switch up extracts with fruit juices, powdered flavors, chocolate chips or sprinkles in small quantities for an added zing.
Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (canola, safflower)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Measure all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt) whisk to combine, and set aside.
- Measure the wet ingredients into a separate bowl (eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil, buttermilk) and stir to combine.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients by pouring the wet into the dry as you are mixing to ensure the lumps are smoothed out. Use a whisk by hand or the whisk attachment of an electric mixer.
- Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins lined with wrappers until 3/4 full. Divide batter fully between 12 standard size cupcakes and you'll have the perfect size.
- Bake at 350* F for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are slightly browned and bounce back to the touch.
