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Cupcakes & Muffins

Vanilla Cupcakes

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Light and fluffy cupcakes deliciously flavoured with vanilla. You can’t go wrong with a good Vanilla Cupcake and that’s what this recipe is!   

Simple but delicious cupcakes 

This recipe is very simple and produces tasty cupcakes every time. Everyone needs a great Vanilla Cupcake recipe in my opinion. These Vanilla Cupcakes are so versatile and they are a fantastic base recipe to have. 

As the recipe is easy to follow, it is great for baking beginners but they also make a perfect base cupcake to decorate and create something special. 

Are these Vanilla Cupcakes easy to adapt?

I have lost count of how many times I have made these cupcakes over the years as they are my go-to cupcake. I haven’t met anyone that doesn’t like a vanilla cupcake.

They are so easy to adapt to fit any occasion. A very simple way to do this is to use different cupcake cases and sprinkles etc to decorate them with. Another way to customise them is by piping the buttercream differently. 

If you wanted to add a but of chocolate to these cupcakes, you could use Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting instead. Or if buttercream isn’t for you, try my Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberries & Whipped Cream.

What kind of vanilla should you use?

You can use either vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, depending on which you prefer. I really like the flavour vanilla bean paste gives the cupcake and I like the little black flecks it leaves in the cupcake.

Whichever vanilla you decide to use, try to buy a good quality vanilla. If you can, aim to buy pure vanilla extract as this has very few ingredients and doesn’t have any additives or preservatives. This is usually brown in colour.

Pure vanilla extract will provide you with a stronger, deeper vanilla flavour which makes these cupcakes even more delicious.

Vanilla bean paste is my favourite to use because of it’s delicious flavour, but also because of the small flecks of black it adds to the cake. It is a bit more expensive than vanilla extract however so use which you prefer.

You can also add some vanilla to the buttercream for even more vanilla yummy-ness. Whichever you use will give you a delicious cupcake! 

I would avoid using vanilla essence or flavouring if you can. These are more artificial in taste and won’t give you as good a flavour. 

Should I use margarine or butter?

When I am baking cakes that require the fat and sugar to be creamed, I tend to use margarine. 

This is because you can use it straight from the fridge and don’t have to wait for it to come up to room temperature like you do with butter.

I have been using margarine in my cakes for years now and I have never had any complaints about their texture or flavour. You can absolutely use butter if you prefer but make sure it is unsalted butter. 

When it comes to buttercream, you have to use unsalted butter. Margarine would not work in this instance. 

Different ways to pipe buttercream

There are so many different ways you can pipe the buttercream. The nozzle I used in the photographs was a star tipped nozzle, but there are hundreds of different nozzles and ways you can pipe the buttercream.

If you aren’t a confident piper, you can use a standard round nozzle. Start in the centre of the cupcake and apply even pressure and you will get a lovely dome of buttercream.

If you don’t have a piping bag and nozzle, don’t panic. You can snip the corner off a sandwich bag and use this as a piping bag. 

How can i decorate these cupcakes?

However you like! You can get as fancy or simple as you like with both your piping and your buttercream.

I have been piping buttercream for years so like to be a little fancy. You definitely don’t need to be! You can even spoon the buttercream on and smooth it out with a knife if you prefer. 

With decorations, do whatever you like. Keep them sophisticated and simple or get the children involved and have a colourful mess. It really is up to you. 

How many cupcakes will this recipe make?

This recipe makes 12 large cupcakes and I use muffin cases for this. You can obviously make more, smaller cupcakes. Whatever size cupcake cases you use, only fill them 2/3 of the way. Adjust the cooking time depending on the size of the cupcake cases you use. 

If you would like to make cupcakes but don’t need 12, check out my Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes recipe. This recipe makes 6 delicious cupcakes. 

Vanilla Cupcakes baking tips

Vanilla Cupcakes are a simple cupcake to make but there are a few tips to make them even easier to bake. 

When you are creaming the margarine and sugar together, make sure you do this for around five minutes until it turns pale and fluffy. This helps create a light and fluffy finished cupcake. 

To make sure my cupcakes are as even in size as possible, I like to use a mechanical ice cream scoop. You can then plop an even amount of cupcake batter into each cupcake case. 

Talking about cases, I prefer to use muffin cases rather than cupcake cases. These are larger cases with taller sides. The cases from my childhood were fairy cake cases and were quite small. 

You want to make sure you only full the cupcake cases two thirds of the way. If you fill them right to the top you will get a tall and potentially pointy cupcake. 

This isn’t ideal for decorating. A flat, even cupcake makes piping the buttercream easier. Baking the cupcake at a lower temperature also helps create a flatter topped cupcake. 

Bake the cupcakes until they are light in colour. They should be a light yellow colour and not brown. 

When it comes to making the buttercream, room temperature butter is essential! If your butter is too cold, it will take a long time to beat into the buttercream. 

It will also mean that you have a higher chance of seeing little flecks of butter in the finished buttercream that didn’t mix in completely. 

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4.94 from 110 votes
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Vanilla Cupcakes

Light and fluffy cupcakes deliciously flavoured with vanilla. You can’t go wrong with a good Vanilla Cupcake and that’s what this recipe is!

Course Cupcakes
Cuisine British, International
Keyword Cupcakes, Vanilla, Buttercream
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 33 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 390 kcal
Author Curly

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 175 g margarine
  • 175 g caster sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
  • 3 eggs
  • 175 g self-raising flour

For the buttercream

  • 140 g unsalted butter softened
  • 280 g icing sugar
  • 1-2 tbsp milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC (fan assisted, 180ºC  non fan) and line a cupcake tin with paper liners 

  2. Beat the butter and sugar together for roughly 5 minutes until light and fluffy 

  3. Add the vanilla extract and eggs and mix again

  4. Add the flour and mix until it is combined. Spoon into 12 cupcake cases filling each 2/3 full

  5. Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes. Check they are cooked by piercing them with a cocktail stick, if the stick comes out, clean they are cooked

  6. Leave on a wire rack to cool completely

  7. Once the cakes have cooled completely, make the buttercream. Start by beating the softened butter for a minute or two

  8. Add in the icing sugar and beat until mixed

  9. Gradually add the milk a little at a time until you get a smooth but still quite thick consistency

  10. Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe onto the cupcakes. Finish with any decorations

Recipe Notes

Nutritional information is given as a guide only and may vary.

Nutrition Facts
Vanilla Cupcakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 390 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 41mg14%
Sodium 154mg7%
Potassium 35mg1%
Carbohydrates 48g16%
Sugar 37g41%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 580IU12%
Calcium 14mg1%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Elaine Sherrin says

    5 stars
    Cats cupcakes are the best!!! Maybe she will share other yummy recipes with you…if you’re very lucky.

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Thank you. I wanted to decorate them quite simply for the photos but you can go as crazy as you like!

      Reply

  6. Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder says

    5 stars
    Lovely classic recipe and they are so beautifully uniform and your piping is so neat! I have got a lot of practicing to do I fear lol. Big thumbs up for vanilla bean paste here too! I have only recently started using it and love it! Thank you for sharing these beauties with #BakingCrumbs 🙂

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Haha thank you. Years ago I started off mainly making cupcakes so I did a lot of practising. I prefer using vanilla bean paste because of the flavour and those lovely little flecks.

      Reply

  7. Jenny Walters says

    5 stars
    These look beautiful. I love your photos and your icing is so symmetrical. I start off well but somehow always end up squiffy! I hardly ever bake a vanilla cupcake and I can’t think why?! Will definitely have a go at these as I would love to be able to produce something as good as these! I love a classic. Thank you for sharing with #BakingCrumbs

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Thank you Jenny. Haha sometimes I do have a dodgy one but you can just scrape it off and start again and no one will ever know! They are simple but a recipe I go back to time and time again.

      Reply

      • Darra says

        5 stars
        Brilliant cupcakes but I always struggle with my buttercream melting when I’m trying to pipe in the piping bag, is this because of the warmth of my hands?

        Reply

        • Curly says

          Hi Darra, it definitely could be due to your hands warming the buttercream up a bit too much. Is the buttercream quite wet before you start or only when you’re piping? If it is a bit wet before you start piping I would recommend adding less milk. If it is just when you’re piping, you could put the piping bag in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to just firm up slightly. Don’t leave it in the fridge for too long though or else it will become too firm and hard to pipe. I hope this helps 🙂

          Reply

    • Anna Green says

      Omg I have just made these Vanilla Cupcakes I’ve been looking for the perfect Vanilla cupcake recipe & THIS IS IT !!!!!
      Absolutely perfect don’t think m going to let any of my family have any I want to eat them all.
      Thank you for sharing this recipe xx

      Reply

  8. Kris says

    No offense… I mean no harm.. the cupcakes seem kinda dry.. and there aren’t much moistening agents in the recipe.. do you think I could substitute 1 egg for 1/4 cup yogurt? And is your cupcake liners ub 7cm × lb 5cm × h 3cm?

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Kris, that’s a shame that you thought the cupcakes were dry. I’ve been making these cupcakes for years and have always received such positive comments. Instead of trying to substitute ingredients, I would try reducing the cooking time. As ovens can vary, I would recommend baking them for slightly less time. You want them to be pale and springy on top. Overcooking the cupcakes can make them a bit dry. Please let me know how you get on.

      Reply

  9. Lynn says

    5 stars
    I’m new to baking cakes and found your recipe on the internet. It was perfect they were so moist and kept well although there weren’t many left! The next time I divided the mixture between 2 sandwich tins and made a cake for my husband. I made the buttercream and added some coconut to it. Delicious with a cup of tea .

    Reply

  10. Maish says

    5 stars
    Hey! Just wondering do you use salted or unsalted butter for the buttercream? P.s they look fab! X

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Maish. Sorry I should have mentioned that, it’s updated now. It should be unsalted butter in the buttercream 🙂

      Reply

      • Kira says

        Hello, sorry I’m not really sure what margarine is? Is it salted or unsalted butter or a special type of butter? I can’t wait to try out the recipe once I get this confusion out of the way lol.

        Reply

        • Curly says

          Hi Kira, it is like butter but made with vegetable oil. You can definitely use unsalted butter instead. Hope you like them 🙂

          Reply

  12. Bijal says

    5 stars
    I’m not the greatest Baker and Just made these today and they are delicious, light and fluffy Just as the recipe describes. I used salted butter as couldn’t get unsalted and it still worked great. I used a hand blender to mix all the ingredients and it really made a difference to help make the batter light. Thanks so much for this recipe

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Thank you so much Bijal. I am so pleased you liked them. It sounds like you are a good baker to me!

      Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Amy,

      I don’t usually add vanilla to the buttercream as the vanilla I use is brown in colour and changes the colour of the buttercream slightly. You can definitely add some if you would like. I’d recommend adding 1tsp vanilla extract.

      I will update the recipe with this information.

      Hope you enjoy them 🙂

      Reply

    • Curly says

      It’s so easy to overfill the cases with batter, but filling them a bit less and cooking at a lower temperature helps you get cupcakes with a flat top. x

      Reply

  16. Janice Pattie says

    5 stars
    Fabulous Vanilla Cupcakes, so easy to make and they are very delicious. I love how you can make them look different with some different sprinkles. Thanks for a really excellent recipe.

    Reply

  17. Debbie says

    5 stars
    These are amazing, I found the recipe easy to follow and all the family loved them. Thank you very much Curly

    Reply

  19. Emily says

    5 stars
    Ammaaazzzing I used self rising gluten free flour and they had great texture. I will definitely be making these again. Thank you!

    Reply

  21. Zenab Hanif says

    5 stars
    Would I be able to adapt this recipe and make carrot cake cupcakes or would I need to use a different recipe as many carrot cakes require oil and separation of wet and dry ingredients? X

    Reply

  24. Sarah Bosworth says

    5 stars
    Love baking with my little girl but our cakes dont seem to rise. I tried this recipe and wow! Finally cupcakes that dont look like cookies, thank you 🙂

    Reply

  25. Julie mcgee says

    5 stars
    Hi I made these cupcakes they were absolutely amazing just wondered if you could tell me how much of the recipe I would need for a8inch 4 layer cake please?

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Julie, so pleased you liked them. For four layers of 8″ I would double the recipe. They would be normal thickness layers, not really thick.

      Reply

  26. Ace says

    5 stars
    Hi there I’m making this for my family who are not so keen on margerine… I was wondering if I could substitute for butter?

    Great recipe btw!!

    Reply

  27. Gemma says

    Hi Curly, I have tried making these a couple of times but they seem to burst and leak out. Can’t seems to get them to cook properly. Any idea where I’m going wrong?

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Gemma, oh no I’m sorry to hear that. What kind of cupcake cases are you using? Do you mean the cupcake mix bursts out the sides or overflows? And are they not baking through?

      Reply

      • Gemma says

        Not overflowing. Using standard cupcake cases. They seems to burst before cooking through properly and seem to have air pockets. I took a picture but not sure if there is any way to send. Thank you for the very speedy response Desperately want to get these right.

        Reply

        • Curly says

          That is a tricky one! Could you send me the photo on Facebook or Instagram? Or could you email me at [email protected] so I can have a look and see if I can help more. I want to help you get them right too because they’re my go-to recipe! It sounds like it could be your oven, have you had problems cooking anything else?

          Reply

  28. Ellie says

    5 stars
    Hands down, the best cupcake recipe I have come across. These cupcakes were so delicious, light and fluffy. Thank you so much!

    Reply

  29. Rachael Evans says

    5 stars
    I have used this recipe numerous times now and they are hands down the best cupcakes ever!!! I was wondering how, if possible, to alter this to make chocolate ones instead??? Is this possible? Thank you

    Reply

  30. Sophie says

    5 stars
    These cupcakes are delicious!
    I want to covert them into a cake, I’m just wondering how much mixture would I need for a 3 layer cake 6 inch pans?

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Sophie, so pleased you liked them. I am pretty confident that the batter from the recipe will make enough for 3 x 6″ cakes. It is on my list to test and write up but I am pretty sure.

      Reply

  31. Paula Metcalf says

    Hi.
    I made the cupcakes and they were really light and fluffy and tasted delicious. The only issue I had was that they rose during baking but sank on cooling. Not sure why. Can you help please.

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Paula, it is quite normal for cakes to fall slightly as they cool. Did they just become a bit more flat or did they dip?

      Reply

  32. Leanne says

    5 stars
    Absolutely love this recipe!
    Just a question… If I wanted to use this to make a 8″ cake at what temperature in the oven would I need to bake at and for how long?
    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Leanne, so pleased you like it 🙂 I would keep the oven temp the same so 160 fan and I would split the mix between two 8″ tins. I would check it after 15 mins and it may need around 20, but keep checking every few minutes. Hope this helps.

      Reply

  33. Shel says

    5 stars
    LOVE this recipe, the cupcakes came out amazing! My favourite vanilla cakes I’ve made by far. If I was to make this in a 6 inch cake tin would I need to change anything?

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Shel, so pleased you like the recipe 🙂 That is actually a recipe on my to-do list! You could need to split the cake batter between 3 x 6inch tins. Keep the oven at the same temperature and bake for 15 mins or until a cocktail stick comes out clean.

      Reply

  34. ange says

    5 stars
    I’ve just made these and I must say they are absolutely lovely best recipe I’ve ever used so far made 24 buns my kids will be so pleased when they come home from school. Thank you although I used slightly salted butter for the icing tasted fine.

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Thank you so much Ange! Oh yes, some people use salted butter anyway and don’t mind the flavour. It is personal preference and lightly salted is a good option 🙂

      Reply

  36. Gurpreet Rooprai says

    Hi,

    Could I use this recipe to make two 8inch round cakes for a 4 layer cake please. What would be the measurements? Thanks

    Reply

  37. Gurpreet says

    4 stars
    Hi how could I change this recipe to make enough for two 8 inch cake tins please for a 4 layer cake. Thank you x

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Gurpreet, are you looking to make all four layers vanilla? If so I would double this recipe and split it evenly between the four tins. They would be layers approximately 1 inch thick. I would test them after 14/15 mins to see if they are baked. Hope that helps 🙂

      Reply

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