Classic Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

Name: Classic Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups (184g) all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, room temperature; 2 tablespoons (28g) canola oil; 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar; 2 egg whites ((60g)); ¼ cup (68g) sour cream, room temperature; ¼ cup (64g) whole milk, room temperature; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, (optional); 1½ cups (339g/3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened; 1 lb. (453g) powdered sugar ((3-4 cups)); 1 tablespoon heavy cream, warm; 1 tablespoon light corn syrup; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, (optional); ¼ tsp salt

classic vanilla cupcakes with silky smooth vanilla buttercream piped on top

These classic vanilla cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and full of rich vanilla flavor. Made with a combination of butter, oil, and sour cream, they bake up incredibly light and tender. Finished with a silky smooth vanilla buttercream, they’re perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or everyday baking. They have that nostalgic boxed cake mix flavor everyone loves—just elevated and made completely from scratch.

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Why You’ll Love These Vanilla Cupcakes

After plenty of testing to get the texture and flavor just right, this version checks every box for that perfect classic vanilla cupcake. It’s the same recipe I use for my cupcake and cake orders, so it’s truly tried and trusted.

Soft, fluffy bakery-style texture. These cupcakes are incredibly soft and tender with a fluffy crumb. The secret is the combination of butter and oil—butter adds rich flavor, while oil keeps the cupcakes extra moist and tender. A bit of sour cream adds even more moisture, keeping them soft, light, and fluffy.
Better than the box mix. I won’t lie, I love a good box mix cake. It’s delicious and easy. But I promise you, this classic vanilla cupcake recipe captures that same nostalgic flavor and texture, only better, and it’s still simple to make.
Silky smooth buttercream. This classic American buttercream is smooth, perfectly sweet, and easy to spread or pipe onto cupcakes. After lots of testing, I found that adding a little corn syrup and warm heavy cream helps create a glossy, ultra-smooth frosting without that powdered sugar grit.
Real vanilla flavor. Vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract work together to create the perfect balance and give these classic vanilla cupcakes beautiful specks of real vanilla bean.

Ingredients Overview

For the Cupcakes:

All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for the cupcakes while still keeping the crumb soft and tender.
Baking powder + Baking soda: Both leavening agents help the cupcakes rise beautifully while keeping the texture light and fluffy.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the vanilla flavor.
Butter + Oil: The combination of butter and oil creates the perfect cupcake texture. Butter provides rich flavor, while a touch of oil keeps the cupcakes incredibly moist and soft. Be sure to use room-temperature butter and a neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil.
Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cupcakes while also helping create a light and tender crumb.
Egg Whites: Egg whites help create a lighter, fluffier cupcake and keep the crumb soft and delicate while also creating a brighter white cake rather than yellow from the whole eggs.
Milk + Sour Cream: This combination adds moisture and richness, helping create a soft, tender cupcake crumb. Be sure both the milk and sour cream are at room temperature so they blend smoothly into the batter.
Vanilla Bean Paste + Vanilla Extract: I like using both vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract in this recipe. Vanilla bean paste adds those beautiful specks and deep vanilla flavor, but it can be a bit strong (and expensive!) on its own. Using both creates a more balanced, classic vanilla flavor. That said, using just one will still make a delicious cupcake if that’s what you have on hand. These are the vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract I keep in my kitchen.

For the Buttercream:

Unsalted Butter: The base of the buttercream. It’s important that the butter is properly softened—you should be able to press it easily and leave an indent. This helps it whip up smooth and creamy.
Powdered Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the buttercream while giving it structure. This recipe conveniently uses exactly one 1 lb bag.
Heavy Cream: The secret ingredient—warm cream! Just a small amount helps create a silky, smooth texture and lightens the frosting.
Light Corn Syrup: Adds shine and smoothness while helping reduce the gritty texture that powdered sugar can sometimes create.
Vanilla Bean Paste + Vanilla Extract: Adds rich vanilla flavor and those signature vanilla bean specks.
Salt: A small pinch balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor of the frosting.

Step-by-Step Instructions

For the Vanilla Cupcakes:

1. Prep

Begin by pulling the butter, milk, sour cream, and eggs from the fridge and allowing them to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. This recipe makes about 18 regular-sized cupcakes or 9 jumbo cupcakes. The cupcakes pictured here are jumbo-sized!

2. Mix the dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Mix the wet ingredients

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the room temperature milk, sour cream, and vanilla bean paste/extract until smooth and combined. Set aside.

4. Cream the butter, oil, and sugar

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the butter, canola oil, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. It should be paler in color and slightly aerated.

5. Add the egg whites

Separate the eggs and add the egg whites to the mixer one at a time on low speed, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is smooth and evenly incorporated.

6. Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients

Add about one-third of the dry ingredients and mix until mostly combined. Add half of the wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Repeat with another third of the dry ingredients, then the remaining wet ingredients, finishing with the final third of the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined. This method helps prevent overmixing and keeps the cupcakes soft and tender. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give the batter one final gentle mix by hand to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.

7. Bake

Using a cookie scoop or spoon, fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ full. Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes (18-20 minutes if making jumbo-sized), or until the tops spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

For the Vanilla Buttercream:

1. Whip the butter

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the softened butter on medium-high speed until smooth, creamy, and slightly lighter in color, about 3–4 minutes.

glossy smooth whipped butter for vanilla buttercream before adding powdered sugar

2. Add the powdered sugar

Turn off the mixer and add all the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high and whip for another 2–3 minutes until fluffy and pale in color.

3. Smooth the buttercream

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment. This will knock out some of the big air bubbles, so the buttercream gets really silky smooth. If you’re using a hand mixer, don’t worry, just mix on low from here on.

4. Add the remaining ingredients

Add the corn syrup, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Mix on low speed until smooth. Warm the heavy cream in the microwave for 5–10 seconds until just warm. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the cream and mix for 2–3 minutes, until the buttercream is smooth and silky.

shiny and smooth vanilla buttercream in bowl with spatula

5. Frost the cupcakes

Frost the cooled cupcakes with buttercream using a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, or spread the frosting with an offset spatula.

unfrosted vanilla cupcakes on cooling rack with buttercream in piping bag beside

How to Pipe the Perfect Swirl

If cake decorating or piping frosting on cupcakes feels intimidating, don’t worry—I’m going to walk you through how to pipe a beautiful swirl that takes these cupcakes from homemade to bakery-style in just a few simple steps.

Once your buttercream is light, fluffy, and smooth, it’s time to pipe. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. I used the Wilton 2D closed star tip.

Don’t overfill your piping bag—fill it only about halfway so you have better control and grip. Hold the bag with your dominant hand in the middle (this is where you’ll apply pressure) and use your non-dominant hand at the top to guide it. This helps you pipe smoothly without straining your hands or over-squeezing from the top.

Hold the piping bag straight up over the cupcake at a 90° angle, about half an inch above the surface. Start in the center and pipe outward in a steady spiral, working your way back toward the center while slightly overlapping each circle. Once you reach the middle, release pressure and lift straight up. If you’re brand new to piping, practice a few swirls on parchment paper first. You’ll get a feel for the pressure and motion, and you can easily scrape the frosting back into the bag to reuse it.

If you prefer to keep things simple, use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to swoop and swirl the buttercream instead—easy, beautiful, and just as delicious!

piping buttercream swirl on top of vanilla cupcake

Blue Mountain Baker Tips

Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature butter, egg whites, sour cream, and milk mix together much more smoothly and create a lighter, more even texture. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to curdle or mix unevenly. For best results, pull your ingredients from the fridge 30–60 minutes before baking.

Use a kitchen scale for the most accurate results. For all my recipes, I recommend using a kitchen scale—it gives you the most consistent results every time. Measuring flour with a scale helps prevent adding too much, which can make cupcakes dense or dry. If you’re using measuring cups, fluff the flour first, then spoon it into the cup and level it off.

Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing develops gluten and can make cupcakes tough instead of soft and fluffy. Alternating the wet and dry ingredients helps incorporate everything evenly without overworking the batter. Start and end with the dry ingredients, and give the batter one final gentle mix by hand, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is fully incorporated.

Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cupcakes. A cookie scoop makes portioning the batter quick and consistent, so the cupcakes bake evenly. I like using this 3 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, which fills liners about ⅔ full—the sweet spot for tall cupcakes without overflowing.

Recipe FAQ

Can I make this recipe as a cake instead of cupcakes?

Yes! This batter works well as a small cake, or it can be doubled for a larger two-layer cake. Pour the batter into an 8-inch round cake pan lined with parchment and bake at 350°F for about 22–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Can I use whole eggs instead of egg whites?

You can, but the texture will change slightly. Egg whites help keep these cupcakes light, fluffy, and bright in color, while whole eggs will make them a bit richer and slightly denser. If using whole eggs, substitute 1 large egg for the two egg whites.

What if I only have one cupcake pan?

No problem! Simply bake the cupcakes in two batches. Let the pan cool slightly before refilling it. The batter can sit at room temperature while the first batch bakes. The second batch may rise slightly more since the leaveners will begin reacting in the batter as it rests.

classic vanilla cupcakes on cake stand showing the swirls of buttercream on top

If Somehow You Have Leftovers…

These classic vanilla cupcakes store really well, and both the cupcakes and buttercream can easily be made in advance.

Storage: To store frosted cupcakes, place them in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for 1–2 days at room temperature, or up to 5 days in the refrigerator. If refrigerated, let the cupcakes sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving so the cake and buttercream can soften again.
Make ahead: If you’d like to make them in advance, the unfrosted cupcakes freeze beautifully. Once completely cooled, store them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting.
The buttercream also stores very well. It can be refrigerated for 5–6 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If frozen, allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring it to room temperature. The buttercream will be firm after chilling, so rewhip it for a couple of minutes until it becomes soft and smooth again. Tip: If it still seems thick or slightly cold, scoop out about ¼ cup of the buttercream, microwave it for 5–10 seconds until just melted, then slowly mix it back into the bowl while whipping. This helps bring the buttercream back to that smooth, silky consistency.

These classic vanilla cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and perfectly sweet—everything a homemade cupcake should be. I hope they become a go-to recipe in your kitchen like they have in mine! If you make them, leave a comment below or share your cupcake creations with me on Instagram. I’d love to hear how they turned out!

Happy baking, and thanks so much for being here!

XO, Blue Mountain Baker 💙