These are the best Vanilla Birthday Cupcakes and recipe for serving on their special occasion. They have the perfect texture they are moist and made with butter, and can be decorated in so many ways.
I make a lot of cupcakes but Vanilla is the one I make the most. Vanilla cupcakes are also a lot trickier to make than you might think.
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Tips for Making the Best Vanilla Cupcakes
There are a few ingredients you can’t skimp on to get the best flavor.
- Real Butter as your fat. Preferably unsalted.
- Real Vanilla Extract
- Cake Flour
- Fresh Baking Powder
- Large Fresh Eggs Room Temp
- Whole Milk
- Oven thermometer
It is really important to use the freshest ingredients in your cupcakes, and with Vanilla cupcakes there is no way to get around it. There is no other flavor to disguise less than the top quality ingredients. Also using cake flour will give it a lighter crumb texture.
You want to preheat your oven to 350 and use a good muffin pan. You will also want to set out your ingredients on the counter to get them at room temp.
I like to get everything out before I begin. You never know when you are out of stock and didn’t realize it until you are halfway through the recipe.
I also get out a few mixing bowls and spatulas. Make sure they are clean before you start.
They sometimes get sticky and gummy in a drawer and I just like to know they are clean before I start.
I always start by creaming the mixture. The ingredients, in this case, would be butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. One at a time in that order in my stand mixer.
Then I get a bowl ready and put in the flour, baking powder, and salt. I take my whisk and fluff up everything and get it incorporated.
Then I add some of the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture and then add some milk and alternate. There is a scientific reason for this and I will post about it soon. So for now, take my word.
When I bake my cupcakes, I use an oven thermometer to make sure the oven isn’t hotter than it says. This way, I can get some accountability.
I usually leave the cupcakes in from 18 to 22 minutes. I continue to check once it gets to 18 minutes. I don’t like my vanilla to cook completely because it still cooks in the pan once you take it out. So I just want to make sure it’s about 95% done by touching the top.
Once you take it out of the oven, make sure you take them out of the pan within 5 minutes. It is important that they do not overbake.
Now you will see how delicious they are. You can decorate them how you like. Have fun with them.
Another great ingredient for your cupcakes is Homemade Vanilla Extract in the Instant Pot.
If you want some Free Birthday Deals read here and learn how to make a Birthday Card Organizer here.
Recipe for Vanilla Cupcakes
Best Vanilla Birthday Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ts Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/2 cup cake flour
- 1 ts baking powder
- 1/2 ts salt
- 1/2 cup of whole milk
- FROSTING
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1/2 ts salt
- 1 ts Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners
- In electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
- In Medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt.
- Alternate Dry mix into butter mixture and alternate with milk.
- Scrape bowl and mix again. Just until smooth. The longer you mix the tougher the cupcake.
- Bake 18 – 22 minutes just until cakes bounce back when touched. Do no over bake.
- Take out of oven and leave in pan 5 minutes and remove from pan.
- Mix butter, sugar one cup at a time, salt and Vanilla. Beat 3 – 5 minutes.
- Frost and decorate when cupcakes are cool.
- I used a piping bag and Wilton 1 M tip.
Nutrition
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I love a vanilla cupcake! These look perfect. 🙂
I wish I would have seen this recipe 2 days ago! It was my wife’s birthday and I ended up buying a store-bought chocolate cake. :/ It was good but… you know… there’s just something special about getting home-baked goodies on your birthday!
Oh, my favorite is either chocolate or vanilla (depending on my mood). 😀
My go to cupcakes are usually chocolate of some kind. I totally agree with you… vanilla is tricky. My favorite recipe that I’ve found (so far) uses buttermilk. I’ll definitely try this! Love the tip about the oven thermometer too btw.
These look so good! I can’t wait to try them out with my granddaughters soon!
Wonderful, vanilla cupcakes are my favorite! They look wonderful.