Vanilla Cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes
Lucop / Getty Images
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 24 servings

These are my idea of the perfect vanilla cupcake. They're soft and fluffy with a pretty domed top, moist center, and ever-so-slightly crunchy outer edge. They're the perfect base for any topping. We recommend trying whipped cream frosting, chocolate frosting, or even basic buttercream. Actually, they're so good, you could just eat them plain with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Ingredients

  • 10 2/3 ounces (2 cups) all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 8 ounces unsalted butter

  • 2 cups (14 ounces) sugar

  • 4 large eggs

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  • 8 ounces full-fat plain Greek yogurt, or sour cream

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pans with 24 liners.

  3. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside for now.

  4. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.

  5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla extract.

  6. With the mixer running on low, add a third of the flour mixture.

  7. Then when the flour streaks have disappeared, add half of the yogurt.

  8. Add half of the remaining flour, the rest of the yogurt, then finish with the last of the flour.

  9. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to fully mix the batter.

  10. Fill the cupcake tins until they're just under two-thirds full, then bake at 350 F for 20 to 22 minutes, until they just start to turn golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

  11. Cool the cupcakes completely before filling and frosting.

Tip

For best results, make sure your eggs and butter are at room temperature before assembling the cupcakes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
201 Calories
9g Fat
27g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 201
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 5g 26%
Cholesterol 53mg 18%
Sodium 107mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 30mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 42mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)