These moist, vanilla-flavored cupcakes will melt in your mouth with a light sweetness. This recipe is made from scratch, but is just as simple to make as a boxed mix.

I worked on perfecting this recipe. I wanted to make cupcakes that have a hint of vanilla flavor. And I finally did it! These came out perfectly moist and with an ideal balance of sweetness and light flavor. In fact, these are so delicious, you might want to double the recipe! Everyone will want seconds.
Easy Cupcake Recipe
Cupcakes should be simple, so I made this an easy cupcake recipe. If you’re a beginner or baking with your kids, this is a perfect recipe for you!
If you can follow instructions on a boxed mix, then you can make these. The only difference is that there are just a few more ingredients to mix up. Warning, this recipe will make you fall in love with baking!
How to Make Moist Cupcakes from Scratch
We’ve put together a list of hacks and tips to make your cupcakes turn out amazing.
Tips for the Best Homemade Cupcakes
Here are some tips I learned after making the cupcakes myself.
I discovered a trick to prevent my cupcakes from being too dry and crumbly. It’s such a simple hack too. All you need to remember is not to overmix the batter. The air bubbles in the dough is what keeps them from being too dry.
- Use room temperature butter
- To make mini cupcakes, only bake them for 10 minutes
- Fill cupcake liners only half way
- Use high-quality vanilla extract for the best flavor
How to Keep Cupcakes Moist and Fresh – Storage Tips
Here are some great ways to keep your cupcakes fresh.
I doubt you’ll have many leftover cupcakes after you try the recipe. But, if you do have some leftover, I’ve prepared a few ways to help you keep them fresh for the next time.
- Store cupcakes after they cool completely. If you store hot or warm cupcakes, you will trap steam and moisture in the container.
- Use an airtight container. If you leave them out in the open air, they will go stale quicker.
- Keep unfrosted cupcakes at room temperature. Refrigerating them will affect the taste.
- Wrap unfrosted cupcakes tightly in plastic wrap. If you know you will have extra cupcakes, don’t frost them until you are ready to serve them. Keeping them wrapped will help them stay moist.
Other Cupcake Recipes to Try
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup White Sugar
- 6 Eggs
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 cup Flour
- 3 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Milk
Cupcake Cream
- 2 cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 4 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1/8 cup Milk
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Let butter sit in a room temperature, until soft.
- In a separate bowl, combine together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
- In a stand up mixer, whisk together butter with sugar. Once you get even mixture, whisk in eggs one by one into the butter mixture.
- In a stand up mixer, whisk together butter with sugar. Once you get even mixture, whisk in eggs one by one into the butter mixture.
- In thirds add a third of flour, followed by a third of milk, stir to combine. Repeat until you run out of ingredients. Add vanilla extract and stir to combine the dough.
- Line 24 cupcakes with paper liners. Fill each one with the same amount of batter.
- Bake at 360F for about 20 minutes. Let it cool to a room temperature.
- Beat butter with one cup of powdered sugar.
- Keep on adding powdered sugar to the butter mixture, until you run out of it. Add vanilla extract and milk to the mixture, whisk until it’s well combined.
- Pipe cream on top of each cupcake. E-N-J-O-Y!!! 😉
Hi! Thanks for sharing your recipe! I'd like to make them for my son's mini birthday celebration in school, but they have to be ready really early. Was thinking I'd bake the cupcakes the day before and store them at room temperature, but wasn't sure if the cream can be done the night before and refrigerated, then pipe the next morning?
Hey Jas, I would pipe the cream the night before and refrigerate them. Enjoy
Can you say the ingredients if I am going to do only 12 cupcakes
Hey Hana, cut everything in half. This recipe makes a total of 24 cupcakes.
Do you use plain flour or self rasing flour for cup cakes
Hi Mandi, all-purpose flour works great in this recipe.
Just made the cupcakes without frosting for now, they’re really good.. have you ever used this batter to make a cake ? Seems like it might actually work!
Yes, I can see this working, you can get really creative. 🙂
Can you use almond milk for this recipe?
Hi Bere, I haven't tested this recipe with Almond Milk, I cant tell you if the turn out would be as great.
I tried it and they came out great! Thanks
Bere, thank you so much for sharing this. Now I know for the future. 🙂
Do you have a chocolate cupcake recipe
Yes, here is the one we love https://momsdish.com/recipe/2…
Looks delicious! I want to make these for my girls' bdays this week! One question- 360degrees? Not just 350?
Yes, bake them at 360F, if you do at 350F add a minute or two to the baking time.
It shows vanilla extract twice once for cream once for cupcakes. However in description it doesn't state when to add the vanilla. ?
Yes, for cream and for dough. I will adjust that. Thanks 😉