Best Vanilla Cupcakes You’ll Ever Bake
Best vanilla cupcakes you’ll ever bake, with a soft crumb, rich vanilla flavor, and moist texture that stays fresh for days.
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder (not baking soda)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
- 2 large eggs (50–55 g each), at room temperature
- 3/4 cup caster or superfine sugar (granulated sugar works too)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup full-fat milk
- 2 teaspoons alcohol-free vanilla extract or pure vanilla powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) or 320°F (160°C fan) and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl, then set aside.
- Heat the milk and butter together in a heatproof jug until the butter melts, cover, and keep warm.
- In another bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer for 30 seconds, then slowly add the sugar while mixing until the mixture is pale and has tripled in volume.
- Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the egg mixture and mix briefly on low, then repeat twice more until just combined.
- Whisk about 3/4 cup of the egg mixture into the hot milk, then slowly pour it back into the remaining egg mixture while mixing on low speed.
- Fill each cupcake liner two-thirds full and bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool for 2 minutes in the tin, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting or serving.