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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    Perfect American Vanilla Cupcakes

    Published: Apr 23, 2016 · Modified: Jun 13, 2020 by Krista · 7 Comments

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    These original American Vanilla Cupcakes are the best! So many readers have baked these cupcakes and it's one of the most popular recipes on Living on Cookies.

    Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes ~ Living on Cookies

    Everyone needs that “go-to” recipe for Vanilla Cupcakes. It has to be straightforward and the cupcakes need to come out perfect. Every. Time. This is my tried and true recipe. The cupcakes are light, moist and fluffy with a delicate vanilla sweetness that is just right.

    Cream Cheese Frosting Made from European Cream Cheese ~ Living on Cookies
    Rezeptheft 7 Cupcake-Variationen aus einem Grundteig

    If you sign up for my newsletter, you will get a recipe booklet with my basic recipe for cupcakes that you can use to make 7 different flavors, plus more ideas and recipes for frostings! These recipes are available exclusively to newsletter subscribers (in German only). SIGN UP HERE to get your free recipe booklet.

    Did you know that's it's easy to make vanilla extract and paste yourself? Here is a post on how to make vanilla extract.

    As an alternative to vanilla extract, you could use vanilla sugar (if you live in Austria, for example), vanilla paste or real vanilla beans. To use vanilla beans, slice the vanilla bean open lengthwise with a sharp knife and scrape the seeds out. Using real vanilla seeds has the added benefit that you see the tiny, black seeds in the cupcakes.

    Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes ~ Living on Cookies

    You can enjoy these unpretentious Vanilla Cupcakes as they are – simply delicious – or you can fancy them up, whether they're for an elegant dessert or for a kids' birthday party.

    I topped the cupcakes in the photos with swirls of Cream Cheese Frosting, which is truly my favorite frosting. Chocolate glaze or buttercream would also be amazing, along with coconut, caramel, peanut butter, vanilla buttercream or strawberry cream. 

    vanilla cupcake cut in half to show soft, fluffy interior

    These cupcakes are made from scratch with old-fashioned ingredients like butter, milk and eggs. With this simple recipe, there's no need for boxed mixes that contain chemical additives anymore.

    Some last tips on making Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes:

    • always use fresh, good-quality ingredients
    • make sure your baking powder hasn't expired
    • these cupcakes are baked at a low temperature (325°F) to keep them soft and moist

    Happy baking!

    Print Pin
    4.08 from 14 votes

    Perfect American Vanilla Cupcakes

    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 18 minutes
    Total Time 33 minutes
    Servings 22 cupcakes
    Calories 152kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 ½ cups (350 g) flour
    • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup (112 g) butter at room temperature
    • 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
    • 2 eggs at room temperature
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) milk at room temperature

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
    • Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
    • Beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated.
    • Add the vanilla to the milk. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter-egg mixture and beat on low until well combined. Add one third of the vanilla milk and beat on low until well combined. Repeat procedure with the remaining flour and milk mixtures, scraping the bowl between additions.
    • Fill cupcake liners two thirds full with batter. Bake for 16-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely in tins on a wire rack.

    Notes

    Adapted from Get Sweet Smart.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 152kcal
    Cream Cheese Frosting Made from European Cream Cheese ~ Living on Cookies
    Cream Cheese Frosting
    The Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. paola

      March 11, 2021 at 12:57 pm

      Really amazing, the cupcakes I was looking for!!!

      Reply
    2. Robert Souza

      April 30, 2018 at 5:13 pm

      Simplesmente perfeito!!!
      Parabéns

      Reply
      • Krista

        May 07, 2018 at 7:41 am

        Thank you, Robert!!

        Reply
    3. Claire

      April 22, 2018 at 8:11 pm

      Is this plain flour ?

      Reply
      • Krista

        April 23, 2018 at 5:08 am

        Yes! Plain flour.

        Reply
    4. Robson

      November 13, 2017 at 4:44 pm

      excellent, delicious, great recipe, thank you!!!

      Reply
      • Krista

        November 15, 2017 at 7:55 am

        Thanks, Robson! 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Krista, an American living and baking in Austria for over 25 years. Here you'll find everything I've painstakingly figured out so you can just enjoy baking.

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