Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

You'll love these amazing, quick vanilla cupcakes -- they taste gourmet because they're made with instant vanilla pudding resulting in a rich and creamy texture.

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The secret to these soft and fluffy vanilla cupcakes is the creamy combination of cake mix, sour cream, and instant vanilla pudding. Plus, they are topped with a thick, easy, 3-ingredient vanilla frosting that makes them taste like they are straight from the bakery.

Vanilla Cupcake Ingredients

How to Make the Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

STEP ONE: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cake mix and the vanilla pudding.

STEP TWO: In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, milk, and sour cream.

STEP THREE: Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

STEP FOUR: Divide the cupcake batter among 24 cupcake liners in your cupcake pan. Fill each cupcake liner halfway with the batter.

STEP FIVE: Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. While they are cooling, make the frosting.

STEP SIX: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, combine the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.

STEP SEVEN: Turn on low speed and mix until all the powdered sugar is incorporated into the butter.

STEP EIGHT: Turn on high and whip for 30 seconds until the frosting is light and fluffy.

STEP NINE: Frost the cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles if desired.

How to Serve Vanilla Cupcakes

Serve these classic vanilla cupcakes as a sweet treat for dessert or at a party. Add festive sprinkles to match any occasion. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

If you’d like to serve a tray of amazing cupcake flavors, these recipes for cherry cupcakes, Pepsi cupcakes, and Boston cream cupcakes are perfect.

How to Decorate a Vanilla Cupcake

The best way to decorate your cupcakes is to pipe frosting on top. Once your frosting is made, you can add it to a piping bag fitted with a decorator’s tip. Then you can get creative by piping swirls onto your cupcake.

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Storing this Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

IN THE FRIDGE: Because of the butter in the frosting, these homemade cupcakes are best stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze frosted cupcakes for up to three months. They are best stored each in their own container so that the frosting doesn’t get squashed. For the best results, freeze the cupcakes without the frosting and frost them when you are ready to serve.

Incredibly Moist Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe

Just a few simple ingredients—like instant pudding and sour cream—are enough to transfer a regular white cake box mix into truly scrumptious and moist vanilla cupcakes. The homemade frosting makes this easy vanilla cupcake recipe extra yummy too!

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Best Vanilla Cupcakes

5 from 8 votes

You'll love these amazing, quick vanilla cupcakes — they taste gourmet because they're made with instant vanilla pudding resulting in a rich and creamy texture.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 24

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Ingredients

  

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Cupcakes

• 1 box white cake mix
• 3.5 ounces instant vanilla pudding
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup milk

Frosting

• ½ cups butter, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Instructions

 

• In a mixing bowl, whisk together cake mix and vanilla pudding.
• In a separate bowl mix together eggs, oil, milk and sour cream.
• Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
• Divide batter among 24 cupcake liners. Fill each cupcake liner half way with batter.
• Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
• While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Turn on low and mix until all the powdered sugar is mixed into the butter. Turn on high and whip for 30 seconds until the frosting is light and fluffy.
• Frost cupcakes, and top with sprinkles.

Video

Notes

• To change the color of the frosting, simply add a drop or two of food coloring to a bowl of frosting and stir to combine. 
• Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature to keep your batter an even consistency.
• Using an ice cream scoop is a great way to measure your cupcake batter into the paper liners and the easiest way to minimize the mess.
• If you want a bakery perfect swirl of frosting on top, use a pastry bag or fill a Ziploc bag with frosting, snip the corner off, and use it as a piping bag, going in little circles to create a swirled design.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 114IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg

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