Vanilla Cupcakes

Name: The Best Cupcake Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 box white cake mix; 3.5 ounces instant vanilla pudding; 4 eggs; ¾ cup vegetable oil; ½ cup milk; 1 cup sour cream; ½ cups butter, (room temperature); 3 cups powdered sugar; 1 tablespoon vanilla

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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Table of Contents

What You’ll Need To Make Vanilla Cupcakes
Best Cupcake Recipe Substitutions
How To Make The Perfect Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
How To Serve Vanilla Cupcakes
How To Decorate A Vanilla Cupcake
Storing Vanilla Pudding Cupcakes
Why We Love This Recipe
Incredibly Moist Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
JUMP TO RECIPE
Even More Recipes You’ll Love

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, three-ingredient vanilla frosting that makes them taste like they are straight from the bakery.

What You’ll Need To Make Vanilla Cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes raw ingredients that are labeled

These vanilla cupcakes are a blend of sweet and creamy flavors.

They start with a classic white cake mix that has a few ingredients added to make them an extra indulgent treat.

You’ll need:

For The Cupcakes:

1 box of white cake mix
1 (3.5-ounce) box of instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
¾ cup of vegetable oil
½ cup of milk
1 cup of sour cream

For The Frosting:

1½ cups of room temperature butter
3 cups of powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
Food coloring and sprinkles (optional)

Best Cupcake Recipe Substitutions

SOUR CREAM: In place of the sour cream in these homemade vanilla cupcakes, you could substitute Greek yogurt.

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES: It would be easy to make a chocolate version of these moist cupcakes.

Replace the white cake mix and vanilla pudding with the chocolate equivalent of both.

CAKE MIX: In place of the white cake in this easy recipe, you could also use vanilla cake mix for added vanilla flavor.

CAN I SUBSTITUTE BUTTERMILK? If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own.

To make one cup of buttermilk substitute, add one tablespoon of vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Fill it to the 1-cup line with milk, and then stir.

How To Make The Perfect Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

Let’s walk through making the vanilla cupcake batter, followed by the buttercream frosting.

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

cake mxi and vanilla pudding whisked together in a bowl

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

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature to keep your batter an even consistency.

eggs, oil, milk, and sour cream whisked together in a bowl

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

wet ingredients folded into the dry ingredients in a bowl

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

PRO TIP:

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.

cupcake liners filled with cupcake 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.

cupcakes after being baked in a cupcake pan

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

butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla blended together until combined

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

If you want to add color to the frosting, add a few drops of your chosen color.

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 them with sprinkles if desired.

PRO TIP:

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.

cupcakes frosted and topped with sprinkles on a plate

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 for even more fun.

If you’re a coffee lover, pair your vanilla cupcakes with a rich cup of freshly brewed coffee or a pumpkin spice latte.

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.

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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.

Storing Vanilla Pudding Cupcakes

If you have leftover cupcakes, here are a few tips for storing them to enjoy later.

MAKE AHEAD: If you’re planning ahead, you can prepare the cupcake batter and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking.

Simply cover the batter tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container.

When you’re ready to bake, just scoop it into your cupcake liners and pop them in the oven.

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.

Why We Love This Recipe

SIMPLE TO MAKE: The step-by-step instructions are clear and concise, ensuring that even beginners can achieve fantastic results.

CLASSIC FLAVOR: These vanilla cupcakes boast a timeless, classic flavor that appeals to both kids and adults.

MOIST TEXTURE: These cupcakes turn out incredibly moist, thanks to the careful balance of ingredients.

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!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my vanilla cupcakes dense and crumbly?

There are a few reasons why cupcakes come out dense or crumbly. First, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. They will not incorporate properly if they are not all at the same temperature.

Over-mixing the batter can also cause dense cupcakes. Third, opening the oven door before the cupcakes are ready can cause them to sink due to the rush of cold air.

How do I store cupcakes?

These easy vanilla cupcakes are best served the day they are made but can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to three days. Freezing cupcakes is best done before adding the frosting, and they can be kept in the freezer for up to two months.

How do I achieve moist cupcakes?

To ensure your cupcakes are moist, make sure not to overbake them. Storing them in an airtight container will also ensure they maintain their moisture.

What is the secret to a moist cupcake?

The secret to moist cupcakes is creating air bubbles in your batter that expand in the oven. Once the ingredients are mixed together, stop the mixer. If you overmix your batter, you will collapse those bubbles and end up with dense cupcakes.

Can I make cupcakes ahead of time?

You can make cupcakes up to two days ahead of time and store them in an airtight container on the counter. Wait to frost them until the day you plan to serve them.

Can I use this batter to make a cake?

This cupcake batter can also be used to bake a cake. You will have to adjust the baking time for the cake, but otherwise, there is no difference between making cupcakes and making a cake.

How long does it take to bake cupcakes?

Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

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The Best Cupcake Recipe

5 from 10 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

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe

Ingredients

Cupcakes

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

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

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant

Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

What You’ll Need To Make Vanilla Cupcakes

Best Cupcake Recipe Substitutions

How To Make The Perfect Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

How To Serve Vanilla Cupcakes

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Coconut Cupcakes

How To Decorate A Vanilla Cupcake

Storing Vanilla Pudding Cupcakes

Why We Love This Recipe

Incredibly Moist Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

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