Desserts / Cakes & cheesecakes
Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream
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Whisked by hand with plenty of real vanilla, these bake up soft and tall. Wait until they're completely cool before you frost, and expect a small helper to claim the buttercream bowl.
The short version
Whisk melted butter into sugar, then the egg, cold yogurt, cold milk and vanilla, and stir that into the dry ingredients. Fill 12 liners two-thirds full and bake at 350°F for 20 to 22 minutes. Cool completely, then frost.
What makes ours better
small changes, very loud compliments
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Use melted butter and a whisk. Melted butter coats the flour and keeps the crumb moist, and you skip the creaming step. No mixer for the batter.
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Add Greek yogurt. A quarter cup keeps the crumb tender and adds a faint tang that makes the vanilla taste fuller.
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Keep the egg, yogurt and milk cold. Cold dairy thickens the batter against the warm butter, and thicker batter holds its rise into a taller, domed cupcake.
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Use plenty of real vanilla, and beat the frosting. Two teaspoons in the batter and a full minute of beating on high at the end make the frosting light and the vanilla easy to taste.
What you need
check the pantry before you promise anyone
- All-purpose flour1⅓ cups
- Unsalted butter½ cup
- Granulated sugar1 cup
- Egg1 large
- Plain Greek yogurt¼ cup
- Whole milk or buttermilk¾ cup
- Pure vanilla extract2 teaspoons
- Heavy cream or milk2 tablespoons
Cupcakes
Buttercream
tap each one as it goes in. no double-salting.
Steps
apron on. phone down. mostly.
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Heat the oven, line the pan
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
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Whisk the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together.
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Whisk the wet ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter with the sugar until it looks like wet sand. Whisk in the cold egg, yogurt, milk and vanilla until smooth. The butter may firm up into small flecks; that's fine.
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Combine
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk just until smooth, with no streaks of flour left. The batter will be thin and pourable.
Stop as soon as it's smooth. More whisking toughens the crumb.
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Fill the liners
Divide the batter among the 12 liners, filling each about two-thirds full. A scoop or a measuring cup with a spout keeps it neat.
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Bake
Bake until the tops spring back lightly when pressed and a toothpick in the center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Don't wait for deep browning; the tops should stay pale gold.
Check a few minutes early. Overbaked cupcakes go dry fast.
About 21 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Cool completely
Let the cupcakes sit in the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack. Wait until they're fully cool, about 40 minutes, or the frosting will melt.
About 40 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Beat the buttercream
Beat the butter, salt and vanilla with a mixer until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time, beating well after each. Add the cream a tablespoon at a time until spreadable, then beat on high for 1 full minute until light and airy.
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Frost
Spread or pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes. This amount makes a generous swirl on each.
Good to know
the stuff I’d tell you over the phone
- To use a tall cupcake liner, fill them three-quarters full and bake 2 to 3 minutes longer.
- You can make a 9-inch round cake with this batter. Bake it at 350°F for 28 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Storage. Unfrosted cupcakes keep 2 days covered at room temperature. Frosted cupcakes keep 2 days at room temperature or 4 days in the fridge; bring them to room temperature before eating. Unfrosted cupcakes freeze for 2 months, wrapped well.
Questions, answered
asked and answered at the kitchen counter
Why are my vanilla cupcakes dry?
Usually they baked too long. Check at 20 minutes and pull them as soon as a toothpick comes out clean. Measuring the flour by spooning it into the cup, not scooping, also keeps them from drying out.
Why did my cupcakes sink in the middle?
The oven door was probably opened too early, or the cupcakes were underbaked. Wait until the last few minutes to check, and make sure the baking powder is fresh.
Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
Yes. Whole milk works well. Buttermilk gives a slightly more tender, tangy crumb, but you can't go wrong with either.
Can I make the cupcakes ahead of time?
Yes. Bake them a day ahead and keep them covered at room temperature, then frost the day you serve them. They also freeze well without frosting.
Do I need a mixer?
Not for the cupcakes; a whisk and two bowls do the job. For the buttercream, a hand mixer or stand mixer makes it much easier.
From the table
Made it? Tell me how it went, and who went back for seconds when they thought nobody was looking.
Made it?
tell me the truth, then tell me who had thirds
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Published October 29, 2026.