The BEST Fluffy Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

(Post Updated 13th December 2025)

Cupcakes are one of my favourite things to bake. They are perfect for parties, to give as gifts or just to bake as a a little treat. Over the years they have featured in so many of my cake decorating YouTube videos, especially showing different piping techniques you can add to the top.

Here you’ll find my tried and tested vanilla cupcakes recipe, plus a video showing step by step how to make them. These cupcakes are so easy to make with just 6 ingredients and I just love their light and fluffy texture.

Step by step vanilla cupcake video tutorial

Click the video below to see how I make my vanilla cupcakes; from the ingredients you’ll need, how to tell when your mixture is ready, adding your mixture into the liners and how to bake them for the perfect vanilla cupcake. If you’ woul’d prefer you can also find the full recipe at the bottom of this post.

How to make the perfect vanilla cupcake

These cupcake are so easy to make and this recipe will give you 12 cupcakes.

• Add all your ingredients (flour, sugar, eggs, butter or baking spread, vanilla extract and milk) into your mixing bowl at the same time.
  
  
• Using an electric hand mixer or a larger stand mixer start to mix up your ingredients on a medium speed until they are fully combined.
  
  
• After around 30 seconds you are left with a smooth, silky cake mixture.
  
  

• You will need to prepare your cupcake cases in a cupcake / muffin tin. This allows the cupcakes to keep their shape. Without the tin the cases will just open out flat as they bake.
  
  
• Divide your mixture into your 12 cakes. I like to add around 58 – 60g of mixture into each case.
  
  
• You can then bake your cupcakes in a preheated over at 180 degrees Celsius for around 22 – 24 minutes. One thing to remember is that everyone’s ovens bake slightly differently, so keep an eye on them. You want them just golden brown on the top and if you poke a cocktail stick into the center you want this to come out clean.
  
  
• Your cupcakes cake then be left to cool and decorated as you like. I love to decorate my cupcakes with my American Buttercream. I find it compliments the cupcakes perfectly. You can get my recipe here: American Vanilla Buttercream.
  
  

As you can see when you break into one of the cupcakes they have this light yellow, golden colour with a really light and fluffy texture.

Recipe substitutions

Changing the flavour

In this recipe I use vanilla essence to flavour the cupcakes, but you can substitute this for any flavouring and the recipe will still work perfectly.

So instead of vanilla why not try some lemon extract or raspberry flavouring. You get the same fluffy light texture, but with so many flavour possibilities.

Self Raising Flour

One question I get asked a lot is “why is there no baking powder in this recipe?”. The answer is because I’m using self raising flour. Self raising flour already has the raising agent (baking powder) added. In the UK self raising flour is extremely common in all supermarkets, but I realise it can be hard to get in some places around the world. If self raising flour isn’t available to you, just add 1tsp baking powder for every 100g of plain flour.

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

Author: Cakes by Lynz

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 23 minutes mins

Total Time 33 minutes mins

Servings 12 Cupcakes

Recipe Type Cupcakes

Keyword Buttercream, Cupcakes

Ingredients

  

Cupcakes

• 200 g Self Raising Flour (7oz)
• 200 g Room Temperature Butter or baking spread (7oz)
• 200 g Caster Sugar 7oz
• 2 Eggs (medium)
• 1 tbsp Vanilla Essence / Flavouring
• 2 tbsp Milk

Vanilla Buttercream

• 340 g Icing Sugar (12oz)
• 170 g Room Temperature Salted Butter (6oz)
• 1.5 tbsp Milk
• 1 tbsp Vanilla Favouring (or favouring of your choice)

Instructions

• To make the cupcakes, add all the ingredients into your mixing bowl at the same time. Then using an electric hand whisk or electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the ingredients until they are fully combined, into a smooth, silky mixture (this usually takes around 30 seconds).
• Prepare a cupcakes / muffin tray with 12 paper cupcake cases and preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

  When setting my oven I always use a normal oven setting. If you are using a fan oven you will need to reduce the temperature and bake for a little longer. With a fan oven you may find that the top of your cupcake bakes a little quicker than the inside.
• Split the mixture evenly into all 12 cupcake cases and bake them for around 22 to 24 minutes, until lightly golden on the top.
• Once they have a light golden colour on the outside, you can test they are baked on the inside by using a cocktail stick or bamboo skewer. Poke it into the center of your cupcakes; if it comes out clean, you know they are baked all the way through.
• You then want to let your cupcakes cool and remove them from your cupcake tray. They will then be ready to decorate.
• To make the buttercream: sift the icing sugar into your mixing bowl. Then add the room temperature butter (you want to make sure with buttercream you are using a real block of butter rather than a spread). Add in your flavouring and start your mixer. You can then add the milk to get the consistency you are looking for.
• Mix on a medium / high speed for around 5 minutes. You will see your buttercream start to turn really creamy. You can then add any colouring of your choice. Gel colours work well as you are not adding any liquid to your buttercream.
• You can then add your buttercream into your piping bag with a piping tip of your choice and pipe a pretty swirl on the top of your cupcakes. Click here to find examples of buttercream piping techniques.

Notes

Creating Chocolate Cupcakes

You can also use this recipe to make chocolate cakes too. If you substitute 20g of the self raising flour for 20g of cocoa powder and take out the vanilla flavouring you have a deliciously moreish chocolate sponge cupcake.

I really hope you enjoy this video and find it helpful in your own baking.
Why not save the recipe for later and pin it to Pinterest

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