Classic Vanilla Cupcakes with Oil

These classic vanilla cupcakes with butter cream frosting are moist, fluffy and very easy to bake. These are your new go-to small cakes.

Cupcakes are LOVE

Cupcakes are love and little pieces of heaven. These single serving desserts are packed with decadent and moist crumb, and way easier to handle as compared to the big pieces of cakes. Also, you do not need any spoon or fork to eat a cupcake. Just peel the cupcake liner and dive right into the little pieces of yummm.

I am a cupcake lover and I will go to lengths (numerous testing of a recipe) to create a good cupcake recipe. Recently, I shared my Cinnamon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, which as the name suggests is packed with one of my favorite flavors - cinnamon.

Here in Virginia, Spring is literally two days away. We are all set to welcome (what feels like the long-awaited) the season of flowers and blossoms and green leaves and lots of fresh produce (kiwis, cherries, pine apples, apricot, strawberries, herbs, vegetables etc.) For me, Spring always calls for classic bakes and old recipes that are always 'in' and bring joy to the table. One such recipe is Vanilla Cupcakes. I am sure all of us have that one authentic and handy vanilla cupcake recipe, which is close to our heart. Today, I am sharing my Classic Vanilla Cupcake Recipe made with vegetable oil instead of butter.

Jump to:

• Cupcakes are LOVE
• Oil vs Butter
• One Bowl Recipe & Handheld Electric Beater
• Base Recipe & Endless Variations
• Tips
• Ingredients Required
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• How to Store
• Recipe

Oil vs Butter

The basic difference between these cupcakes and traditional cupcakes recipe is that I am using vegetable oil instead of using butter. Oil makes the cupcakes moist and tender keeping them fresh way longer than the butter cupcakes. Another reason being oil captures the gases that are released by the leavening agents (baking powder and baking soda) and it also prevents the formation of gluten in the cupcakes, which then results in moist and tender crumb that we love.

But why do we use butter for cupcakes then? Well, the reason is simple, butter is more delicious and will taste better than the oil cupcakes. But not in this case. You must give these easy vanilla cupcakes a try to understand what I mean.

One Bowl Recipe & Handheld Electric Beater

Another reason to like this recipe is that all you need to have on hand is few basic ingredients and one large mixing bowl and a spatula and that’s it. Because we are not using butter in the recipe and the batch is small, you do not need to use the stand mixer. Just combine the ingredients as described in the step-by-step instructions and voila – you are all set.

Base Recipe & Endless Variations

The beauty of Vanilla is that it can be paired with so many fruits, berries and chocolate and you cannot go wrong with any of the pairing. I would say you keep this vanilla cupcake recipe as a foundation recipe and feel free to build around it with any flavor of your choice. Following are few possible variations with these cupcakes.

Chocolate Ganache & Chocolate Chips: What can go wrong when you pair these cupcakes with chocolate? The chocolate will perfectly compliment the cupcakes. Use my chocolate ganache recipe to decorate the cupcakes and sprinkle chocolate chips over it.

Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries & Blackberries: Want to pair it with the choice of your berries. Sure, simply alter the buttercream with the choice of your berries and frost the cupcakes accordingly.

Lemon: If you like tangy lemon-ish flavor, add lemon zest (1 teaspoon) in the batter.

Orange: Add 1 teaspoon orange zest to give these cupcakes orange flavor.

Cardamom: This one is my personal favorite as I love cardamom in almost any and every desert. Add 1 teaspoon cardamom powder to the batter to give it a cardamom flavor.

Sprinkles: Decorate the cupcakes with colorful sprinkles as I did in this recipe.

See, with only one simple base easy and fluffy vanilla cupcake recipe you can create so many variations.

Tips

Thin Batter: As you can see in the step-by-step instructions pictures below, the batter of these cupcakes is very thin. Do not panic about it. That’s how the batter should be. It will rise properly in the oven.

Oven Temperature: Make sure that the oven temperature is 350 F. It is important because every oven is different and the internal temperature of the oven can vary largely. To ensure the temperature is 350 F, use an oven thermometer. If the temperature is not set properly, the cupcakes will sink and you will not get the little dome in the center that is desired for the cupcakes.

Do Not Open the Oven Door While Baking: I know it can be tempting to open the oven door while the cupcakes are baking. But stop, do not do it. It may result in sinking cupcakes as the oven temperature will go down because of the door opening.
 
Do Not Overfill the Cupcake Liners: You want to make sure that you do no overfill the cupcake liners. I always use an ice-cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners ⅔ to ¾ of the cupcake liners and leave the space on the top. You want to leave the space on the top so that the cupcakes can rise properly.

Fresh Baking Powder: Make sure the baking powder is not expired, is fresh and working properly. If the baking powder is not fresh, the cupcakes might sink in the middle and not rise properly.

Ingredients Required

Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe.

Vanilla Cupcakes:
Castor Sugar
All-Purpose Flour
Baking powder
Baking Soda
Salt
Vanilla Extract
Whole Milk
Vegetable Oil
Eggs

Butter Cream Frosting:
Unsalted butter
Vanilla extract
Salt
Icing Sugar
Heavy cream or whipping cream

Ingredients at Room Temperature: Use the ingredients at room temperature for this recipe to have the best cupcakes. Otherwise, the ingredients will not mix in the best way and you will not get the desired results.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 F and line the muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.

Step 2 & 3: Take a bowl and add all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk together and set aside.

Step 4: Cream the vegetable oil and sugar together.

Step 5: Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat again until well incorporated.

Step 6: Mix until all ingredients are combined well.

Step 7: Using an ice-cream scoop, fill in the cake liners ⅔ and leave some space form the top to the batter in the liner.

Step 8: Bake for 18 – 22 minutes. Check at 18 minutes and see if a wooden stick inserted comes out clean without any liquid.

Step 9: Let the cupcakes cool completely before applying butter cream frosting on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Store

On the Counter: These cupcakes will stay good for up to 4 days in an airtight container. It is best to store the cupcake on the counter than putting them in the fridge because they get dry very quickly in the fridge.

In the Freezer: To freeze the cupcakes (without frosting), wrap each cupcake with plastic wrap and add a layer of foil. You can stash it in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Recipe