Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcake Batter
- 190 g all-purpose flour
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 6 g baking powder
- 2 g fine sea salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 large egg, room temperature
- 10 ml pure vanilla extract
- 120 ml whole milk, room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream Icing
- 170 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 300 g powdered sugar
- 30 ml heavy cream, room temperature
- 5 ml pure vanilla extract
- 1 g fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 404 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 50 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 38 g
- Sodium
- 170 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Cholesterol
- 86 mg
- Potassium
- 55 mg
- Calcium
- 57 mg
- Iron
- 1.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 7 mg
- Phosphorus
- 62 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 189 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.14 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.16 mg
- Niacin
- 1.0 mg
- Folate
- 34 mcg
- Water
- 23 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) with a rack positioned in the center.
Line all 12 wells of a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt until thoroughly blended.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream 115g softened unsalted butter and 150g granulated sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes until pale and aerated.
Beat in the 2 room-temperature eggs one at a time into the creamed butter mixture, followed by 10ml pure vanilla extract, mixing on medium-low speed until smooth.
Alternate adding the dry flour mixture and 120ml whole milk into the stand mixer bowl in three additions of dry and two additions of milk, mixing on lowest speed until just combined.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and gently fold the batter from the bottom and sides using a rubber spatula to eliminate remaining flour pockets.
Portion the batter equally among the 12 prepared paper cupcake liners using a standard ice cream scoop, filling each liner two-thirds full.
Bake the filled tin in the center of the oven at 175°C (350°F) for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake emerges clean.
Cool the cupcakes in the 12-cup standard muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature for 25 minutes.
Sift 300g powdered sugar through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium mixing bowl to eliminate all lumps.
Beat 170g softened unsalted butter in the clean bowl of the stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium-high speed for 4 minutes until very pale and silky.
Add the sifted powdered sugar, 30ml heavy cream, 5ml pure vanilla extract, and 1g fine sea salt, mixing on low speed for 1 minute, then whip on medium-high speed for 3 minutes.
Fit a piping bag fitted with star tip, fill with the prepared buttercream, and pipe a decorative swirl starting from the outer edge inward over each cooled cupcake.
Chef's Notes
- Temperature equilibrium is crucial: Cold eggs and cold milk cause softened butter to seize and break the batter emulsion, resulting in a dense crumb.
- Do not overmix once the flour enters the bowl; excessive agitation develops gluten networks that make cupcakes tough rather than tender.
- Averaging 4 to 5 minutes of beating the butter alone before introducing powdered sugar yields a featherlight, ivory-toned American buttercream.
- An ice cream scoop with a release lever guarantees precisely matched batter portions, ensuring equal rise and synchronous bake times.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving to soften the buttercream.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze cupcakes in a rigid airtight container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature.
Reheating: Do not reheat frosted cupcakes. Unfrosted cupcakes may be warmed in an oven at 150°C (300°F) for 5 minutes.
Troubleshooting
Cupcakes collapse or sink in the middle after baking
Cause: Oven door was opened too early causing temperature drop, or the leavener was overactive/expired
Fix: Cannot be fixed; pipe additional buttercream into the depression to create an even, disguised surface
Prevention: Keep the oven door closed until the final 2 minutes of baking, and always check that baking powder is fresh
Buttercream frosting is grainy rather than silky smooth
Cause: Powdered sugar was not sifted, or the cream was too cold to dissolve tiny sugar crystals
Fix: Whip the buttercream on medium-high speed for an extra 3 to 5 minutes, adding 5ml warm cream if necessary
Prevention: Always sift powdered sugar and use room-temperature heavy cream
Buttercream melts and slides off the cupcakes during decorating
Cause: Cupcakes were still retaining internal heat when frosted
Fix: Refrigerate cupcakes for 15 minutes to reset the buttercream, scrape off melted portions, and re-pipe
Prevention: Ensure cupcakes are completely at room temperature by waiting at least 30 minutes on a wire rack
Cultural Context
Cupcakes trace their origins to late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century American cookery, first documented in Amelia Simmons's landmark 1796 volume American Cookery as cakes baked in small cups. The technique revolutionized domestic baking by significantly cutting baking time compared to heavy, large-format hearth cakes. Today, the classic combination of vanilla sponge topped with American buttercream remains an enduring staple of bakery celebrations across the globe.
