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American

Vanilla cupcakes with buttercream

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Light, buttery vanilla cupcakes with a fine, even crumb, crowned with a swirl of whipped vanilla buttercream. A dependable party bake.

Vanilla cupcakes with buttercream is an American cake from United States, ready in about 1 hour 35 minutes and made with unsalted butter and vanilla extract. It serves 12 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
30 min
Cook
20 min
Rest
45 min
Total
1 h 35 min
Serves
12
Level
Beginner
Calories
397

Ingredients

12 cupcakes

For the buttercream

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 175 °C and line a 12-hole muffin tin (opens in a new tab) with paper cases. Whisk the flour, baking powder (opens in a new tab) and salt.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Beat the butter and sugar (opens in a new tab) for 3–4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs (opens in a new tab) one at a time, then the vanilla (opens in a new tab).

  3. Step 3

    On low speed add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk (opens in a new tab), mixing only until smooth.

    • 3 min

  4. Step 4

    Fill the cases two-thirds full (about 45 g each) and bake 18–20 minutes until springy and a skewer (opens in a new tab) comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack.

  5. Step 5

    Beat the butter for the buttercream 3 minutes until very pale. Add the icing sugar (opens in a new tab) gradually, then the milk (opens in a new tab), vanilla (opens in a new tab) and salt, and beat 3–4 minutes more until light. Pipe or spread onto the cooled cupcakes.

About this dish

Origin
United States · Commonly attributedSmall cakes baked in cups appear in 19th-century American cookbooks; similar fairy cakes are British.Also popular in United Kingdom, Australia, CanadaMore food from United States
Dish
Dessert · Snack · Cakes · Desserts
Cooking method
Oven-baked, Whipped
Taste
sweet, buttery, mild
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Child-friendly · Festive & celebration · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Unsalted butter · Vanilla extract · All-purpose flour · Baking powder · Sugar · Egg
Techniques
Baking · Emulsification

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom unsalted butter, milk
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

397 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 88 g · recipe makes 12

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 3%
  • Carbohydrate 50%
  • Fat 46%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy397 kcal453 kcal
Protein3.3 g3.8 g
Carbohydrate50.5 g57.7 g
Net carbohydrate50.1 g57.2 g
Sugars37.8 g43.2 g
Added sugars37 g42.3 g
Fibre0.4 g0.5 g
Fat20.6 g23.6 g
Saturated fat12.5 g14.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol83 mg95 mg
Sodium141 mg161 mg
Salt equivalent0.4 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
54 mg
Calcium
60 mg
Iron
1 mg
Magnesium
7 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
182 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
0.2 µg
Folate (DFE)
51 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Room-temperature ingredients emulsify better and give a finer crumb.

Common mistakes

  • Overmixing after the flour goes in makes tough, peaked cupcakes.

Serve with

  • Decorate with sprinkles or fresh berries for parties.

Storage

  • Airtight at cool room temperature 2 days; freeze un-iced up to 2 months.

Variations

  • Lemon cupcakes: Add the zest of 2 lemons to the batter and lemon juice instead of milk in the buttercream.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 5

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 30 min

    Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

  2. Bake · about 20 min at 175 °C

    Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

  3. Cool · about 45 min

    Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

  4. Start to finish: about 1 h 35 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

Reviews & corrections

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