How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes

Guide Note

Light and fluffy vanilla cupcakes make great treats, and a versatile canvas for even aspiring pastry artists. The ingredients, instructions and little tips and tricks on this page will have you baking the best vanilla cupcakes in no time!

Table of Contents

Vanilla Cupcake Tips

  1. Use ingredients that are at room temperature.
  2. Use a shiny muffin pan.
  3. Line your pan with cupcake liners.
  4. Spray cupcake liners with a no-stick canola oil cooking spray.
  5. Cook only one pan at a time.
  6. Turning your cupcakes halfway baking.
  7. Avoid overbaking.
  8. Cool your pan before you use it a second time.

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Introduction

What You'll Need

Ingredients

Equipment

  • 1 large mixing bowl
  • 1 small mixing bowl
  • Standard-size muffin pan (24 cups)
  • Electric mixer
  • Flour sifter or wire whisk
  • Paper cupcake wrappers (optional)
  • Oven
  • Wire cooling racks

Making Vanilla Cupcakes

  • Follow these instructions to make 24 light, fluffy vanilla cupcakes:

Preparations

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F at least 10 to 15 minutes before baking.4 8
  2. Grease and flour, generously spray with baking oil/flour spray or line with paper 24 standard-size muffin cups and set aside.9 4 2
  3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk or sift the flour, baking powder and salt; then set aside.5 4

Making the Batter

  1. (Creative Commons photo by Dani Lurie)
    (Creative Commons photo by Dani Lurie)
    In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter until smooth using an electric mixer on medium (about four minutes).6 5
  2. While continuing to mix at medium speed, slowly add the sugar (about 1 tablespoon at a time).6 4
  3. Continue to beat until light and fluffy (about three minutes).9 3
  4. Add eggs one at a time.3 Beat well after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.6
  5. Beat in vanilla extract.5
  6. Continue to beat on medium-low speed.6
  7. Alternately beat in the flour mixture and the milk beginning and ending with flour.9 5
  8. After each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated.3
  9. Don't overmix your batter because it will make your cupcakes chewy.10

Baking and Finishing the Cupcakes

  1. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups until they are 2/3 to 3/4 full.2 3
  2. Bake on the center rack of the oven 20 to 25 minutes.5
  3. Rotate tins after about 15 minutes.6
  4. You will know the cupcakes are done if a wooden pick or cake tester should comes out clean when inserted in the center of a cupcake.4 Tops should be soft, but springy.9
  5. Cool cupcakes in the tins for five to 15 minutes.9 3
  6. Remove the cupcakes from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.2

Tips for Making Vanilla Cupcakes

  1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature before making the batter. Cold items can make the batter lumpy and cause you to overmix the batter.10
  2. Use a shiny pan instead of a dark one that has a no-stick coating.11
  3. (Creative Commons photo by Richard Jones)
    (Creative Commons photo by Richard Jones)
    Using cupcake liners will keep your cupcakes fresher, longer.11
  4. You can spray liners with a no-stick canola oil cooking spray to make the cupcakes easier to remove.8
  5. Lightly grease the pan edges if you are making large cupcakes.12
  6. Using a #12 ice cream scoop will help ensure that your cupcakes will be the same size and shape.13
  7. Use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is baking at the right temperature.8
  8. Keep your oven rack in the middle of the oven.11
  9. Cook only one pan of cupcakes at a time.10
  10. Check your cupcakes after 10 minutes to see if they are cooking evenly.14
  11. Turning your cupcakes halfway through will ensure they bake evenly if your oven cooks faster in the back.14
  12. Avoid overbaking by checking your cupcakes at the minimum baking time suggested.11 15
  13. Cool your pan before you use it to bake a second batch of cupcakes.10
  14. Cupcakes should be completely cooled before they are frosted.13
  15. Do not store cupcakes in the refrigerator because it will dry out the cake's moisture.13
  16. Unfrosted cupcakes can be individually wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to three months.13 8

Conclusion

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References for How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes

  1. ↑ Joy of Baking.com: Vanilla Cupcakes (Fairy Cakes) Recipe
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 MarthaStewart.com: Billy's Vanilla, Vanilla Cupcakes
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Food Network.com: Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcake Recipe  WARNING: Pop-ups
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 About.com: Vanilla Cupcakes  WARNING: Pop-ups
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 MarthaStewart.com: Vanilla Cupcakes
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Oprah.com: Vanilla Cupcakes
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Posy's Party Cakes!: Tips for a Perfect Cupcake (March 9, 2006)
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Cupcakes Take The Cake: Cupcake Tips (July 6, 2005)
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Recipezaar: Very Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 CupcakeRecipes.com: Top Ten Tips for Baking a Perfect Cupcake
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 CBS News: The Secrets Of Cupcake Perfection, Taste Of Home Magazine Cupcake Contest Yields Sweet Results (May 25, 2007)
  12. ↑ About.com: Cupcake Tips  WARNING: Pop-ups
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Homemakers.com: 10 Expert Tips for Making Great Cupcakes
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 CupcakeRecipes.com: Cupcake Baking Tips
  15. ↑ DianasDesserts.com: Tips for Cupcakes

Additional Recipes for Vanilla Cupcakes



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