Made with oil instead of butter, this Moist Vanilla Cupcake Recipe makes cupcakes with a light, tender crumb that's super moist without being dense or heavy. The batter comes together in just a few minutes, making these an easy dessert to whip up anytime.
Recipe by Lindsay Conchar on January 16, 2017
Prep time: PT15M
Cook time: PT15M
Total time: PT30M
Rating
4.4 stars ( reviews)
Keywords
vanilla cupcake recipe, easy vanilla cupcake recipe, vanilla frosting recipe, how to make vanilla cupcakes
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
2 cups (414g) sugar
3 tsp baking powder (NOT baking soda)
1 tsp salt
1 cup (240 ml) milk
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup (240 ml) water*
1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups (460g) powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp (30-45 ml) milk or heavy cream
pinch of salt
Categories
Dessert
Cuisine
American
Steps
Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a cupcake pan with liners.
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixer bowl and combine. Set aside.
Add the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs to a medium sized bowl and combine.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
Slowly add the water to the batter and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined. Please note that the batter will be very thin.
Fill the cupcake liners about half way and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Remove the cupcakes from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
To make the frosting, beat the butter in a large mixer bowl until smooth.
Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
Add the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of milk or cream and mix until smooth.
Add remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
Add remaining water or milk, as needed, and salt and mix until smooth.
Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I used Ateco tip 844.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 cupcake
Calories: 285 calories
Carbohydrates: 41 g
Protein: 2.7 g
Fat: 12.7 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Trans Fat: 0.7 g
Cholesterol: 25.1 mg
Sodium: 129.2 mg
Sugar: 31 g
Reviews
Jes on 2026-03-31 (5 stars): Love this recipe! So easy and came out so moist. Probably one of the best cupcakes I’ve made. Just wondering if I can use this to make a vanilla cake?
Elizabeth Gutierrez on 2026-04-04 (5 stars): The recipe is amazing! Super moist!
