These vanilla bean cupcakes are moist, fluffy, and full of amazing flavor. My recipe uses both real vanilla beans and pure vanilla extract. They're also easy to make because I use the reverse creaming method which ensures the cupcakes have a tender, melt-in-your-mouth crumb. I love to pair these cookies with Swiss meringue buttercream, but don't hesitate to use your favorite frosting.
These Vanilla Cupcakes Will Become Your New Favorite
I think these are the best vanilla bean cupcakes you’ll ever taste. They're a wonderful combination of taste and techniques. I tested the recipe 8 times to ensure a cupcake with a nice rise in addition to a moist, fluffy, and flavorful interior.
Two of the biggest complaints I hear about cupcakes are that they’re dry or don’t have any flavor. This classic vanilla cupcake recipe solves that problem. The right ratio of room-temperature butter, sugar, and egg to flour produces moist cupcakes that stay soft. Sour cream ensures a nice moist crumb.
Using the reverse cream method reduces the development of gluten, so the cupcakes stay soft and tender. Vanilla beans and pure vanilla extract provide lots of unmistakable vanilla flavor to the cupcake. These are the perfect cupcakes for birthday parties or special occasions.
For more delicious cupcake recipes try my raspberry cupcakes with sour cream and my coconut cupcakes made with coconut milk.
Vanilla Bean Cupcake Ingredients
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: When researching this recipe I had a choice between cake flour and all-purpose flour. In the end, I preferred the texture created by the all-purpose flour. The cupcake has more of cakey texture which I think pairs well with the frosting whether you're using an American buttercream or a Swiss meringue buttercream frosting.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar sweetness and helps ensure moist cupcakes. Some readers have commented on the sweetness, but I recommend not reducing the amount of sugar. If there is too little sugar the cupcakes will be dry and kind of rubbery.
- Pure Vanilla Extract and Vanilla Bean: The combination of these two make for a cupcake with really good vanilla flavor. I added both to the recipe because I know vanilla beans are expensive and good vanilla beans can sometimes be hard to get. When you buy the vanilla bean avoid anything that looks dried and shriveled. A good vanilla bean will look plump and moist and have a little shine to it.
- Unsalted Butter: I tested this recipe with all butter and a combination of oil and butter because I saw a lot of recipes using oil to keep the cupcakes moist. In the end I went with all butter because I love the taste of butter especially when combined with vanilla, and all my taste testers in a blind taste test preferred the all butter version. Make sure to use unsalted butter because it's easier to control the amount of salt in the recipe if you do.
- Sour Cream: The acid in the sour cream helps create a tender crumb and a moist cupcake. I purposely don’t add baking soda because I don’t want to neutralize the acid. If you don't have sour cream you can replace it with whole milk.
How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes from Scratch
Before you start mixing make sure the butter, eggs, and sour cream are all at room temperature. For baking purposes, room temperature is between 65 - 68F degrees.
For this cupcake recipe and most of my other cupcake recipes, I use the reverse creaming method. This method creates a light, airy fluffy cupcake with a level top that is perfect for decorating.
Step 1: Combine the sugar and vanilla bean and use your fingers to rub the vanilla bean into the sugar.
Step 2: In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, the vanilla extract, and part of the sour cream.
Step 3: Place the dry ingredients - all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. With the paddle attachment mix the dry ingredients on low speed until there are combined.
Step 4: Add the butter and the remaining sour cream and mix on medium speed just until the cupcake batter is creamy
Be careful not to overmix the batter, which could result in a sunken cupcake. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Step 5: Add the egg mixture in two batches beating after each addition until the eggs are incorporated.
Step 6: Divide the cupcake batter between the 12 cupcake liners. Each cupcake should be about 2/3 full and the amount of batter should weigh about 60 grams in each liner.
Step 7: Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes. The tops will be golden brown and slightly domed and spring back when you press the top of the cupcakes with your finger.
You can also check for doneness by checking the center of the cupcakes with an instant-read thermometer. Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Let them cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling to room temperate before frosting them.
Frosting the Cupcakes
Once your cupcakes are cooled to room temperature, it’s time to frost them. My favorite frosting is Swiss meringue buttercream, which is perfect for these cupcakes. Pipe the frosting on top of the cupcake with a piping bag and my favorite tip, Wilton 1M. Other frosting or buttercream options that work really well include:
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Ermine Frosting
The Swiss Meringue buttercream is perfect if you're serving these cupcakes on a warm day. The ermine frosting is perfect if you want a frosting similar to Swiss meringue, but don't have enough eggs. And the vanilla buttercream frosting is perfect if you want something tasty, quick, and easy.
How to Store These Cupcakes
If not frosting and serving the cupcakes the same day as they are baked, stored the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 2 days. After the cupcakes are frosted they can be stored at room temperature for 1 to 2 days depending on the room temperature.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- For the best results weigh the flour, butter, and sour cream. Too much flour or too little butter will result in dry cupcakes. Using a scale will ensure the best results for your cupcakes.
- The butter, sour cream, and eggs should be a room temperature to ensure that the batter emulsifies properly. Cold butter won’t fully incorporate and cold eggs will result in a dense rubbery texture.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake liners. The cupcakes will overflow and possibly stick to the pan.
- Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting them. Otherwise, the frosting will melt and slide off to the side.
Troubleshooting This Recipe
- If your cupcakes are dense and have a rubbery texture it may be because you used cold eggs, overmixed the batter, or used too much flour.
- If your cupcakes are dry, you may have added too much flour or overbaked them.
- If the cupcakes sink in the center after they're removed from the oven, you may overmixed them or added too much baking powder.
More Cupcake Recipes To Try
- Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream
- Red Velvet Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
- Strawberry Filled Vanilla Cupcakes
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling
If you make these yummy incredibly delicious vanilla cupcakes please leave a rating and a comment below.
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Moist Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Sour Cream
Equipment
- Cupcake Liners
Ingredients
Cupcake
- 1-1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 2 (100 grams) large eggs room temperature
- 2/3 cup (161 grams) full-fat sour cream room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1-2/3 cups (212 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons (169 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Place the sugar in the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Scrape the insides of the vanilla bean and place the beans in the sugar. Use your fingers to rub the vanilla bean into the sugar until it is dispersed throughout the sugar.
- In a small bowl combine the eggs, vanilla extract and 1/3 third of the sour cream and whisk the ingredients together. Cut the butter into 8 pieces.
- Add the all-purpose flour, the salt and the baking powder to the vanilla sugar in the mixing bowl. With the paddle attachment mix the dry ingredients on medium-low for 30 seconds to thoroughly combine the dry ingredients. Add the butter and remaining sour cream and mix on medium speed until the butter and sour cream are thoroughly incorporated and the mixture is creamy, about 1 minute. Be careful not to overmix. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the egg mixture in two batches, mixing on medium speed until the egg mixture is thoroughly incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottoms of the bowl and fold the batter by hand to ensure all the batter is mixed together.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cups of the muffin pan, about 60 grams each. Each muffin tin should be about 2/3 full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes until they are done. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the cupcakes from the pan to a wire rack. Let the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them.
- If making the cupcakes one day in advance before frosting them, store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.
How to Decorate the Cupcakes
- Using a Pastry Bag: Fit your pastry bag with an open star tip or your favorite decorating tip and fill it with frosting. Starting at the outside edge of the cupcake, pipe frosting in a swirl with the tip about 1/4" to 1/2" above the cupcake, exerting even pressure on the bag continuously. Finish the swirl in the center of the cupcake by removing the pressure and lift up the tip slightly as you near the center. If you’re new to decorating cupcakes it may take some practice.
- Using a Knife or Offset Spatula: Use a spoon to add about 2 tablespoons of buttercream to the cupcake. Use the back of a spoon, a non-serrated butter knife, or a small offset spatula to spread the buttercream to the edge. While pressing down on the frosting slightly, move your spoon or knife in a spiral pattern from the outside edge of the cupcake to the center of the cupcake, to create a pretty spiral or swoop.
Storage
- The unfrosted cupcakes are good at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two days. Once the cupcakes are frosted they should be consumed with one day.
Cheryl Guice says
Hi Cheryl, my name is Cheryl also. I’ve been looking for a vanilla cupcake recipe for awhile now. I’ve read yours and I think it’s the one! Sour cream, 2 kinds of vanilla…my kind of baker! I can’t wait to try it. By the way, how would it scale for an 8” cake, double layer? Would it work?
Thanks so much,
Cheryl
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Cheryl
I hope you try this recipe soon. I am really happy with the final result.
Scaling this recipe for an 8-inch cake pan requires some additional testing. For instance, the amount of baking powder is based on the size of the cupcake tins and the exposed surface area of each cupcake. The typical rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of baking powder for every 1 cup (125 grams) of flour. If I followed that rule for the cupcakes they would rise then sink. For the 8-inch cake you can follow that rule, but that still doesn't tell you the right amount for the other ingredients.
I hope this explanation helps. I will be testing a vanilla layer cake soon.
Heather says
Can l freeze and how long for
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Heather
You can freeze the unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months. Wrap each cupcake in plastic wrap. Place them upright in a freezer-safe container.
When ready to eat, thaw them in the refrigerator the day before you're ready to eat them.
Serena M. says
Hi Cheryl,
Would I be able to use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Serena
I haven't tested this with cake flour, so I can't guarantee the results. On the plus side if make the substitution the cupcakes could turn out lighter and more tender. On the negative side they could sink in the center because the protein (gluten) content of the cake flour is not strong enough to support the other ingredients.
If you make these with cake flour, use the same amount of flour by weight. Please let me know how they turn out.
Kim says
The best cupcake recipe.
Fluffy and moist without the tough crust and crumbly mess that most cake recipes end up being when you turn them into cupcakes.
Added almond extract. This gave the cupcakes a “sugar cookie” flavor.
Replaced sour cream with Greek yogurt.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Kim
Thank you for making this recipe and leaving such a lovely review. I love the idea of the almond extract and plan to try it. Thanks for sharing that detail.
Elanor Meeker says
Hi Cheryl,
Would this recipe work as is for high altitude, or should I make some adjustments?
Thanks!
Elanor
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Elanor
Yes, you will need to make adjustments for high altitude. I'm assuming that you mean something like 3000 feet. I haven't made this recipe at high altitude, so I can't guarantee the results, but I did some research and here is what I found.
Increase the oven temperature for 365°F, reduce the baking powder to 3/4 teaspoon, reduce the sugar by 1 tablespoon (13 grams), increase the sour cream by 1 tablespoon, reduce the baking time by 2-3 minutes. You may need to increase the flour by a couple of tablespoons (20 grams), but I couldn't find definitive info on that. And if you have experience adjusting baking recipes for high altitude, I recommend going with your experience. Please let me know how it turns out.
Emma says
Hi Cheryl,
This recipe looks great and I look forward to trying it. I have never cooked with vanilla beans or bean paste before. Can you recommend a brand of paste or where I could get beans?
Thank you!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Emma
Thank you for your interest in this recipe. My favorite brands for vanilla bean paste are Nielsen Massey and Pine and Palm Kitchen. I buy my vanilla beans from Beanilla. They're beans are soft and plump. I don't buy them at the grocery store because they're usually dried up. Let me know if you have more questions.
Teegan says
How could I make these chocolate?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Teegan
Thanks for asking this question. This vanilla bean cupcake recipe isn’t one that can be easily converted to chocolate. Chocolate cupcakes have a different balance of ingredients — usually cocoa powder, extra liquid (like hot water or coffee), and often oil — to create the right texture and depth of flavor. Simply swapping ingredients in this recipe wouldn’t give you the same soft, tender result.
Since I haven’t tested a chocolate version of this one, I wouldn’t want to steer you wrong. I recommend using a recipe that was specifically developed for chocolate cupcakes so you get the best texture and flavor possible.
Susan B says
Where is the frosting recipe for this cupcake???
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Susan
Thanks for this question. I did include links for frosting in the blog post, but I should have included them in the recipe card too. I have updated the recipe card with a link to my Swiss meringue buttercream and my American buttercream recipes.