These are my best ever small batch vanilla cupcakes! I seriously spent hours upon hours creating this recipe to get it just right. And the result is a soft and fluffy cupcake with tons of vanilla flavor. In less than 30 minutes, you'll have 6 gorgeous cupcakes!
When I was in high school, I had an illicit cupcake business out of my house. Illicit because I 100% did not have a cottage baking license, but I 100% baked cupcakes for many weddings and parties over the years.
I had two main takeaways from that time. First, thank god the cupcake trend was over by the time I got married. I never want to see a tiered cupcake situation again lol. And two, I really don't think we're appreciating a good vanilla cupcake enough.
I'm a cake snob through and through so it took me forever to get this recipe right. But, I combined a few of my favorite recipes from when I was in pastry school, scaled it way down (thanks, science), and here we are!
This is my version of a perfect vanilla cupcake. Soft, fluffy, moist, super vanilla-y, and not-too-sweet.
Slather the cakes with some of my small batch vanilla buttercream or use my best ever chocolate buttercream for classic yellow cake + chocolate frosting vibes! You can also try my whipped chocolate ganache if you want something even more decadent.
Secret ingredient - oil
When I was testing this recipe, I tried a lot of versions with oil versus butter. This is a big debate in the cake world, because oil makes cake super moist but butter gives it more flavor.
Typically, I like to use a mix of the two so we get the best of both worlds! Adding a couple tablespoons of oil ended up making the cakes crisp on the edges though. So in the end, I added just two teaspoons and it was perfect.
The neutral oil adds just enough moisture to make the cake soft and fluffy, and the butter gives it that classic, rich taste. I used avocado oil but canola, vegetable, or any other neutral oil is fine too!
How to make just 6 cupcakes
To keep from over-mixing the batter, I like to add the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula. It's easy to over-mix with a hand mixer at this point!
Freezing & storing cupcakes
If you have any leftover cupcakes, you can place them in an airtight container and store them at room temp for 2-3 days. Don't place them in the fridge, or the cupcakes will get dry!
You can also freeze leftovers. Just wrap any unfrosted cupcakes with parchment paper. Then, pop them in an airtight container or zipper bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
When it comes to small batch baking, I always recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients. Just a small amount of flour can make or break an entire recipe. But if you don't have a scale, use the fluff, spoon, & level method to measure flour, cocoa, & other dry ingredients. Here is a whole guide on how I measure ingredients for small batch baking!
If you try this recipe, I would love if you left a star rating and review. I read every comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thanks so much for supporting Midnight Bake Club!
Easy Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes
Equipment
- Hand mixer
- Standard cupcake pan
- Paper cupcake liners
Ingredients
- 80 grams all purpose flour (⅔ cup)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 60 grams unsalted butter, softened (¼ cup)
- 75 grams granulated sugar (6 Tablespoons)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 80 milliliters whole milk (⅓ cup)
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a standard cupcake pan with 6 paper cupcake liners. Then, combine the all purpose flour, baking powder, and Kosher salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar to a medium mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer with beaters, cream the butter and sugar until it's very light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula halfway through to ensure everything is well-mixed. Then, mix in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) to the wet ingredients. Mix until the batter is about 75% combined. Then, add the whole milk and neutral oil. Mix just until the batter comes together. Don't over-mix or the cupcakes will come out dense and dry.
- Using a cupcake scoop, evenly divide the batter between the cupcake liners. They should be about ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 16-18 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick has just a few moist crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost and decorate as desired. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think!