Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes
October 22, 2016 | By Jeremy Scheck | 1 Comment
These are the best cupcakes. Ever. They are easy enough for a bake sale but fancy enough for a party. They are so light and perfectly moist and are made in one bowl. The amount of compliments I receive from these easy cupcakes is unbelievable. I have been told by countless people that these are (and I quote) “the best cupcakes ever.” A vanilla cupcake is so versatile and can be filled and iced to become practically any flavor. My mom’s favorite is this cupcake with Strawberry Buttercream. To prepare this recipe, you can use either a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or hand beaters. You can also do this by hand with a little elbow grease.
What makes this cupcake so perfect?
- The reverse creaming method (mixing softened butter into the flour mixture, not just with sugar) used gives the cake a fine crumb
- The cake uses half vegetable oil (for moistness) and half butter (for flavor and crumb structure)
- The greek yogurt (you can also use sour cream) tenderizes and moistens the cupcakes
- The cake flour (I use Swans Down or King Arthur) gives it a lighter texture
- The one bowl preparation is always ideal
Adapted, improved, and simplified from http://www.cupcakeproject.com/
ASB Basics: Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes (One Bowl)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225g) granulated sugar (or vanilla sugar)
- 1 1/3 cups (175g) cake flour (not self rising)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp coarse salt
- 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup (75g) full fat greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil (I use canola)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract or paste
- 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Prepare muffin tins. Line with cupcake liners or grease enough wells for 20 cupcakes.
- In your bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
- Mix in softened butter until it is in tiny crumbs well dispersed in the flour mixture.
- Pour in the oil, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla. Beat until incorporated.
- Pour in the milk and mix until smooth. The batter should be quite thin.
- Fill cupcake liners half to two-thirds of the way up.
- Bake for 14-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed. Keep in mind that all ovens are different, so baking times may vary.
- Cool in the tin for 15 mins, and then take the cupcakes out and cool completely on the rack before icing.
- Spread or pipe on homemade frosting.
Jeremy Scheck spent high school perfecting his signature cupcakes, making quiches and coffee cake by the dozen at a local bakery, and teaching cooking demonstrations at Williams-Sonoma. As a 10th grader in 2016, he began documenting his favorite recipes on a blog called The After School Bakery. In college, Jeremy learned to make 50 gallons of ice cream in the food science lab, how to prune grape vines in the teaching vineyard, the best way to milk a cow in Northern Italy, and why film photography is an art worth saving. As a sophomore in 2020, he traded blog photos for video and became a TikTok culinary sensation. Jeremy has been featured on the Today show, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, BBC Radio, People, and Access Hollywood, among others. Jeremy is a graduate of Cornell University with a double major in Spanish and Italian, and significant coursework in food science. He lives in Brooklyn, NY. Learn more about Jeremy.
made these for a birthday, they turned out fantastic! Just the perfect texture and flavor, I’m usually more partial to chocolate, but these blew me away. I added some sprinkles to the batter too, and topped with chocolate buttercream frosting (which I didn’t quite succeed with). So good and easy to follow, thanks Jeremy!