Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes

These small batch vanilla cupcakes are light and fluffy, topped with silky cream cheese frosting. This recipe makes 6 cupcakes, perfect for a small celebration.

What makes these small batch vanilla cupcakes extra special is that they are topped with cream cheese frosting. It takes what would be a basic vanilla cupcake recipe from good to great!

This recipe yields 6 cupcakes that are light, fluffy, tender.

A small batch of cupcakes is perfect to bring to a birthday party, housewarming party, or other small get-together. Serve them with these small batch chocolate cupcakes, small batch brownies, or small batch red velvet cupcakes!

Why This Recipe Works

Like my almond cupcakes, the sponge is extra soft thanks to cake flour and the reverse creaming method. Instead of creaming the butter and sugar together, the butter and dry ingredients are mixed together at the same time to limit gluten development, creating extra soft cupcakes!

These cupcakes are also easy to customize with many types of frostings, fillings, and toppings!

Key Ingredients

• Cake flour- This light and fluffy flour has less protein and gluten than all purpose flour, giving the cupcakes the softest crumb!
• Granulated sugar- White sugar adds the perfect amount of sweetness and lets the vanilla flavor shine.
• Baking powder- Make sure your baking powder is less than 6 months old because it loses its power over time. Do NOT use baking soda!
• Unsalted butter- Make sure the butter is at room temperature so it mixes in easily. Room temperature butter will be cool to the touch and easy to indent applying gentle pressure with your finger.
• Oil- Vegetable oil (or any flavorless oil) adds more fat to the batter, making the cupcakes moist.
• Egg- A large egg binds the ingredients together and adds extra fat and moisture. Make sure it's at room temperature so it blends into the batter evenly.
• Buttermilk- This adds additional tang and helps to tenderize the gluten, giving the cake a softer texture. Pull this out of the refrigerator the same time as the egg.

For the full list of ingredients and quantities, see the recipe card below.

Substitutions and Variations

• Buttermilk substitutions- Plain kefir, plain Greek yogurt, or sour cream can be substituted at a 1:1 ratio. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own! Combine ¼ cup whole milk with ¾ teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice. Mix, let it sit for 10 minutes to curdle, and you're good to go.
• Add filling- After baking the cupcakes, cut out the center with a cupcake corer and fill with salted caramel, strawberry filling, or milk chocolate ganache.

How to Make the Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and place 6 paper cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.

Step 1: Whisk the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed until well combined

Step 2: Add the softened butter, beating on low until there are no big clumps the texture looks like wet sand. This takes about 5 minutes.

Step 3: Add the oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until a thick batter forms. Then slowly pour in the buttermilk, mixing until there are no lumps or pools of liquid.

Step 4: With a spoon or cookie scoop, portion the cupcake batter evenly between the cupcake liners. Fill them ¾ of the way full so they don't overflow in the oven.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops bounce back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Make the Frosting and Decorate

See my small batch cream cheese frosting recipe for extra tips and tricks!

Step 5: Cream the softened butter and cream cheese together with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl and gradually add the powdered sugar on low speed.

Step 6: Add the vanilla bean paste and mix on medium-low speed until well combined. Increase to medium-high speed, beating until fluffy.

Step 7: Prepare a piping bag with a decorative piping tip and fill it with frosting. I used the Ateco 866 tip! Pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake and garnish with coarse sugar, sprinkles, or freeze-dried berries.

Expert Baking Tips

1. Use a kitchen scale. Measure your ingredients in grams with a food scale for accuracy. If you don't have one, always spoon-measure your flour. Fluff up the flour first before spooning it into your measuring cup- don't pack it in!
2. Use room temperature ingredients. Using room temperature eggs, butter, and buttermilk creates a fully blended, smooth batter that will bake evenly and have a uniform texture. Pull them out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
3. Don't overmix the batter. Over mixing cupcake batter will result in a dense crumb.
4. Wait until they cool to frost. You have to wait for the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them or the frosting will melt and slide off the cake!

Storage Tips

Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Store them in the refrigerator for an additional 3 days after that.

If the cupcakes are frosted, store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Leftover cream cheese frosting can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. Let it come to room temperature before you use it.

Frequently Asked Questions

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