Vanilla Cupcakes, small batch

This Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes recipe makes six tender and flavorful cupcakes that are topped with a simple vanilla buttercream frosting. They're a strong match for birthdays, welcome-to-the-neighborhood gifts, or just a fun after-dinner treat for the family!

Why this bake works

• Straightforward to whip up!
• Makes only six vanilla cupcakes.
• A strong match for beginner bakers or those who prefer not to have extra desserts around.
• Simple and flavorful!
• Pairs well with this small batch of vanilla buttercream frosting.
• Super moist!
• It can easily be decorated with fresh berries, sprinkles, and more!
• A strong match for birthdays, gifts, or a sweet after-dinner treat!

This small batch vanilla cupcake recipe can be easily doubled as well! For example, I doubled them for my How to Decorate Cupcakes with a Sprinkled Heart tutorial!

What goes in

Here's what you'll need to make this easy vanilla cupcake recipe!

• All-Purpose Flour. A house favorite flour to use is the King Arthur brand. With flour still hard to get in some spots, though, use what you can find!
• Baking Powder. It's always a good idea to check if this hasn't expired. Expired baking powder can cause your baked goods to be dense and sunken in the middle. To test, pour some boiling water over a teaspoon of baking powder. If it bubbles up, it is still good!
• Salt. Just a pinch, or 1/8 teaspoon, is needed.
• Unsalted Butter. For optimal results, this should be allowed to soften to room temperature.
• Granulated Sugar. I've been using Simply Nature Organic sugar from ALDI, but the familiar white granulated sugar works just as well.
• Egg. Yep, just one is needed. Having it at room temperature is recommended too.
• Vanilla Bean Paste. You can also use vanilla extract. I just like to use the paste sometimes because Enjoy to see the vanilla bean specks!
• Whole Milk. You can also use 1% milk, but A reliable choice is whole milk here.

How it comes together

Here is a basic overview of the steps for making this small batch of vanilla cupcakes from the pantry. The method is slightly different from the other cupcake recipes, but I promise, it's an easy one. Detailed instructions can be found in the method below!

Step 1. Stir together the dry ingredients and the egg. Use your hand-held or stand mixer to mix the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and egg. On medium-high speed, blending all of these ingredients takes about 1 minute. If needed, scrape down the sides of the bowl and blend for a few seconds more.

Step 2. Add in the vanilla bean paste and whole milk. Reduce the mixer speed to low when adding these final two ingredients. Then stir together for another 30 seconds or so.

Step 3. Evenly fill each cupcake liner. You can use either a medium-sized cookie scoop or a serving spoon and a regular-sized spoon to do this. The batter will be easily scoopable, on the thinner side, but not runny. So either of these methods will work fine.

Step 4. Bake the vanilla cupcakes. The recommended baking time is 18-20 minutes at 350°F. The tops should be a nice golden yellow with a slight dome shape.

Step 5. Remove from the oven and cool. Let the vanilla cupcakes cool for 5-10 minutes in the cupcake tin. Then remove and allow them to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

Storage

Unfrosted vanilla cupcakes can be made 2-3 days in advance and kept in a tightly sealed storage container at room temperature.

If the tops of the cupcakes appear slightly sticky to the touch after storage, let them sit out uncovered for about 30 minutes before adding the frosting.

If high heat or humidity is an issue, you can keep them stored in the refrigerator. They tend to dry out more this way, so ensure they are in a well-sealed container!

Baker notes

Below are a few quick notes to review before starting these small-batch vanilla cupcakes.

• In place of vanilla bean paste, you can use the same amount of vanilla extract.
• Be careful not to over-mix the cupcake batter. Meaning stop mixing once the dry ingredients are no longer visible and have been incorporated into the batter.
• Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for only 5-10 minutes. Then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool them completely.
• Wait until the vanilla cupcakes have cooled before adding frosting.
• I used the Wilton 1A decorating tip with a medium-sized piping bag to pipe the vanilla buttercream.
• I used King Arthur Flour's sparkling sugar and fresh blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries for toppings. You can also use sprinkles, crushed cookie crumbs, and chocolate syrup, to name a few!
• The vanilla buttercream frosting recipe yields just enough for this small batch of vanilla cupcakes, a strong match for using the Wilton 1A piping tip.
• If you or the recipient of your cupcakes isn't a big frosting fan, you can probably halve the method. And by skipping the piping as well, you will still have enough frosting!

Essential Baking Tools

You can use either your hand-held mixer or stand mixer that's fitted with a paddle attachment. You will also need:

• Cupcake tin. I baked the cupcakes in the middle section of the tin.
• Cupcake liners. The liners I used for this small batch recipe are the wavy cupcake liners from Wilton. I've used them before in black for my Devil's Food Cupcakes. They also come in a few other random colors, but those are especially hard to find!
• Spatula(s). I have quite a growing collection of spatulas in my kitchen, but a house favorite ones are from GIR. They make these mini baby spatulas that are a strong match for getting extra batter from around the paddle attachment.
• Cookie Scoop. Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to evenly divide the batter into each liner. Another alternative is to use a large serving spoon and a regular-sized spoon.