Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes

Small batch recipes are a great option for serving dessert to a smaller crowd. After working on a little two-layer Lotus Biscoff cake and mini carrot cakes, I start brainstorming classic desserts. And what’s more classic than vanilla cupcakes? This recipe gives you the steps you need for making a small batch of vanilla cupcakes as well as vanilla buttercream frosting. Enjoy a cupcake for yourself and share with five friends; this makes six servings.

Small batch Vanilla Cupcakes with Oil and Butter

When I was developing my small batch chocolate chip muffin recipe, I wanted to learn more about baking with oil versus butter.

I was so curious about the benefits of baking with these two fats that I put together my findings in a short post on my blog about baking with each of them.

With everything I read in mind, I landed on using a combination of butter and oil. The butter gives these homemade vanilla cupcakes flavor and structure, while the oil helps make them softer.

Ingredients for this Recipe

In the recipe card below, you’ll find all the ingredients you need. I highlight a few of the key ones and why they’re important.

• Unsalted room temperature butter – Butter is a fat, and fat equals flavor! In these cupcakes, they give it a delicious taste and make the cupcakes fluffy. By mixing butter and sugar, you incorporate air into your batter, which helps your cupcakes expand and rise in the oven.
• Vanilla extract – In an online baking class I took once, Christina Tosi of Milk Bar taught us that you don’t need fancy and expensive vanilla extract for good flavor. So the extract from your local grocery store is perfectly fine for these small batch vanilla cupcakes. I can never taste a huge difference between pricier extracts and more basic ones.
• Canola oil – I like using a mix of oil and butter in my baked goods. Butter brings a lot of flavor, but oil helps more with keeping your desserts nice and moist.
• Baking powder and baking soda – These two leavening agents work together to help your cupcakes rise nicely, giving them a nice, fluffy texture.

Steps for Making Vanilla Cupcakes from Scratch

About an hour before beginning this recipe, bring your egg, butter, buttermilk, and full-fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream) out of the refrigerator. Place them on your counter so they reach room temperature.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 F and line a standard muffin tin with 6 paper liners.

To a large bowl, add and whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside.  

Using the paddle attachment in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream your unsalted room temperature butter, vanilla extract, and sugar together on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the egg and beating again for 1 minute.

Add half of your dry ingredients and all buttermilk to your mixing bowl. Mix on medium for about 45 seconds and scrape the bowl’s sides again so all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Add the remaining flour, along with your Greek yogurt and oil. Mix on low speed until well-combined, about 45 more seconds.

Pour and evenly spread the batter into your prepared cupcake liners (about 50 grams in each cavity). Bake for 14-16 minutes or until cupcakes appear buttery and dense but bounce back at the touch of your finger.

Let cupcakes cool in pan about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting them. 

Making Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Meanwhile, as the cupcakes bake and cool, you can work on the frosting.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine your unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, heavy cream, lemon juice (if using), and salt. Beat for about 3  minutes.

Taste test and then add another splash of lemon juice if too sweet.

Once happy with flavor, use a spatula to smooth the frosting. Drag the spatula from the middle of your bowl to its edges, watching as the tears and bubbles in your buttercream disappear. Spend 3-4 minutes doing these motions to achieve nice, smooth frosting.

Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a tip of your choice – I used 2D for these cupcakes! Top with sprinkles if desired.

Cupcake FAQ

Tips for Perfecting this Recipe for Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes

• Don’t overmix your batter! Overmixing batter can yield a denser cupcake, the opposite of a soft and fluffy baked good. Pay attention to the photos in this recipe for visual cues on how your cupcake batter should look before baking.
• Let your vanilla cupcakes cool before frosting them. If your cupcakes are still warm when you pipe buttercream onto them, the frosting may melt a bit. Patience is important!
• For a more flavorful cupcake, eat it the next day. The added time allows the flavors to meld together longer, resulting in a stronger taste.

Use a Scale to Bake Like a Pro

If you’re not already, use a kitchen scale for accuracy in baking. Weighing your ingredients and writing or following a recipe using a standard metric like grams ensures consistency. You may use a set of measuring cups, but the problem is that yours and mine could be quite different. That can result in noticeable discrepancies in the end product between what each of us is baking.

I highly recommend investing $30 or less in a kitchen scale.

More Dessert Recipes

If you’re looking for more classic recipes, then I bet you’ll love these big batch chocolate chip cookies. They’re made with brown butter, oatmeal, and are basically my favorite cookie recipe of all time. Or check out this small batch chocolate chip muffin recipe for your next weekend brunch plans.

Print