This Cake Baking Recipe Guide Teaches You All You Need To Know To Make The Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

Cupcakes come in a variety of flavors and types. And one of the most classic flavors, not just for cupcakes but desserts in general, is the good, trusty vanilla. Vanilla cupcakes are moist, soft and versatile. They can be had as is or enjoyed with a variety of different frosting and topping options, like cream cheese, buttercream, chocolate frosting, strawberry frosting, lemon frosting, and any number of other options. So follow this guide to make the perfect cupcakes and serve them however you like. Try this cake baking recipe:

Ingredients:

• 207 gm cake flour (spooned & leveled)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 113 gm unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 200 gm granulated sugar
• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• seeds scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean
• 120 gm full-fat sour cream at room temperature
• 120 ml whole milk at room temperature
• vanilla buttercream and sprinkles for decorating

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F or 177°C.
• Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
• In a bowl, add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well and set aside.
• In another bowl, add the butter and beat with a handheld mixer until it's smooth and creamy. Then add the sugar and beat until it is fully combined. Now add the egg whites, vanilla extract and vanilla bean and beat until a smooth mixture forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and transfer that back in the middle so that the entire mixture beats evenly.
• Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time, beating continuously.
• Next, slowly pour in the milk and beat until combined.
• Pour the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them ⅔ full.
• Bake for about 20 minutes. Or, if you’re baking mini cupcakes, bake for about 12 minutes. You’ll know it's done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Let the cupcakes sit out and cool completely before you add the frosting, or it will melt and become runny.
• Frost with vanilla buttercream and serve cool.
• Leftover cupcakes can be stored in the fridge for 3 days.

Notes, tips and tricks:

• The cupcake batter can be made in advance and stored at room temperature for a day. Cupcakes can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
• This recipe requires cake flour. All-purpose flour, rising flour, or any other type won't do the trick. Cake flour should be easy to find at any store that has basic baking supplies.
• Make sure you’re using a good quality vanilla extract since that’s the main star of the show in terms of flavor. If you're using an extract that’s not pure, add around 1 tablespoon more. If you can't get your hands on a vanilla bean, you can leave that out, but then remember to add an extra teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. If instead of extract or bean you're using a vanilla bean paste, use 2 teaspoons of that.
• For best results, use whole milk and sour cream. If that’s not available, a full-fat plain yogurt will also work, but the cupcakes won't be as light. If you're using low-fat milk, the cupcakes will be slightly dense. If you have dietary restrictions, you could use non-dairy milk too, like almond milk, oat milk, or any other variety. But the cupcakes will be less moist.
• The milk, butter, eggs, and sour cream should all be at room temperature when using for the cupcakes. If these are stored in the fridge, it's best to pre-plan. Remove them from the fridge and let them sit at room temperature till they've also reached that temperature and use it. This evenness in temperature ensures that the batter mixes together easily and the ingredients are distributed more evenly.
• You don't want to overmix or undermix the batter. If you overmix the batter, the gluten will overdevelop, and lead to cupcakes that look squat, denser in texture and taste heavy. And if you undermix, all the ingredients won't be fully incorporated. So it's best to mix until there are no more pockets or flour or lumps, and no more.