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A moist and tender basic vanilla cupcake made extra flavorful with vanilla bean infused cream. Topped off with vanilla bean buttercream, these cupcakes are vanilla heaven!
It does not get more classic than a vanilla bean cupcake.
Pure, unadulterated vanilla flavor, with a creamy vanilla bean buttercream to match… It’s just heavenly, and you’re going to love every little crumb of these cupcakes!
This recipe comes to you (originally in 2015!) from a day I completely immersed myself in writing my cookbook.
On Good Friday, I had the day off of work, but I was up at 4:30am making all kinds of puppy chows, preparing to photograph all of them in the later afternoon sunshine.
At 8am, Matt emerged from the bedroom and couldn’t believe his eyes (or his nose) when I had the kitchen completely torn apart, cereal and powdered sugar everywhere, chocolate on every pan and spatula I own…
It was a mess.
He convinced me to take a break and go to the gym with him.
I’m so glad I did, because it gave me some time to devise a plan of attack for my photoshoots and also figure out how I was going to clean up my puppy chow-ed kitchen and whip up some cupcakes for a birthday celebration later that night.
My BIL’s girlfriend (now wife!) turned 21 on that Good Friday, and she invited us out to dinner with her family, so I offered to make some cupcakes. When I asked her what flavor she would like, she requested vanilla bean.
Her exact words: “I’m so vanilla for loving vanilla.” No, no, you are not. Not one bit!
Since that original publish in 2015, these cupcakes have graced many a kitchen, with mostly positive reviews.
The negative ones, however, truly warranted revisiting this beloved vanilla cupcake recipe, just as my beloved funfetti cupcakes did a few months ago.
The amazing thing about having been blogging for over six years is that I have grown immensely as a baker.
I know better now what works best for specific flavors and textures, and revisiting lots of tried-and-true recipes that I’ve published and then baked again for my own enjoyment is something on my never-ending “to do” list.
The original vanilla bean cupcake recipe from many years ago still stands true, but with updated and more specific instructions, and of course, a little glow-up with fresh photos.
Not only that, but since 2015, vanilla crops have taken a giant hit due to tropical storms and other natural disasters.
Vanilla beans can sometimes be hard to come by, and super expensive if you find them, so I’ve updated the recipe to include the use of vanilla paste as an alternative.
Whether you use vanilla beans or vanilla paste, you’re guaranteed to have the best vanilla bean cupcake recipe I can offer you, because believe me, this recipe has been baked and tweaked and baked again many times over its existence.
There is something so amazing about straight up vanilla. You can only get so much vanilla flavor from extract (even homemade), and using fresh vanilla beans (or vanilla paste) is so worth the effort to get those beans out of the pod.
If you go the pod route, you’ll need two beans for each batch of this recipe: one for the cupcakes and one for the frosting.
If you’re using paste: one teaspoon in each the cupcake batter and the vanilla bean frosting give the same rich vanilla flavor and the iconic black specs of the seeds.
You can buy vanilla beans and vanilla paste at most grocery stores (in the baking aisle with the spices). If you think you’ll use a lot of beans, the best bang for your buck is in bulk!
These cupcakes are essentially the same batter as my mini cookies & cream cupcakes, just with a few tweaks.
In that recipe, I say you can use any milk (I actually used almond), but in these very vanilla cupcakes, it is absolutely imperative you use a full or high fat dairy.
Cream or whole milk– either of these will work.
You’re going to use this cream/milk + one whole vanilla bean or one teaspoon of vanilla paste to make vanilla infused cream/milk.
Split your vanilla bean in half, scrape out the seeds with the knife, and throw everything (including the pod) into a small saucepan with your cream.
If you’re using paste, just put it right into the liquid.
You’ll heat this just until it starts steaming, remove it from heat, and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.
During this time, the cream/milk will take on this incredible flavor and aroma, prepping to get vanilla flavor all up in your cupcake batter. You will add a little bit of vanilla extract as well, but this vanilla infused cream/milk is the bread and butter of the flavor.
After 30 minutes, fish out the pods with a fork or tongs, and your cream/milk is ready to go. If you used vanilla paste, no need to do anything. Your cream/milk is ready to go.
You’ll need one more vanilla bean or teaspoon of vanilla paste for your buttercream, which is the same vanilla buttercream I use in this chocolate cake and in these cookies & cream cupcakes, just with more straight up vanilla.
Again, slice the pod in half, scrape the beans right into your buttercream, and discard the pod.
Easy peasy.
Use a piping bag without a tip, fitted with a 1M tip, or simply a large zip top bag with the end snipped off to make a very vanilla buttercream swirl right on top of your decadent cupcake.
You’re going to love these moist and tender cupcakes that are absolutely jam-packed with vanilla flavor.
The creamy vanilla bean buttercream cloud that sits on top is the perfect counterpart, and I’m sure you’re going to agree… There’s nothing “vanilla” about these vanilla bean cupcakes!
Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Ingredients
CUPCAKES
- ¾ cup (180g) whole milk or cream
- 1 whole vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 1 and 2/3 cups (200g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter melted and allowed to cool
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature1
- ¼ cup (61g) full fat yogurt or sour cream room temperature1,2
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FROSTING
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 4 to 5 cups (480-600g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ to ⅓ cup (60-80g) milk or cream
- 1 whole vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
CUPCAKES
- Pour the cream into a small saucepan. If using a vanilla bean: using a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean in half, scrape out the seeds, and put everything into the saucepan with your cream. If using vanilla paste, simply pour into the cream and stir to combine.
- Heat the cream over low heat until it just starts to steam. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes, remove the pods with a fork or tongs. Cream is now ready to use. If you used vanilla paste, it is ready to use after the 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Line the wells of a 12-count cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, egg, yogurt, infused cream, and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until no flour pockets remain. Gently push out large lumps by scraping them against the side of the bowl with your spatula. Small lumps are ok.
- Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full with batter. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
FROSTING
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- With the mixer on low, add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk or cream. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until completely smooth, about 3 minutes. If frosting is too stiff, add more milk. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar. Add salt to taste.
- Frost the cupcakes using a piping bag or a large zip top bag with the corner snipped off. Cupcakes will stay fresh covered at room temperature up to 3 days. Store in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Notes
- Room temperature eggs and yogurt are always a good idea when using room temperature butter as it makes for easier incorporation into the batter. To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, place eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes.
- It is imperative to use full fat dairy in this recipe for moisture, since we’re using melted butter, therefore removing some natural moisture.
Amy says
There is nothing vanilla about appreciating a vanilla cupcake! I love your steeping technique to get the most vanilla flavour out of your beans! I need to get my hands on some to try out your technique 🙂 I hope the writing/testing/gymming is going well! And thank goodness for husbands/boyfriends who know that we need to step away from the kitchen sometimes, no matter how messy it is!
Lynn says
Haha, that’s exactly right! They have to be able to convince us to leave despite it being a mess, yes??
Melissa says
When you say cream for the frosting, is it heavy cream or half and half? Thanks!
Lynn says
Hi, Melissa! Either would be fine. Whatever you use for the cupcakes you can use for the frosting.
Angie says
Omg sounds delish!!! Is it okay to use vanilla bean paste in replacement of vanilla bean pod?
Lynn says
Hi Angie! I don’t see why not, although I’ve never used it, so I’m unfamiliar with how much to use. I’d imagine there’s a conversion factor on the tube? Perhaps how much equals one pod? Let me know what you find out!
Angie says
It came out great! Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Olivia says
How does this come out if making a 6Inch cake?
Lynn says
Hi Olivia– I’m not quite sure what you’re asking…
Jen says
After everything is mixed together should the batter be pourable or is it more dense?
Lynn says
It’s a little in the middle– I use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the batter and it doesn’t pour out but it doesn’t flop out either.
Kandi says
Can i add dye to color these blue for a blue velvet?
Lynn says
Hi Kandi– I’m sure that you could!
Jennifer says
I see you mentioned how many mini cupcakes it would make, but what about regular size cupcakes? How many and bake for how long? Thank you!
Lynn says
Hi Jennifer– the recipe is actually for 14 standard size cupcakes. The note about mini cupcakes is in the bottom of the recipe for alternative sizes!
Appy says
I’m about to make this but as a cake. What all ingredients go into the vanilla bean mixture in the sauce pan? It just says cream & vanilla bean and then put everything. What’s everything? I want to make this right. Please and thanks for your help!
Lynn says
Hi, Appy– everything is the pods and the seeds. The next instruction will tell you to remove the pods, so you’ll be left with cream that has vanilla seeds in it. Hope that helps. Enjoy!
Sil says
Hello made the cake and baked it for 30 min it was raw in the middle and hard around the sides. I’m so dissapointed I didn’r stick with the cup.cakes. The flavor is fantastic!
Lynn says
Hi! I’m sorry that happened. My advice would have been to keep baking the cake until it was done, as my suggestion for bake time is just a guideline and everyone’s oven is different. If it never baked the whole way, I would say you might have messed something up in the recipe, because I’ve never had a problem turning this into a cake!
Anne says
I tried a trial run of these cupcakes and they are exquisite!! Probably the best I’ve ever had. The only problem I encountered is that I’m supposed to take them to my husband’s office picnic and when the frosting hits the outdoor scorching temps, it will melt into a disastrous mess! How can I tweak the recipe so the frosting doesn’t melt and run off the cupcake?
I also would love to know how you decorated the cupcakes you have pictured❤️
Desperately seeking solution
Lynn says
Hi, Anne! How hot are we talking? I’ve taken frosting out into pretty warm temps, and it’s been fine for awhile. And for the cupcakes shown, I just used a piping bag and snipped the top off. No tip!
Lynn says
Apologies if you didn’t see this response. My email response plugin was not working properly!
Anne says
Thanks for the response. I will give the piping a try. The temps are ranging in the mid-90’s. I may place them in the refrigerator for a little while before we go so the frosting sets a bit.
wrcircumlectio2 says
great flavor but came out very dense, more like a muffin
D says
Hi! I have made these many times and they are always a hit, but I always get hung up in one particular spot… In the recipe you say to mix the wet and dry ingredients with a spatula until no lumps remain, but I always chicken out and use a whisk because it seems like the lumps just won’t disappear without it! However, I know the whisk might result in greater gluten production and make the cupcake more tough. Could you provide some clarity here?
And a second question: have you ever tried them with cake flour?
Thanks!
Lynn says
Hey, D! I mostly mean until there are no pockets of flour. Making every single lump disappear is next to impossible, but folding slowly and making big motions ensures even distribution of the ingredients. And no, I have not used cake flour to make these cupcakes.
D says
Ah I see! So is it okay for the batter to have lumps when you pour it into the tins? It won’t bake into like weird pockets or anything like that will it?
Lynn says
Not usually. Small lumps usually dissipate in the oven, so it’s just a matter of making sure big pockets of flour are gone.
Jennifer says
This is by far my favorite recipe to make! One question, for the frosting, do you heat the cream with the vanilla bean as well? I’m thinking about combining the amount for both the cake and frosting, heating it, then splitting it up to the required measurements afterward? Of course, waiting for it to completely cool for the frosting, but I think infusing that cream with the vanilla bean really makes these cupcakes amazing!
Lynn says
Thanks, Jennifer! So I don’t heat the cream for the frosting. I just combine everything without heat. It can’t hurt and it would probably taste amazing so let me know if you try it out!
Julie Brindley says
I am excited to try this recipe! I am planning to double the recipe for 28 cupcakes. Have you done so and was it successful? I know that sometimes the leavening agents need altering when doubling. Thanks!
Lynn says
Hey, Julie! Great questions. This recipe should be fine to double, just be careful to mix gently.
Kirsten says
I have to say…this cake is the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had! I made these cupcakes months ago, and I’ve been thinking so much about them ever since I’m going to use this recipe to make one of my small wedding cakes. Thank you for sharing it!
Lynn says
Haha, I love this so much! Thanks for letting me know, Kirsten!
Kirsten says
Would the recipe for the frosting cover a 2-layer, 6 inch cake as it’s written or should it be doubled? Thanks.
Lynn says
The recipe should stand fine as is, but if you want a lot of extra for piping or like a thicker filling, I would do 1.5x the recipe!
Regina says
So… I don’t know what I did wrong, but my cupcakes Took closer to 20 minutes to bake and were very dense/ muffin-like. I ended up with quite a bit of extra frosting, and the whole thing, combined is FAR too sweet to enjoy, and trust me, I love sweets! I thought it seemed like an awful lot of sugar, so maybe I measured wrong or something… I don’t know… but woo!! Talk about a sugar rush!! Lol.
Lynn says
Ironically enough, I redid this recipe this past weekend, but only changed up one small thing (using full fat yogurt instead of “any” listed) in preparation of republishing a new and improved cupcake. The cupcakes are definitely not overly sweet, and adding a bit of salt into the frosting (as I suggest in the recipe) usually cuts the sweetness enough to make it a nice combo. I’d love for you to revisit this again in a couple weeks when I update everything! Thanks for letting me know, Regina 🙂
Tamara Folsom says
Is the updated recipe available now? Would like to know before I give it a try.
Lynn says
The updated recipe is now the one in the post.
Alicia says
Hello Lynn,
I am making these cupcakes for my daughters wedding next month. I am doing a trial run first to make sure everything comes out correct. My first question is in the ingredients you list 1 large egg room temperature. Thought scrolling through to the bottom of the recipe it says no yoke for a lighter batter. Could you clarify if we remove the yoke and maybe revising the recipe to add that additional note.
My second question is if you would wait to decorate the cupcakes until at the venue ? I was thinking of keeping it in a cooler. What do you think?
Lynn says
Hi, Alicia– I’ve fixed the recipe. That was an error on my part and a copy and paste oopsie 🙂 and decorating at the venue would be perfectly fine. I usually bake my cupcakes the day before I decorate them anyway. I’d love to see photos when they’re done! Enjoy!
Renee says
These look great! I would love to know what brand of liners you use?
Lynn says
Hi, Renee– I use Wilton brand. Nothing special!
Jess says
I just made these and like Regina above, the batter was thicker than usual, took exactly 20 minutes and the cupcakes came out muffin like. Still they’re pretty good!
I accidentally used non fat vanilla Greek yogurt instead of full fat, so suspect it was either that or the use heavy whipping cream. I’m hoping to make a double batch of these for a baby shower, so I’ll try making another practice batch tomorrow with whole milk and full fat yogurt. Would making the infused milk ahead of time affect the cupcakes at all? Hoping to save some time.
Lynn says
Definitely use the full fat dairies and let me know how they turn out! I just revamped this recipe in August, and it is definitely best with full fat.