These light and tender vanilla flavoured cupcakes are topped with sweet glace icing.
Preparation time: about 40 minutes (excludes baking and cooling times).
Makes 12 cupcakes.
We use a 20ml tablespoon and 250ml measuring cup for all of our recipes.
Cupcakes
120g butter, softened (the softened butter should be easy to cut through)
150g (2/3 cup) caster sugar
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
2 large eggs (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
188g (1 1/4 cups) self-raising flour
125ml (1/2 cup) milk
Glace Icing
175g (1 1/4 cups) pure icing sugar, sifted
5g (1 teaspoon) butter, softened
22ml (1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon) boiling water
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan-forced). If you are not using a fan-forced oven, adjust the oven rack to the middle of the oven.
Line twelve 1/3-cup capacity muffin pan holes with cases that are about 3cm high and measure about 5cm across the base and 8cm across the top. We use paper-lined foil cases.
Using an electric mixer or electric hand-held beaters, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl, starting on low speed and increasing to high once the sugar is incorporated. Beat until the mixture is pale and creamy, stopping the machine once or twice during beating to scrape down the side and base of the bowl with a spatula.
Add one egg to the butter mixture and beat for about a minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the side and base of the bowl. Repeat with remaining egg. © exclusivelyfood.com.au
Sift about half the flour (about 2/3 cup) over the butter mixture. Stir with a spoon or beat with the electric mixer/beaters on very low speed until the flour is just incorporated.
Add about half the milk (about 1/4 cup) and stir or beat on very low speed until just combined. The mixture will probably look curdled at this stage. Repeat the process with the remaining flour and milk. Do not overmix the batter.
Divide the mixture evenly among the cases (about 1/4 cup batter per case).
Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cupcakes are light golden. When they are ready, a skewer or thin-bladed knife inserted into the centre of a cupcake will come out without any batter attached, and the cupcakes should spring back when lightly pressed in the centre.
Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for about five minutes, and then place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
When cupcakes have cooled, make glace icing (see instructions below). Use a knife or offset spatula to spread the cupcakes with the icing. If you wish to attach decorations, do so before the icing sets. We decorated the cupcakes with sprinkles and icing flowers.
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature. The cupcakes can be made up to two days before serving. If sprinkles are used, the colour may bleed into the icing over time.
Glace Icing
Stir icing sugar, butter and boiling water together in a small bowl until smooth.
Use icing immediately. If it starts to set before you have finished icing the cupcakes, stir in a few drops of hot water. © www.exclusivelyfood.com.au
mmmm i love cupcakes, i'm going to try this recipe today! i have a couple of Q's:
ReplyDelete1. to make chocolate cupcakes, is it possible to just add cocoa powder, or is the recipe quite different?
2. i don't think they sell self-raising flour in germany - do you have the measurements of baking powder and baking soda if needed to be added separately?
3. do you have a cream cheese icing recipe?
thanks so much! :)
I love vanilla cupcakes and these look very tasty. You have a great range of recipes up - Congratulations and thanks for all the good ideas!
ReplyDeleteHi Ladies,
ReplyDeleteI absolutely LOVE the website! I made these cupcakes yesterday and they tasted great - but am currently on the search for a more 'dense/soft' receipe - similar to the type of cake/cupcake you would find in the local bakery.
Would you happen to have a receipe for this?
Fantastic recipe, just made for my daughter's 2nd birthday party. They were true to recipe and iced extremely well.
ReplyDeleteThanks again, you girls are wonderful bakers!
Karen
Must add one tip: be sure to only place the 1/4 cup amount into the ready liners. This will give you the right size cupcake upon completion.
ReplyDeleteKaren
To the person who asked about a recipe for bakery-style cupcakes: We don't currently have a recipe for that type of cupcake.
ReplyDeleteHi Sheda
ReplyDeleteRather than adding cocoa to this recipe, we recommend that you use a recipe designed to produce chocolate cupcakes.
If your baking powder package doesn't have any instructions for making self-raising flour, you could use 188g (1 1/4 cups) plain flour and 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder to replace the self-raising flour in this recipe.
We have a cream cheese icing recipe on our carrot cupcakes page.
What gorgeous cupcakes, the smooth frosting makes them look so elegant :).
ReplyDeleteAmanda and Debbie....i want to make this cupcake, but small version of it using 4.5cm diameter of muffin pan, how long should i bake?
ReplyDeleteWe suggest that you start checking the cupcakes after 13 minutes. When they are ready, the cupcakes should spring back when lightly pressed in the centre.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge huge HUGE fan of your recipes! Your recipes are the most trustworthy ones in www - my favourites are the banana cake and white chocolate mudcake recipe! Four thumbs up (fingers and toes!) :)
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteDo you have any suggestions on how to modify this recipe to make a lemon cupcake?
I tried adding 2 tsp of lemon juice to the cupcake batter and 1 tbsp of lemon juice to the frosting.
The frosting tasted great although abit watery so I thought to substitute 1 tbsp of water with the lemon juice instead of throwing in both.
The cupcake however developed a slightly crunchy thin layer on the top... it tasted great but it'd be better without the thin crunchy layer.
Do you have any suggestions on what I should do instead? My other thoughts were to add 1 tbsp lemon zest instead of the juice to the batter.
Hi Amanda,
ReplyDeletetx for the lovely cup cake recipe.
Just made it, it was beautiful...
love your website.
i just wanted to say they were absolutley delicious! and i love every single recipe i have made from your website.. you come highly reccomended to everyone i know!
ReplyDeletethank you so much
and keep the recipe's flowing!
emma
Hi Wennie
ReplyDeleteUsing lemon juice in place of some or all of the water in the icing should work well. Adding zest to the batter would add lemon flavour without changing the batter's consistency. If you add lemon juice to the batter, we suggest that you use it to replace some of the milk.
Did the crunchy layer on top of the cupcakes soften once the cupcakes were iced?
Will these cupcakes freeze ok? I want to make them for a birthday cake for my friend but I won't have time to make them on the day...
ReplyDeleteI just made these cupcakes also, however mine sunk in the middle and were crunchy all the way through. It's like the sugar crystalised and became chewy. This isn't the first time this has happened either, I've used a similar recipe and it happened as well. I'm desperate to know why, what I'm doing wrong I followed the recipe to a tee. Is it vanilla essence the same as vanilla extract...could this be the reason?
ReplyDeletethis is my first time baking something from scratch and so far so good! they look so yummy!!!
ReplyDeleteEasy to follow receipe!!!
mmm.. i just tried this recipe and the cupcakes are deelish! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteYummy...made these the other night and then made them the next night again! I used muffin trays and the mix made 8 muffin size cupcakes.
ReplyDeleteAnother recipe for my family collection :)
Love your work!
To the person who asked about adapting this recipe to make a single large cake: What size pan do you wish to use?
ReplyDeleteTo the person who asked about sunken crunchy cupcakes: Did you make any changes to the recipe (ingredient quantities, pan size, oven temperature etc.)?
To the person who asked about freezing the cupcakes: The cupcakes are suitable to freeze. We use paper-lined foil cupcake cases so the cases won't be soggy when the cakes have thawed. Before freezing the cupcakes, wrap them in plastic wrap, either individually or in small groups, and place them in an airtight container. We remove the plastic wrap before thawing and ice the cakes once they have thawed.
ReplyDeleteThese cupcakes taste like i remember they did when i was a child. verey nice. my little boy loves them.
ReplyDeleteMost impressed with this vanilla cupcake recipe. I made these cupcakes for my daughter's class for her birthday and the children loved them. Moist and light. Highly recommended.
ReplyDeleteI made these, but I also added 2 small pieces of a ripe pear to each cupcake. I didn't ice them and they tasted fantastic. They tasted like mini tea cakes.
ReplyDeleteI just made these and added 3 tablespoons of Cocoa they are great
ReplyDeletehey I made these but instead of castor sugar I used brown sugar. I really liked the flavor:-)
ReplyDeleteThe cupcakes rise very quickly!! I filled them 2/3 of the way up and tey eached the top within 5 minutes. Th cupcakes still turned out well n they they taste great!!
ReplyDeletethx
the cupcakes were delicious! very light, springy and soft inside. the only thing was my icing turned out really bad so i had to just mix icing sugar with normal water, but overall, this was pretty good.
ReplyDeleteJust made these and they are yummy!...didn't take long to make and i recommend it to everyone!
ReplyDeletep.s 20 mins was more than enough time to bake them, because when they cool they are moist. DON'T over bake them. :)
Hi. How long can these keep in the freezer? I was thinking of baking a week in advance but is that too long to freeze them?
ReplyDeleteThis cupcake recipe is great!
ReplyDeleteJust made it for the first time and added choc-chips in the adding flour the second time round. They have just cooled enough to eat and are sooo more-ish!
Thanks for your great recipes! I use the choc-chip cookie recipe at least once a week!! (sometimes more as they don't last long!)
I've been searching for a vanilla cupcake recipe that is both light and moist for ages, and this one is PERFECT! They come out beautifully every time and I use a vanilla buttercream icing
ReplyDeleteI made these cupcakes twice last week. Super easy. I did one batch gluten free by substituting off-the-shelf gluten free self raising flour - worked a treat! Only thing I would say, this recipe made more like 14-16 cupcakes for me, when I divided the batter evenly I got some unsightly spillage over my patty pans! Love the site!!
ReplyDeletehi im 12 and i would like to used your recipe for a school cupcake competition if that is ok.
ReplyDeletethanks so much the recipe is great.
That's fine. Good luck with the competition!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this recipe! They were incredibly easy to make and absolutely delicious topped with buttercream...even nicer the next day!
ReplyDeleteI have made this recipe over and over without modification and have successfully frozen them icing and all in an airtight container without any wrapping. An individual cake will thaw immediately when placed in the microwave on "defrost" for 30 seconds.
ReplyDeleteThese were amazing. REally light and fluffy and not too sweet. I did replace the white sugar for 1/2 cup of brown sugar and they were just nice.I only baked them for about 15-18 mintues. Very good recipe. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteJust wondering whether this recipe can be adapted to be used with smaller cupcake sizes, ie with a 3.5cm cupcake base?
ReplyDeleteThese cupcakes are so delicious! I have made them twice now with my 3 yr old, & she loves them! Usually she only has a bite or 2 & wastes the rest of the cupcake, but she ate 3 in a row!
ReplyDeleteOnly change I made was adding 3 tsp of homemade vanilla essence, cos we're vanilla fiends in this house!
THANKYOU FOR THIS AMAZING RECIPE ! i made it today for a friends party and they tasted reaally really nicee and i love how the the cupcakes are so light and fluffy <33. ty again :)
ReplyDeleteI have never been able to successfully make a batch of cupcakes until I used this recipe. Amazing - the easy step by step photos helped make the cupcakes really light and fluffy! Thanks for the great recipe. Will be using this recipe again :).
ReplyDeleteI have made these cupcakes so many times now, they are so easy to make and I always get comments on how tasty they are. I made them today with my daughter for mothers day and we topped the icing with marshmallow flowers.
ReplyDeleteI just want to thank you girls. I tend to make cakes from a pack mixture, this is the first attempt, from scratch, cupcakes. Totally two thumps up. Made for a friends bday. And it's always a good sign when you look back and they're still trying to lick that last crumb. Awesome recipe ladies!!!
ReplyDeleteHi there, I have been trying to find a vanilla cupcake recipe and all I say is that I have found it and they are DIVINE!!!! They are moist and light and fluffy and have a great smooth texture. I didn't have castor sugar, so I sifted my granulated sugar and added 2 tsp of vanilla extract (and will probably add a touch more). I ate 2 last night and had to stop myself - they are awesome! Anyone looking for a vanilla cupcake recipe should look no further! Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteI've made (and eaten) a lot of cupcakes in my time - these top the lot. I iced them with dragonfruit glace icing - AMAZING!
ReplyDeleteJust made these as mini-cupcakes for my daughter's entire kindy class. FANTASTIC! Thank you again for a brilliant recipe!!!
ReplyDeleteMade these and they turned out amazing .. I made a variation to this recipe by separating the mixture into four equal parts, colouring each part with a different colour and then layering each cupcake with the four colours. The guests were totally impressed with the result and the taste was amazsing too to top the experience. Thank you ladies :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is by far the best vanilla cupcake recipe. I also use it as a base to make many other cupcake creations, adding berries, nuts, choc chips, coconut! whatever i feel like really, and it works every time!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe other day i had no milk, so i used cream instead (diluted with a few Tbs water and still worked perfectly!
I love this recipe and have made these yummy cupcakes many times! I want to make them for my little man to take to pre school for his birthday tomorrow but I can't use eggs due to other kids allergies. What would you suggest to use in place of the eggs? Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteI've made these cupcakes three times in the last week, they are absolutely delicious!
ReplyDeleteI have changed them into chocolate cupcakes by adding 3 tablespoons of chocolate and they work well, I have also tried it with brown sugar instead of castor sugar and that works too.
The consistency of these cupcakes is just perfect.
Everyone has loved them.
My favourite variation that I have done was adding a teaspoon of crushed pineapple in middle of each cupcake batter, I also did a coconut buttercream on top so they were like a pina colada cake...
This is my new favourite recipe. Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeletei loved the cupcakes. i wanted to make them for a function next week.
the only issue i had was my icing was too runny.
i was just wondering was it beacuse i used icing sugar mixture instead of pure icing sugar. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Would it be ok to add food colouring to icing?
Hi
ReplyDeleteIf your icing is too runny add extra icing sugar until you reach the desired consistency. Food colouring can be added to the icing. Glad you enjoyed the cupcakes.
Just baked these for the first time and they are amazing! So light and fluffy. Thanks for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteyummy cupcakes. glossy and smooth. yummy.
ReplyDelete