These vanilla buttermilk cupcakes are super soft, fluffy, and absolutely delicious. They are topped with a vanilla buttercream whipped to perfection and topped with sprinkles for the ultimate vanilla cupcake treat!
Buttermilk vanilla cupcakes are the perfect recipe for anyone who doesn’t love a super sweet cake, but still loves something sweet on top! Although the buttercream is sweet, it balances out this buttermilk cupcake. You can also use any frosting recipe you would like with this buttermilk cupcake recipe.
Why use buttermilk in cupcakes?
Although you won’t really taste the buttermilk, it serves as a very important ingredient and purpose. It creates a moist and fluffy cupcake. Buttermilk offers a tang that traditional milk doesn’t provide and it helps create a perfectly balanced, not to sweet, moist and soft cupcake!
Buttermilk in baking adds a softness to any recipe calling for milk because the acidity of it helps to break down gluten. It adds a tenderness to the cupcake that just melts in your mouth.
Just like in cooking where you need a balance of acid, you also want that same balance in baking. You can sub buttermilk in many recipes including biscuits, muffins, cakes, and even breads.
What if I don’t have buttermilk?
Buttermilk is not something people usually keep on hand unless you are an avid buttermilk biscuit maker or baker. And even so, as a home baker myself, I do not often buy buttermilk ever since I learned that I can make an easy version of buttermilk myself.
All you need to do is add 1 tablespoon of vinegar into each 1 cup of milk. Be sure to use a liquid measuring cup to ensure you measure the one cup of milk accurately. Milk with a higher fat percentage like whole milk will work better but you can use any milk.
You can use white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice. I usually use white vinegar because I always have it on hand. Making buttermilk yourself is also more affordable and convenient. Once you add the 1 tablespoon of vinegar into 1 cup of milk, let it sit for 5-10 minutes. You will see it start to curdle on top and thicken. Now you have buttermilk!
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Ingredients for Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes
This vanilla buttermilk cupcake recipe calls for simple ingredients that you likely already have on hand. If you don’t have buttermilk, see notes above for instructions on how to easily make it yourself at home.
For the Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes:
- flour
- sugar
- unsalted butter
- buttermilk (see heading above to make your own!)
- eggs
- sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- vanilla extract
For the Vanilla American buttercream:
- unsalted butter (Be sure that the butter is at room temperature. It will whip up so much easier and fluffier.)
- powdered sugar
- heavy whipping cream
- vanilla extract
- salt
How to Make Vanilla Buttercream Cupcakes
This vanilla buttermilk cupcake recipe couldn’t be any easier to make.
Start by creaming together the room temperature butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. You will need an electric mixer to do this. Both a hand mixer or stand mixer will do the trick!
Scape down the bowl and mix in the eggs one at a time. Be sure that the eggs are at room temperature otherwise they will not emulsify the batter properly. Then add in the sour cream and mix well until combined.
In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.
Then slowly add in the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk and ending with the dry ingredient mixture. I usually add ⅓ of the dry ingredient mixture, then ½ of the buttermilk, then ⅓ of the dry ingredients, followed by the remaining half of buttermilk, and finally ending with the last third of the dry ingredients.
Divide batter evenly into a 12 cup cupcake pan and bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
While the cupcakes cool, make the vanilla American buttercream. In a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the room temperature butter for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Slowly add in the powdered sugar (sifted if lumpy) and alternate with adding the heavy whipping cream to get the perfect smooth frosting consistency. Add in the vanilla and tiny pinch of salt. Then whip the buttercream on low for a few extra minutes to help the air bubbles deflate and the frosting should become super smooth.
Spoon frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star piping tip to pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes or you can simply smooth the buttercream on the cupcakes with a spatula or even the back of a spoon! Then top with sprinkles if desired. I always recommend sprinkles!
Equipment
This recipe is really simple and you only need a few things as far as equipment goes. One of them is an electric mixer. Then all you need are some mixing bowls, a spatula or something to scape your bowl with, cupcake liners, a 12 cup cupcake pan, and an oven!
Storage
These cupcakes can be stored in an airtight cupcake container at room temperature for 1-2 days but if your home is warmer I would still recommend storing them in the refrigerator as the buttercream could melt, especially during the summer. The cupcakes will store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and then remove from the fridge 30 minutes prior to eating to let the buttercream soften. Regardless they need to be stored in an airtight container to avoid drying out.
Be sure to checkout my other cupcake recipes if you enjoyed this one or want to try some other fun flavors!
If you made this recipe, BE SURE TO tag me on Instagram @bakingguilty AND please leave a comment OR star rating below! We so greatly appreciate it and hope you love this recipe!
Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- ½ cup unsalted butter (room temp.)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream (or greek yogurt)
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter ((3 sticks, room temp.))
- 6 cups powedered sugar ((sifted if there are lumps))
- 1-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 12 cup muffin pan with liners.
- In a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, cream together room temperature butter, sugar, and vanilla.
- Add in eggs one at a time mixing thoroughly in between. Then, add in the sour cream and mix for an additional two minutes until completely combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in half of the dry mixture into the wet ingredients, mix until combined. Then add in the buttermilk and mix. Finish by adding in the rest of the dry ingredients. Only mix until combined, do not overmix.
- Fill each cupcake liner ⅔ full and bake in a preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until baked through.
- Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Vanilla American Buttercream
- With an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat room temperature butter until lighter in color and fluffy, around 5 minutes, scraping the bowl down half way through.
- With the mixer on the lowest setting, slowly add in powdered sugar (sifted if your sugar is lumpy, I find it depends on the brand). Add powdered sugar as slow as you can while the mixer combines the butter and sugar on low speed.
- After about 3 cups of powdered sugar have been added, turn the mixer up to medium speed to let all of the sugar combine well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the mixer back down to low speed and alternate adding in 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream, and then one cup of powdered sugar until the remaining 3 cups of powdered sugar. Be sure to scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add in vanilla extract and a tiny pinch of salt. Then, whip the buttercream on medium speed for an extra minute to ensure all is very well combined.
- With a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, stir the buttercream around the bowl for about 30 seconds to smooth it out and release any air bubbles that may be in the buttercream.
- If you would like to pipe the buttercream on the cupcakes, fit a large piping bag with piping tip of your choice.
Cupcake Assembly
- Once cupcakes are fully cooled, pipe buttercream into swirls on top. You can also spread buttercream on with a butter knife or offset icing spatula.
- Add sprinkles of choice if desired. Enjoy!
