Easy Vanilla Cupcake Recipe – Moist And Spongy

With this easy vanilla cupcake recipe, you will be able to make these lovely cupcakes that will put a smile on your face with every bite you take.

Baking cupcakes is a monthly routine in our home.  Just knowing there are cupcakes in the house makes it feel more homely.

The great thing about these little treats is that they don’t take long to bake plus you can easily bake them in bulk, so, they are always nearby when you need a cheeky little sugar treat.

If you are new to baking, then learning how to make cupcakes is a great place to start.  This recipe will give you the necessary skills to tackle more complex recipes.

Why You Should You Try This Recipe?

Because it makes the best moist and spongy cupcakes ever! Who needs an excuse to bake some scrumptious cupcakes, I sure don’t but if you need some convincing here are some reasons why you should give this recipe a go?

• It makes light and fluffy cupcakes that are moist and not dry.
• You can use this recipe for more complex cupcakes.
• All you need is basic ingredients and a cupcake baking tray.
• It makes cupcakes that you can bake in bulk to keep your cravings away.
• A great recipe to bake with kids, just don’t let them crack the eggs. lol

Top Tips For Making The Best Cupcakes?

• Room Temperature Ingredients – Take out the milk, butter, and eggs earlier, they need to be at room temperature before you use them.  This will help the batter to have better consistency, resulting in fluffier cupcakes.
• Check The Date – Check the date on the baking powder to make sure it has been opened in the last 6 months.  Overtime baking powder can lose its effectiveness.
• Don’t Overfill the Cupcake Cases – Filling them 2/3 of the way will be enough batter otherwise you risk your cupcakes overflowing, which I don’t mind.
• Preheat – Before you put them into the oven, give your oven enough time to preheat or your cupcakes will not rise as much as they should. Use an oven thermometer to double-check the oven temperature.  
• Keep The Door Closed – Don’t open the oven door until the cupcakes are ready to be taken out.  Opening the door too early will release the heat and prevent your cupcakes from rising.

How To Store Your Cupcakes?

Step to take when storing cupcakes.

• Let the cupcakes cool down completely.
• Place the cupcakes into an airtight container.
• Make sure the lid is securely on.
• Store on the kitchen counter at room temperature (no direct sunlight).
• Store in the refrigerator if you used frosting.

I know some people store their cupcakes in the refrigerator but personally, I prefer to store them at room temperature in an airtight container on the kitchen counter.

I find if you store your cupcakes in the refrigerator, they become dry much quicker, losing their fluffy spongy texture.

However, this said, if you have put frosting on your cupcakes and the temperature is warm in your kitchen then in this case, I would recommend storing them in the refrigerator otherwise your frosting will begin to melt.

If you decide to store your cupcakes on the kitchen counter, make sure there is no possibility of any direct sunlight.

How Long Can Cupcakes Stay Fresh?

Cupcakes can remain fresh for 48 hours if stored properly.  After this time they tend to lose their freshness and start to get a little dry.

For the best results store your cupcakes in a sturdy airtight container that has a good lid.  Avoid using any cheap ones, they don’t usually do a great job and they tend to crack easily.

You can actually get storage containers that are designed for storing cupcakes which do a great job. 

The good thing about these containers is that they have multiple tiers which mean more room to store your cupcakes.  The more the better I say.

Can You Freeze Cupcakes?

Yes! you can freeze cupcakes.

If you plan to bake cupcakes in bulk or in advance you will be surprised to know that cupcakes freeze well.

If you freeze them while they are still fresh, they will keep their moisture once thawed.  Normally if I’m baking a large batch of cupcakes, I freeze them once they have cooled down.

How Long Can You Freeze Cupcakes?

From my quick research, you can freeze cupcakes for up to 3 months. 

The longest I have kept them in the freezer is around one month.  It’s hard not to dig them out when you know they just a few feet away. lol

How Do You Freeze Cupcakes?

Freezing cupcakes is simple enough.  Just remember the following steps and no one will be able to tell that they had been frozen.

Let Your Cupcakes Completely Cool Down
This might be obvious but if you get this step wrong then you will lose the whole batch.  Plus, you have a good valid excuse to eat an extra cupcake, how else will you know if they have cooled down, right!

To cool them down, just place them on a wire rack for about an hour or so, this will prevent any condensation from building up.

No Frosting
Do not put any frosting on the cupcakes before you put them into the freezer.  The frosting goes on after they come back out of the freezer.

Wrap Cupcakes In Saran Wrap (Individually)
Use some saran wrap to tightly wrap each cupcake individually.  Doing this will help the cupcakes to retain their taste longer. 

Store Them In An Airtight Container
Once you have tightly wrapped each cupcake, place them in an airtight container and freeze.  Make sure that the lid is on properly. 

I like to label the container with the date, this way I won’t forget how long they have been in the freezer.

How To Thaw Cupcakes

Thaw At Room Temperature.
When it’s time to take them out, unwrap them and place them on the kitchen counter for a couple of hours to thaw out at room temperature.  Don’t cover them, this will prevent them from getting sticky after they thaw out.

Frosting The Cupcakes
Once the cupcakes have been thawed out, you can put on the frosting or you can enjoy them as they are.  Either way, they will taste yummy.

Why Are My Cupcakes Dry And Not Moist?

It can be very frustrating if your cupcakes become dry after being baked.  There are a few steps you can take to avoid this from occurring.

Remove Cupcakes From Pan
Once you take your cupcakes out of the oven, don’t leave them in the cupcake pan.  Carefully remove the cupcakes and place them on a wire rack to cool. 

If left in the pan, the heat from the pan will continue to cook the cupcakes further even after they have been removed from the oven.

Too Much Flour
If you use too much flour and not enough wet ingredients this can cause your cupcakes to become dry.  Always follow the recipe that you are using and double-check each measurement you use.

Even though I love using cups as my measurement method, I prefer to weigh the ingredients instead of using cups, I find this method more accurate.

Overcooked Cupcakes
This is obvious but it is so easily done.  Just last week I overcooked a cake I was baking for one of our neighbors.

Overcooking your cupcakes will dry them out and they will lose their moisture.

To avoid this, keep a close eye on the time but beware that not all ovens behave the same way (ovens can vary in temperature).  Sometimes a recipe that you are following uses a different type of oven from you for example gas/electric/fan/ no fan.  For this reason, the cooking time may vary depending on your oven.

Why Is The Top Of My Cupcakes Sticky?

This is a common problem many people face. 

Before you store away your cupcakes in a container make sure they have completely cooled down by placing them on a wire rack for a few hours even after they seemed to cool down.

Sometimes they may feel cold to touch but in the center, they may still be a little warm and if you put them into the container at this point, they will cause the container to build up condensation and the moisture will make the cupcakes become sticky.

To avoid this give your cupcakes plenty of time to cool down before you store them away or before you put on the frosting.

Why Are My Cupcakes Not Flat?

There are many reasons why your cupcakes may not be flat on top.  Here are some of the common causes.

• The wrong amount of baking powder was used.
• The oven was set at the wrong temperature.
• Overfilling the cupcake cases (should be 2/3 of the way). But I’m guilty of this one myself, but hey they still yummy.