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These vanilla buttermilk cupcakes are soft, tender and reliably good – the kind of recipe you keep coming back to when you need something that works every time.

They’re topped with a light cream cheese and whipped cream frosting that’s fluffy, not overly sweet, and easy to pipe. It looks beautiful without requiring perfect technique – which, honestly, is exactly what most of us need.

I made these for a bridal shower, but this is one of those recipes that fits anywhere – birthdays, school events, weekends at home. Simple ingredients, quick prep, and a result that feels a little more special than it should for the effort.

Vanilla cupcakes with white frosting arranged on a light surface with sprinkles
Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

  • Simple ingredients, quick to make
  • Soft, moist cupcakes with a light crumb
  • Kid-friendly and perfect for school treats
  • Not overly sweet, balanced flavor
  • Frosting is fluffy, stable and easy to pipe

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Ingredients for Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes recipe in clear glass bowls

For the cupcakes:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:

1 1/5 cup heavy cream (cold)

8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes
Vanilla buttermilk cupcakes

HOW TO MAKE

Cupcakes:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a cupcake pan
  • Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl
Dry ingredients for vanilla cupcakes in a clear bowl
  • Beat eggs and sugar, then add vanilla and oil
Eggs and sugar in a glass bowl ready to be mixed for vanilla cupcakes batter
Beaten eggs and sugar mixture light and foamy for vanilla cupcakes
  • Add dry ingredients and buttermilk in batches
Flour added to wet cupcake batter in a mixing bowl before combining
  • Mix just until combined (don’t overmix)
Smooth vanilla cupcake batter fully mixed and ready for baking
  • Fill liners 2/3 full
Vanilla cupcake batter portioned into paper liners in a muffin pan before baking
  • Bake 14–16 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean
Freshly baked vanilla cupcakes cooling on a wire rack after baking
  • Cool completely

Frosting:

  • Whip cold heavy cream to soft peaks, refrigerate
Smooth and creamy vanilla whipped cream in a glass bowl
  • Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth
Cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla in a bowl
  • Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture
Smooth and creamy vanilla whipped cream in a glass bowl
  • Pipe onto cooled cupcakes
Vanilla cupcake with smooth white frosting and sprinkles in a pastel paper liner

RECIPE TIPS

  • Use buttermilk for soft, tender cupcakes
  • Cream cheese must be room temperature
  • Heavy cream must be cold
  • Don’t overmix batter → keeps cupcakes fluffy
  • Frosting too soft? Add a little more powdered sugar
Vanilla cupcake cut in half showing soft, fluffy and moist crumb texture

STORAGE

Bring to room temp before serving

Store in fridge up to 3 days

SUBSTITUTION

No buttermilk?
Use 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tsp lemon juice, rest 5 minutes

Although I love my Original Yellow Cupcakes Recipe, (with white chocolate frosting), I knew for sure I was doing white colored frosting, since it is a bridal color. Plain cream cheese frosting is one of my favorites, but I decided to try something a little different.

I remember seeing this Cupcake Frosting Recipe on one of my favorite blogs I follow – Natasha’s Kitchen. It is a cream cheese and whipped cream frosting, which worked perfect for my vanilla buttermilk cupcakes.

Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes
Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes

FAQ

Why are my cupcake tops sticky or slightly wet?

This can happen if the oven wasn’t fully preheated or the batter had slightly more moisture. Let them cool — they often set as they rest. If needed, bake 2–3 minutes longer.

Why did my cupcakes sink in the middle?

Overmixing batter
Old baking soda/powder
Underbaking

Do I need buttermilk?

Highly recommended — it makes a big difference in texture. You can make it yourself with milk and lemon juice.

How to make buttermilk at home

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can easily make a quick substitute:

  • Add 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar to
  • 1/2 cup milk

Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.

Then use it in the recipe as regular buttermilk.

It won’t be exactly the same as real buttermilk, but it works well and gives you very good results.

Top view of homemade vanilla cupcakes with creamy frosting in paper liners

More Similar Recipes:

Vanilla cupcakes with white frosting arranged on a light surface with sprinkles
5 from 8 votes

Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting

By Lyubomira L
Soft and moist vanilla buttermilk cupcakes topped with a light cream cheese and whipped cream frosting. Easy to make and perfect for parties, school treats or everyday baking.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 12
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Ingredients 

Cupcakes:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk

Frosting:

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/5 cup heavy cream, cold
US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

Cupcakes:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line cupcake pan
  • In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
  • Beat eggs and sugar until light, then add vanilla and oil
  • Add dry ingredients and buttermilk in batches, mixing gently
  • Do not overmix
  • Fill liners 2/3 full
  • Bake 14–16 minutes until done
  • Cool completely

Frosting:

  • Whip cold heavy cream to soft peaks, chill
  • Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth
  • Fold whipped cream into mixture
  • Pipe onto cooled cupcakes

Notes

  • Use buttermilk for best texture
  • Cream cheese must be soft, heavy cream cold
  • Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too soft
  • Store refrigerated

Nutrition

Calories: 422kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 81mg, Sodium: 241mg, Potassium: 144mg, Sugar: 33g, Vitamin A: 660IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 0.9mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @cookinglsl or tag #cookinglsl!

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Hi! I'm Mira.

I share simple, mostly low-carb and Keto recipes, that don't take a lot of time to make and use mostly seasonal, easy to find ingredients. I'm a supporter of healthy eating, but you'll also find some indulgent treats too.

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Recipe Rating




49 Comments

  1. Hi Mira! I made a test of these this morning for a function I have coming up this weekend. Every other recipe I’ve tried, even from super pro bakers, is dry. These are nice and moist and delicious. The only problem I’ve come across is that I followed everything to a T and the tops of the cupcakes are a touch goopy. So I put them back in for a few more minutes and the tops are still a touch goopy. The rest of the cupcakes are cooked just fine, it’s just their little tops. Any tips on how to tell when these are done baking? Should there be any browning on the edges? Or will the tops dry up upon cooling and sitting out for a bit? (they’re literally still cooling on the counter right now)

    Reply

    1. Hi Laura, Thank you! I have never had an issue with the tops being goopy with this recipe, but I know that things like this can happen. Did you pre heat the oven to 350 F for at least 30 minutes before you put the cupcake tin in the oven? There could be some browning on the edges and if the tops are a little goopy, let them dry until they cool off. I’d hate to tell you to bake them longer, because they might become too dry and not as delicious. No more than 2-4 more minutes. Sometimes the moisture of the ingredients differs and this may cause the goopiness on top. How to tell when they are done baking – toothpick inserted should come out clean. There could be some goopiness in the middle and a little browning around the edges. Let me know how they turned out after cooling.

      Reply

  2. I tried the recipe and they dipped a lot in the middle and the cupcake stuck to the wrapper and was a bit crunchy around the edges. ☹️

    Reply

    1. Hi sorry for your experience!
      Possibly you used old baking soda/powder (that has been open for a while)?
      Also the batter could have been over mixed, you may have hot spots in your oven, or the cupcakes just needed longer baking time since they sank in the middle.
      This is my go to recipe and I never have issues with it.
      Sorry you did not like it!

      Reply

  3. These are absolutely the best cupcakes I have ever eaten. They have great vanilla flavor; they’re tender with a little crispiness at the edges, and the inside has the best texture. This will be my go-to recipe from now on. I appreciate that you use the method of adding the liquid and the dry ingredients in increments. The only thing I would mention is that I had learned some years ago to always end with adding the dry mixture last, so there’s no liquid that didn’t mix in. I somewhat overfilled my cupcake liners so I added three minutes to the baking time. (at 14 mins my finger still left a dent on top). Thank you, thank you so much, my dear!

    Reply