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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.
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
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
HOW TO MAKE
Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a cupcake pan
- Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl
- Beat eggs and sugar, then add vanilla and oil
- Add dry ingredients and buttermilk in batches
- Mix just until combined (don’t overmix)
- Fill liners 2/3 full
- Bake 14–16 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean
- Cool completely
Frosting:
- Whip cold heavy cream to soft peaks, refrigerate
- Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth
- Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture
- Pipe onto cooled cupcakes
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
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.
FAQ
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.
Overmixing batter
Old baking soda/powder
Underbaking
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.
More Similar Recipes:
Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting
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
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
wow, this looks so soft and moist inside it’s like a dream come true! these looks so melt in yo mouth YUMMM
Thanks Michelle!
You can never go wrong with a classic vanilla cupcake! Wish I had one to devour right now – they look so delicious!!
Rhanks Thalia!
Oooh they look so pretty!! I love classic vanilla cupcakes! Pinned!
Thanks so much Christina!
This is a great frosting Mira!! A great one to add to my limited baking repertoire 🙂 I am very fussy about my frostings and I can tell that this is a great one. The combo of cream cheese and whipped cream is great because it loosens up the cream cheese and makes it fluffier which you don’t get with many cream cheese frostings!! Re: buttermilk, I find the milk/lemon juice substitution works fine with other recipes I have tried. Works best when milk is at room temperature. Just let it stand with the lemon juice until it curdles, then use as per the recipe!
Thanks a lot Nagi! This frosting turned perfect! Just tried the buttermilk substitute with another recipe and worked out fine! Thanks for the info 🙂
I certainly know what you mean about the frosting on cupcakes … I’ve never used a piping bag before, can you believe it? I mean, what kind of a food blogger hasn’t done that? 😉
Yours look beautiful and are definitely a great incentive for me to try the frosting, too. Great idea to use buttermilk in the cupcakes for moisture, too! 🙂
Hey Helen, it is total fine! You can decorate even without a piping bag, but with the appropriate tip, it is really easy to just pipe frosting, ( no fancy decoration). I hope you try try and like the frosting 🙂
Cupcakes are my favorite thing to bring to parties also! Yours are beautiful! Love the vanilla on vanilla here.
Thanks Joanne!
Vanilla cupcakes are my favorite! I can never pass up a delicious cupcake and these look perfect!
Thanks a lot Ashley!!!
Nothing is more satisfying than vanilla to me. Love the simplicity. You don’t mess around with the perfect vanilla cupcake! Yum!!!
Thanks Allison, I’m glad you like them!
I love vanilla cupcakes! Yours look amazing! The cream cheese frosting sounds sooo good! Pinned it!
Thanks so much Kate!!!
Mira these are some seriously beautiful cupcakes! Like you, I never spend enough time or energy decorating cupcakes. But, it sounds like you have a great consistency worked out with this frosting and your frosting looks perfect, so maybe there is hope for me yet. 🙂 My other idea on Buttermilk is one I learned from Cook’s Illustrated. At the grocery store (or even Walmart), they sell a dry (powdered) buttermilk mix in the dry milk section. It keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator and you just add water and you get buttermilk! I would not use this for a raw application like salad dressing, but I have used it many times in baked goods with excellent results. Pinning these glorious cupcakes!
Wow Meggan, thanks for the info, I’ll look for that powdered buttermilk mix, I’m excited to try it! Thanks for pinning!