Description
Soft and fluffy small batch vanilla cupcakes made with simple ingredients, perfect when you only need 6 cupcakes. This is my go-to base in pastry for testing frostings or making a quick vanilla treat.
Ingredients
- 50 g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 75 g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 68 g (1/4 cup) buttermilk
- 75 g (1/2 cup) cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder (about 5 g)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 347°F/175°C and line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
- Mix and sift the flour, salt, and baking powder, then set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the sugar for about 1 minute until creamy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat again for at least 2 minutes until smooth.
- Alternately fold in the dry ingredients and buttermilk until the batter is smooth and homogeneous.
- Divide the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 14–17 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.
- Let cool a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.
Notes
Storage: Keep plain cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days.
Tips:
- Use a kitchen scale for precise measurements in small batch baking.
- Ingredients at room temperature give a smoother cupcake batter.
- Swap buttermilk with whole milk, yogurt, or sour cream if needed.
- Don’t overmix; fold gently for a soft, fluffy crumb.
- Fill liners only 2/3–3/4 full for even domes.
Frostings : use any frosting you love, like vanilla buttercream, mascarpone frosting, chocolate ganache.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: cupcakes, cakes
- Cuisine: American