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White cupcakes are light, fluffy, and perfectly moist! Swirled with delicious white frosting and topped with sprinkles, these cupcakes are to die for!
A good cupcake is irresistible and this one is no exception! If you love cupcakes as much as I do then you definitely want to try this Chocolate, Lemon, and these perfect Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes! They are all so delicious!
White Cupcakes
I absolutely LOVE cupcakes! There are so many different flavors, colors, and toppings. But in my opinion, you cannot beat the classic white cupcake. It not only looks elegant but the texture is absolute perfection! It’s moist and fluffy and melts in your mouth when you take a bite! Not only is the cupcake delicious but once you add on that swirled frosting then it really is perfect!
These cupcakes are so easy to make! Using ingredients that you have in your kitchen, you can make these cupcakes in less than 45 minutes. That’s including time to frost them! Once you are done baking these cupcakes, you can switch up the frosting to change things up! Try this Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, this yummy MUST Try Cream Cheese Frosting and this delicious Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. A white cupcake can be mixed and matched with so many different flavors! Go ahead and try them, I bet that you can’t just stop with just one batch!
Ingredients in White Cupcakes
The best part about these cupcakes is that anyone can make them! Simple but delicious ingredients are what make these cupcakes so classic! See the recipe card below for a list of exact ingredient measurements.
- Flour: I used cake flour in this recipe.
- Granulated sugar: The sugar is what makes these taste so sweet.
- Baking powder: This makes your cupcakes light and airy!
- Baking soda: This will make it so that you cupcake rises.
- Salt: The salt enhances the flavors of all of the other ingredients.
- Buttermilk: You can use store bought buttermilk you you can try making this homemade buttermilk! It’s perfect for this recipe!
- Milk: You can use 1% or 2% milk for this recipe.
- Clear vanilla: By using clear vanilla, you keep these cupcakes looking perfectly white!
- Vegetable oil: This is what will make your cupcakes so moist.
- Egg whites: By not using the yolks, the egg whites can combine all of the ingredients without adding any flavor to the cupcakes.
Frosting
- Butter: Make sure that your unsalted butter is at room temperature when you go to mix it.
- Powdered sugar: Using this type of sugar helps the frosting be smooth.
- Milk: You can use 1% or 2% milk for the frosting!
- Pure vanilla extract: This creates the perfect flavor of frosting.
- Salt: Salt enhances the flavor of the frosting!
Let’s Bake Some Cupcakes!
These white cupcakes only take 45 minutes from start to finish! This makes them the perfect dessert for any last-minute party or event!
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 350° and line two muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients and fold in egg whites: Add the buttermilk, milk, vanilla, and oil to the dry ingredients and beat with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or a hand mixer just until fully combined. In a separate bowl whip the egg whites until you get medium stiff peaks and gently fold into the batter.
- Fill cupcake liners and bake: Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners until they are ⅔ of the way full. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops of the cupcakes bounce back when lightly pressed. Let the cupcakes cool.
- Frost and serve: Frost the cupcakes as desired and serve!
Frosting
- Combine ingredients and stir: Add butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt to the stand mixer bowl. Stir to mix in all the ingredients! Then, turn the mixer on high speed and beat until the frosting is white and fluffy, about 10-15 minutes.
Baking Tips
These white cupcakes are amazing! You will love how you can mix and match to make them different every time! Here are some quick tips on how to make them turn out just right!
- Room temperature ingredients: It takes a little thought before you actually start but set out your ingredients a few hours before you start baking. Baking with room temperature ingredients helps things mix together and creates a smooth batter and frosting!
- Don’t open the oven early: If you open the oven too soon, it releases too much hot air. This lowers the baking temperature around your cake and the cake will collapse. So, if you must open it to see then try to wait until at least 35 minutes into the baking time. Use the oven light while you wait.
- Cake flour: The reason that I use cake flour instead of regular flour is because it makes the cake more tender! If you don’t have cake flour, don’t worry! You can make it from scratch! For every 1 cup of all purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons of the flour and replace with cornstarch. Then, you will sift it together. Once it’s been fully sifted, then measure out the amount of flour that you need for the recipe!
How to Store Leftovers
Cupcakes are fantastic the next day! Here is how you can store them so that they still taste fresh! Because these cupcakes have frosting, they should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Or if you are making them a day or two ahead of time, keep them refrigerated. Take them out of the fridge about 15 minutes before you plan to serve to let them come to room temperature! Enjoy!
More Cupcakes to Try
Once you start trying out different recipes then you can’t stop! They are so delicious and there are so many different kinds! I have come up with a few of my favorites for you to try! I couldn’t pick just one! Go ahead and try them all, Im sure that you will have a hard time choosing too!
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The BEST White Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 egg whites
Frosting
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, two sticks room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons Milk
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- A big pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two muffin pans with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the buttermilk, milk, vanilla, and oil to the dry ingredients and beat with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or a hand mixer just until fully combined. In a separate bowl whip the egg whites until you get medium-stiff peaks and gently fold into the batter.
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners until they are ⅔ of the way full. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick, comes out clean and the tops of the cupcakes bounce back when lightly pressed. Let the cupcakes cool.
- Frost the cupcakes as desired and serve!
Frosting
- Add butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt to the stand mixer bowl. Stir to incorporate all the ingredients, then turn the mixer on high speed and beat until the frosting is white and fluffy about 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Is 1 tablespoon of baking powder correct? It seems to be a lot! I’m thinking of substituting full fat sour cream for the buttermilk, do you think that’s ok? Thanks.
Thank you for catching that! The white cupcakes should be 2 teaspoons of baking powder. I have updated the recipe card. For the sour cream, it’s less acidic and thicker than buttermilk so it may not work. The cake may end up denser and not rise properly.
Hi Alyssa,
I would love to make these cupcakes. They look delicious! Can the 1/4 cup of milk be substituted for sour cream instead? In the recipe the amount of baking powder is still 1 tablespoon instead of 2 teaspoons…
Thank you
Yes, the milk can be replaced with sour cream!The 2 teaspoons has been changed to reflect that in the recipe card.
Amazing!!!
I used double the amount of coconut sugar for a sugar-free version.
My family is obsessed with cupcakes I made using this recipe. So good!!