Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (2024)

  • Cakes

If you love vanilla flavor, these are the desserts for you!

By

Sheena Chihak, RD

Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (1)

Sheena Chihak, RD

Sheena Chihak is a registered dietitian, former food editor and current edit lead for BHG with over 17 years of writing and editing experience for both print and digital.

Learn about BHG's Editorial Process

and

Sarah Martens

Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (2)

Sarah Martens

Sarah Martens is the Senior Editor overseeing food at Better Homes & Gardens digital. She has been with the BHG brand for more than 10 years.

Learn about BHG's Editorial Process

Updated on January 19, 2024

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Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (3)

Vanilla cakes and cupcakes, including simple plain white cakes and cupcakes, as well as more upscale versions such as a cozy rum-infused variation, make irresistible desserts everyone will love. Plus, we fill you in on darling ways to dress up these classic treats!

Classic Vanilla Cake

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Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (4)

Forget glitzy sprinkles and elaborate icings. Simplicity is best when it comes to classic vanilla cake. Cover the nostalgic dessert in swirls of pure white frosting made with a special ingredient: sour cream.

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Simple White Cupcakes with Creamy Frosting

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Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (5)

Simply classic, these tender vanilla cupcakes are ready to be dressed up with a swirl of creamy frosting and your favorite toppers. Make the frosting with a combination of butter and cream cheese.

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Cherry-Almond Vanilla Cupcakes

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Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (6)

The mellow flavor of vanilla partners with rich almond extract and tart cherry juice in these dreamy pink desserts. Hide a maraschino cherry in the center of each cupcake for a sweet surprise.

9 Healthy Cherry Recipes to Add Sweet-Tart Flavor to Your Meals

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Vanilla Sparkling Wine Pound Cake

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Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (7)

Make tea time sweeter with a slice of this luscious vanilla pound cake. We add a splash of sparkling wine to its special homemade glaze to give the cake some crisp flavor.

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Vanilla Ruffle Cake

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Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (8)

When it comes to pretty vanilla cakes, ruffles never go out of style. Use a frosting-filled pastry bag to pipe adorable pink ruffles onto this plain Jane cake. Watch our step-by-step video for tips and tricks on how to decorate!

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Vanilla Cake with Buttercream, Berries, and Jam

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For an elegant dessert, place fresh berries and swirls of buttercream frosting between stacks of soft vanilla cake. Don't forget to drizzle on strawberry jam for extra fruity flavor.

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Italian Cream Cake

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Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (10)

Flaky coconut, crunchy pecans, and smooth spoonfuls of cream cheese frosting take this simple vanilla cake from bland to beautiful. The Italian-inspired cake makes a delicious addition to any party or special occasion.

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Vanilla Bean-Coconut Cupcakes

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Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (11)

Vanilla infuses these mouthwatering cupcakes with its inviting flavor and aroma. Toasted coconut adds a subtle touch of color and flavor as a garnish.

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Japanese Christmas Cake

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Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (12)

While this dessert is commonly made during the month of December, it's delicious vanilla cake recipe to try any time. Layers of tender sponge cake, vanilla cream, and strawberries make this a total showstopper. To complement the vanilla flavor, the baked cake layers are brushed with an orange liqueur mixture.

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Million Dollar Pound Cake

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Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (13)

Our readers have called this cake "yummy" and "a go-to recipe." We love the moist cake topped with whipped cream and berries. For even more vanilla flavor, soak your berries in a little vanilla bean paste and sugar before topping the pound cake.

Our Best Million Dollar Recipes Are Rich and Decadent

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French Yogurt Cake with Apricot-Cherry Compote

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Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (14)

Here, vanilla yogurt is the secret to adding flavor and moisture to this simple cake. If you can't find French-style yogurt in the grocery store, Greek yogurt makes a great substitute. Once baked and cooled, top the finished cake with a homemade apricot-cherry compote and more vanilla yogurt.

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Vanilla Bean Cake with Pecan Praline Glaze

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Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (15)

Two full vanilla beans in the batter ensure this cake recipe is full of flavor. It's great on its own but a drizzle of pecan praline glaze takes it over the top. We recommend letting the praline set before slicing and serving.

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Malted Vanilla Cake

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Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (16)

Rather than vanilla extract, our Test Kitchen recommends using vanilla bean paste in this layer cake recipe. Make the homemade malted vanilla frosting with more vanilla, butter, evaporated milk, and malted milk powder.

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Our 13 Best Vanilla Cake and Cupcake Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between cupcakes and birthday cakes? ›

Cakes are baked in large pans, usually round or square, and take half an hour or more to bake fully. Cupcakes, on the other hand, are baked in tins with several cups. Each cup is much smaller than a large cake pan, so a batch of cupcakes usually takes only about 15 minutes to bake.

Can I make cupcakes 3 days in advance? ›

If you're baking cupcakes for a party or event, it's best to make them one to two days in advance so that they're still fresh on the day. This also gives you enough time to decorate your cupcakes just before the event. Baking cupcakes a day or two before an event also allows time for mistakes.

What is the key to moist cupcakes? ›

"Baking fluffy, moist cupcakes is all about creating air bubbles in your batter that expand in the oven," she says. "If you overmix your batter, you collapse those bubbles and end up with a brick-like cake." Always mix at a low speed to avoid this, stopping just as all ingredients blend.

What not to do when making cupcakes? ›

  1. Not preheating the oven. This is a common mistake that can lead to a cake that is not cooked evenly. ...
  2. Not using the right pan. ...
  3. Not greasing and flouring the pan. ...
  4. Not measuring the ingredients correctly. ...
  5. Overmixing the batter. ...
  6. Opening the oven too often. ...
  7. Not letting the cake cool completely before frosting.
Feb 7, 2020

Is it cheaper to buy or make a birthday cake? ›

If you enjoy baking and have the necessary tools and skills, making your own birthday cake can be a cost-effective and rewarding choice. On the other hand, if you lack the time, skills, or interest in baking, purchasing a store-bought cake may be more convenient, albeit at a potentially higher cost.

Which birthday cake is more tasty? ›

Chocolate. No list of best flavoured cakes for birthdays and anniversaries is complete without the classic chocolate cake ,its popularity and rich, delectable flavour make chocolate cake one of the best cake flavours for birthdays and celebrations.

Is it rude to refuse birthday cake? ›

No, it isn't rude to refuse cake at a birthday party. It's never rude to refuse any food offered to you with a simple, “No, thank you.” People have medical conditions such as diabetes and may not want to eat cake. People may not even like cake.

What is the best cake mix for cupcakes? ›

What's the best boxed cake mix? We tested 10 and found a winner.
  • Trader Joe's Yellow Cake and Baking Mix.
  • 365 (Whole Foods) Classic Yellow Cake Mix.
  • King Arthur Golden Yellow Cake and Cupcake Mix.
  • Jiffy Golden Yellow Cake Mix.
  • Birch Benders Cupcake and Cake Mix Keto Classic Yellow.
  • Krusteaz Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix.
May 19, 2023

How to make cupcakes taste like bakery? ›

Replace water 1:1 with milk (ideally whole milk, but you can use any kind you want) Replace oil with melted butter and double the amount (1/2 cup becomes 1 cup, etc.) Add an extra egg (or two if you want the cupcakes to be very rich, or if you're using medium eggs)

What can I add to cupcakes to make them moist? ›

Add an extra egg: Egg yolks contain fat and emulsifiers that help bind the batter and contribute to a moist texture. Adding an extra egg will make your cake significantly more moist and flavorful.

Should I refrigerate cupcakes with buttercream frosting? ›

The good news for such events is that buttercream cupcakes can stay out at room temperature for two days. You should only turn to the fridge if you've used frosting with dairy or eggs, and this is for food safety reasons. In fact, it's actually not a good idea to refrigerate frosted cupcakes.

Do you refrigerate cupcakes after frosting? ›

The easiest way to store decorated cupcakes is simply to put them in an airtight container. There are specialized carriers and storage containers that make it even easier to preserve cupcakes, but any ol' Tupperware will do. Frosted cupcakes will stay fresh in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days at room temperature.

Can you leave cupcakes out of the fridge overnight? ›

Plain cupcakes without any icing or frosting can keep for up to a week on your kitchen counter, but iced cupcakes, or those with a sweet filling, will only last 2-4 days. Cupcakes topped with buttercream or other dairy ingredients need to be stored in the fridge and can last for 3-5 days refrigerated.

What's the most important ingredient in a cupcake? ›

Flour is the main ingredient of the batter and provides the base for the cupcake. Butter or oil provides flavor, tenderizes the batter and helps provide volume.

How do you keep cupcakes moist and fluffy? ›

🚨 An easy tip for keeping your cupcakes moist is to remove them from the pan 2 minutes after you remove them from the oven. I see so many people who let their cupcakes continue to sit in the pan. 😞 Use a cooling rack to allow the heat to rotate-so that you can keep those cakes moist ladies.

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