The Links Site

Home. Garden. Recipes

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Bars, Brownies & Slices
    • Breads
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Burgers & Sandwiches
    • Cakes & Cupcakes
    • Candy
    • Cookies & Biscuits
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Holidays & Special Occasions
    • Lemon Recipes
    • Mains
    • Muffins
    • Pizza
    • Salads
    • Sauces and Marinades
    • Scones
    • Snacks
    • Soup
  • Kitchen
  • Garden
  • Craft
  • How To
  • DIY
  • About/Contact
    • Disclosure and Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / Recipes / Quick and Easy Vanilla Cupcakes

Quick and Easy Vanilla Cupcakes

Last updated on: November 28, 2023 By Kaylene Filed Under: Cakes & Cupcakes, Recipes 2 Comments

These vanilla cupcakes are as easy as a boxed mix but they taste twice as good! thelinkssite.com

This recipe for vanilla cupcakes is just as easy as a boxed mix but they taste twice as good!

I used to think that when you want to make a basic recipe such as a plain vanilla cupcake there was nothing easier than using a boxed mix. They don’t necessarily taste as good as homemade but they always seemed so much more convenient when you’re in a hurry.

I changed my mind however when I came across this vanilla cupcake recipe. Once you try this recipe you’ll say goodbye to the box mix and hello to fluffy, made from scratch, delicious vanilla cupcakes! They are so good!

I have modified the recipe just a little but it is still super easy. It’s quick too; it takes 20 minutes to whip them up and 20 minutes for them to cook. You can have a batch of these whipped up, cooled, and iced in around an hour!

Even without any frosting these vanilla cupcakes look hard to resist! thelinkssite.com

For me less washing up is just as important as ease of preparation. For this reason I creamed my softened butter and sugar by hand. Mainly because I couldn’t be bothered getting the mixer out but also because I wanted to minimise the washing up. You can certainly use an electric mixer for this step if you prefer. But I love the fact that you can mix these vanilla cupcakes up in one bowl and all you have to wash is the bowl and the spoon! You also get a short arm workout if you cream the butter and sugar by hand! 😉

I used a muffin tin to bake the cupcakes and they came out at just the right size. Most of the cakes were either just under or level with the top of the cupcake liner.

How to make the best vanilla cupcakes from scratch! thelinkssite.com

These vanilla cupcakes take me back to when I was a kid. Mum used to make all the cakes, biscuits, and slices that we ate. I think that I will be making lots more of these vanilla cupcakes in the future now that I know how easy they are to make!

The icing that I made consisted of icing sugar, water, and a small amount of butter.  However, you could use whatever frosting that you like.

These vanilla cupcakes are so moist and fluffy; it is hard to stop at one! thelinkssite.com

I topped them with sprinkles but you could add some sparkle by topping them with homemade sugar glitter! And don’t forget, if you want to make these for a special occasion, you can make some of these customised cupcake/muffin liners!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Quick and Easy Vanilla Cupcakes

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: The Links Site
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 12
  • Category: Dessert, Snack
  • Cuisine: Cake, Cupcake
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

This recipe for vanilla cupcakes is just as easy as a boxed mix but they taste twice as good!


Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 2/3 cup (160g) softened butter
  • 2/3 cup (160g) of sugar
  • 3/4 cup (120g) of self-raising flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Icing

  • 1 cup (150g) of icing sugar
  • 5 g of butter
  • 1 tablespoon of very hot water (I use water from a recently boiled kettle)
  • sprinkles

Instructions

To make cupcakes

  1. Preheat oven to 180 °C (350 °F) and line 12 medium muffin wells with paper cases.
  2. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.*
  3. Add vanilla and stir to combine.
  4. Beat in eggs one at a time then mix in the flour.
  5. Spoon into prepared paper cases and bake for 20 minutes or until golden and a cake tester/toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  6. After removing from oven, leave cupcakes in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make icing

  1. Place butter in a small heatproof bowl/mug and add water and stir to dissolve
  2. Add icing sugar and mix thoroughly (mixture should be a thick but spreadable consistency).
  3. If too thick add more water 1 -2 drops at a time, if too runny add more icing sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
  4. Spread cupcakes with prepared icing and top with sprinkles of your choice.

Notes

*beat vigorously by hand for around 5 minutes or use an electric mixer for this step


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 57g
  • Calories: 229
  • Sugar: 21g
  • Sodium: 202mg
  • Fat: 12.6g
  • Saturated Fat: 7.5g
  • Trans Fat: 0.5g
  • Carbohydrates: 27g
  • Fiber: 0g
  • Protein: 3g
  • Cholesterol: 82mg

Did you like this recipe?

I’d love it if you give it a pin on Pinterest!

These easy homemade vanilla cupcakes taste so much better than a boxed mix! thelinkssite.com

Related Posts

  • Frosted Choc Orange Cupcakes

    I love orange cakes and I love chocolate cakes, so when I had some spare oranges lying around I decided I just had to make some of these choc orange…

  • Delicious Lemon Cake with Lemon Drizzle Topping! thelinkssite.com
    Easy Lemon Cake with Lemon Drizzle Topping (Almost a one bowl recipe!)

    If you’re a fan of sweet lemon treats (like me) you are going to love this Easy Lemon Cake with its tangy lemon drizzle topping! I was looking through some…

  • I love using plums in this cake; the sweetness of the cake and the tartness of the plums just seem to work so well! thelinkssite.com
    Delicious Plum or Apple Cake (or whatever fruit you have!)

    Make this quick and easy snack/dessert cake using your favourite fruit. It is delicious with plums or apples but you could also use apricots, raspberries, or rhubarb! One of my…

  • The nuts in the top this chocolate walnut cake means that it doesn’t need any icing! thelinkssite.com
    One Bowl Chocolate Walnut Cake

    When you need a tasty chocolate cake in a hurry you can’t go past this One Bowl Chocolate Walnut Cake. Topped with walnuts this cake doesn’t even need icing! I…

Comments

  1. Laura says

    July 23, 2018 at 10:14 am

    the icing need flavoring. Use l tsp of almond or maple extract or maple syrup, vanilla. it changes the taste and enhances the taste of the cake.

    Reply
    • Kaylene says

      July 23, 2018 at 5:10 pm

      Yes I thought that readers might vary the icing recipe to suit their taste. I just included the basic recipe that I often use so that people would have a starting point. Thanks for your flavour suggestions Laura, I might try adding some almond extract when I make this icing next time!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Lets Get Social!

Popular Posts

Quick and Easy Scone Recipe (Only 3 Ingredients!)

3 Ingredient Fruit Cake

Plate of fruit scones.

Easy Fruit Scones (Only 5 Ingredients!)

Rows of Chewy Sultana Squares on a blue and white plate.

Chewy Sultana Squares Recipe (Only 3 Ingredients!)

Removing Sticky Labels and Glue Residue from Jars

Top half of image shows front of red car covered in dead bugs. Bottom half of image shows front of red car that is clean and free from dead bugs. Text overlay says Top 4 Ways to Clean Dead Bugs From Your Car!

Top Four Ways to Clean Dead Bugs from the Front of a Car

Central Sour Cream Lemon Muffin in a muffin liner on a blue and green striped tablecloth. There are more muffins on a cooling rack in the background.

Sour Cream Lemon Muffins

Plate of plum muffins.

Plum Oat Muffins

This Beef and Cabbage Chow Mein is sure to be a family favourite in your house like it is in mine! thelinkssite.com

Beef and Cabbage Chow Mein Recipe

Diosmas: A Very Hardy Plant for Your Garden

Controlling Oxalis Weeds in the Garden

Quick and Easy Sausage Rolls

I love using plums in this cake; the sweetness of the cake and the tartness of the plums just seem to work so well! thelinkssite.com

Delicious Plum or Apple Cake (or whatever fruit you have!)

Green and white garden shed with sliding doors.

Changing Sliding Shed Door Glides

Walnut Raisin Loaf Recipe

Recent Posts

Collage of lemon recipes including cookies, cakes, cheesecake, and lemon curd. Text in the middle says, “25 Sweet Lemon Recipes For Serious Lemon Lovers”.

25 Sweet Lemon Recipes for Serious Lemon Lovers

Stack of 5 biscuits with more seen in the background.

Rolled Oat Biscuits

Three pieces of zucchini slice stacked one on top of the other.

Zucchini Slice Recipe – Zucchini, Bacon, and Cheese Heaven!

Loaf of white bread on a wooden cutting board with some slices cut.

Simple Homemade Bread Recipe (by hand or bread machine)

Lemon curd is dripping from a spoon into a Pale blue bowl containing more lemon curd. The bowl is on a wooden board and three lemons can be seen in the background.

Easiest Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe

3 Rows of hedgehog squares are lined up on a piece of baking paper. Part of a white plate with more squares can be seen in the background.

Fudgy Hedgehog Squares

Grey and white cat in a leopard print play tunnel. There are lots of various cat toys in the foreground and two cat trees in the background.

Simple Cat Toy Storage Idea

Iced lemon brownies on a blue plate. A blue and white patterned tea towel, two whole lemons, and a half of a lemon can be seen in the background.

Tangy Lemon Brownies

Two rows of radish plants growing in the soil with a drip irrigation hose running down the middle. A plastic plant marker labelled ‘Cherry Belle Radish’ is sticking out of the soil in front of the plants.

Easy Plastic Plant Markers

Buns are shown still joined together on baking paper and on a cooling rack.

Delicious Mini Hot Cross Buns

Recent Posts

  • 25 Sweet Lemon Recipes for Serious Lemon Lovers
  • Rolled Oat Biscuits
  • Zucchini Slice Recipe – Zucchini, Bacon, and Cheese Heaven!
  • Simple Homemade Bread Recipe (by hand or bread machine)
  • Easiest Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe

A Little About Me

Hi, I'm Kaylene, and I'm a keen gardener,budding baker and wannabe DIYer!

I love looking for great ideas online and this is where I share what I find! Read More…

Search this Site

Copyright © 2025 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress

MENU
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Bars, Brownies & Slices
    • Breads
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Burgers & Sandwiches
    • Cakes & Cupcakes
    • Candy
    • Cookies & Biscuits
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Holidays & Special Occasions
    • Lemon Recipes
    • Mains
    • Muffins
    • Pizza
    • Salads
    • Sauces and Marinades
    • Scones
    • Snacks
    • Soup
  • Kitchen
  • Garden
  • Craft
  • How To
  • DIY
  • About/Contact
    • Disclosure and Privacy Policy