Tiny-Batch Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

This Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes recipe yields six moist, tender cupcakes finished with a simple vanilla buttercream. They’re great for birthdays, housewarming gifts, or a fun after-dinner treat for the whole family!

Why You’ll Love These

• Very simple to put together!
• It makes just six vanilla cupcakes.
• A great fit for new bakers, or for anyone who would rather not keep extra desserts around the house.
• Simple and tasty!
• It goes well with a small batch of vanilla buttercream.
• Wonderfully moist!
• It’s easy to decorate with fresh berries, sprinkles, and more!
• Ideal for birthdays, gifts, or a sweet after-dinner treat!

This small batch vanilla cupcake recipe is also easy to double. I made a double batch for my How to Decorate Cupcakes with a Sprinkled Heart tutorial!

What You Will Need

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this easy vanilla cupcake recipe!

• All-Purpose Flour. King Arthur is my go-to brand. Since flour can still be hard to find in some areas, use whatever you can get!
• Baking Powder. Check the date before you start, since expired baking powder can leave baked goods dense and sunken in the middle. To check it, pour some boiling water over a teaspoon of baking powder. If it fizzes up, it’s still good!
• Salt. A pinch, or 1/8 teaspoon, is all you need.
• Unsalted Butter. Let it soften to room temperature for the best results.
• Granulated Sugar. I’ve been using Simply Nature Organic sugar from ALDI, but plain white granulated sugar works just as well.
• Egg. Just one is needed. It’s best if it’s at room temperature.
• Vanilla Bean Paste. Vanilla extract works too. I like the paste now and then because I love seeing the little vanilla bean specks!
• Whole Milk. 1% milk can be used, but I like the richness of whole milk here.

How to Make Them

Here’s a quick overview of the steps for making this small batch of vanilla cupcakes from scratch. The method is a little different from my other cupcake recipes, but I promise it’s an easy one. Full instructions are in the recipe below!

Step 1. Combine the dry ingredients and the egg. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, blend the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, granulated sugar and egg. On medium-high speed this takes about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl if needed and mix a few seconds more.

Step 2. Stir in the vanilla bean paste and whole milk. Drop the mixer to low for these last two ingredients, then mix for about another 30 seconds.

Step 3. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. A medium cookie scoop works well, or you can use a serving spoon together with a regular spoon. The batter scoops easily and is on the thinner side without being runny, so either method is fine.

Step 4. Bake the vanilla cupcakes. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350°F. The tops should turn a lovely golden yellow and rise into a slight dome.

Step 5. Take them out of the oven and let them cool. Leave the cupcakes in the tin for 5-10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Storing Them

Unfrosted vanilla cupcakes can be made 2-3 days ahead and stored in a tightly sealed container at room temperature.

If the tops feel a bit sticky after storing, leave them uncovered for about 30 minutes before adding frosting.

If high heat or humidity is a problem, the refrigerator is an option. They tend to dry out more that way, so keep them in a well-sealed container!

Useful Tips

A few quick notes to look over before you begin these small batch vanilla cupcakes.

• You can swap in the same amount of vanilla extract for the vanilla bean paste.
• Avoid overmixing the batter. Stop as soon as the dry ingredients disappear into the batter.
• Let the cupcakes sit in the tin for only 5-10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Wait until the cupcakes are fully cool before frosting them.
• I piped the vanilla buttercream using a Wilton 1A decorating tip and a medium piping bag.
• For toppings I used King Arthur Flour’s sparkling sugar along with fresh blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Sprinkles, crushed cookie crumbs, and chocolate syrup are also great options!
• The vanilla buttercream makes just enough for this small batch, and it pipes beautifully through the Wilton 1A tip.
• If you or the person getting the cupcakes isn’t a big frosting fan, you can probably halve the frosting. If you skip piping and just spread it on, you’ll still have enough!

Essential Baking Tools

A hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment will both work. You will also need:

• Cupcake tin. I baked the cupcakes in the middle section of the tin.
• Cupcake liners. For this small batch I used the wavy cupcake liners from Wilton. I’ve used the black ones before for my Devil’s Food Cupcakes. They come in a few other colors too, but those are very hard to track down!
• Spatula(s). My kitchen has a growing stash of spatulas, but my favorites come from GIR. Their mini baby spatulas are perfect for scraping extra batter off the paddle attachment.
• Cookie Scoop. A medium cookie scoop portions the batter evenly into each liner. A large serving spoon paired with a regular spoon also works.

If you tried this Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and tell me what you thought in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by!