Vanilla Cupcakes

American vanilla cupcakes with a fine, soft crumb, topped with a swirl of vanilla buttercream.

Some days you want a cake all to yourself, no knife or plate needed. That’s exactly what a vanilla cupcake is for: you peel off the liner and bite first into the swirl of buttercream, just barely crusted on top and meltingly soft underneath, then into a fine crumb that smells of vanilla.

A pinch of salt keeps the whole thing from being too tame. The first one goes fast, and so does the second.

What Is a Vanilla Cupcake?

A cupcake is a small single-serving cake, baked in a paper liner nestled in a muffin pan, then frosted.

The all-vanilla version pairs a vanilla-scented butter batter with American buttercream (unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt) piped into a swirl with a piping tip.

It’s one of the best-known desserts in American cuisine. A muffin looks similar, but it’s less sweet, its batter is barely mixed, and it’s eaten without frosting.

The name comes from the English word cup. The first cupcakes were baked in earthenware cups or ramekins, and in the 19th century the word also referred to cakes whose ingredients were measured by the cup.

From Earthenware Cups to New York Bakeries

The first written record dates back to 1796. In American Cookery, considered the first American cookbook, Amelia Simmons gives a recipe for a “light cake to bake in small cups.”

Muffin pans didn’t exist yet, and in the ovens of the day these small portions baked faster and more evenly than large cakes.

For more than a century, the cupcake remained a homemade treat: afternoon snacks, kids’ parties, school bake sales. In the early 2000s, New York bakeries turned it into a trendy dessert, and the craze then spread to the rest of the world.

Today you’ll find it in lemon, chocolate or fruit flavors, but the all-vanilla version is still the classic, right up there with American cookies or American carrot cake.

The Main Ingredients in Vanilla Cupcakes

The batter starts with a low-protein flour: American cake flour or, in France, T45 flour. Failing that, T55 flour with about 15 percent of its weight replaced by cornstarch will do the job. Granulated sugar sweetens and browns the tops, baking powder provides the lift, and baking soda reacts with the acidity of the sour cream to lighten the crumb.

Unsalted butter brings the flavor, while neutral oil keeps the cakes moist once they’ve cooled. The egg yolk added to the whole egg contributes richness and color, and the sour cream adds creaminess along with a slight tang. In France, you can sometimes find it in the refrigerated section; if not, thick crème fraîche can stand in for it.

The buttercream combines unsalted butter whipped until pale, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt. A few spoonfuls of heavy cream or milk, added one at a time, adjust its consistency. Food coloring is optional.

Technique Tips for Successful Cupcakes

The batter is made using what’s known as the “two-stage” method: first you coat the flour with the butter and oil until it looks like wet sand, then you add the liquids. Less gluten develops, so the crumb stays fine and tender. The classic method, which starts by creaming the butter and sugar, gives a more pronounced dome. Fill the liners two-thirds full so the batter can rise without overflowing.

For the swirl, you need an open star tip and a buttercream soft enough to pipe without tearing yet firm enough to hold its shape. As it dries, the powdered sugar forms a thin crust that keeps the ridges well defined.

Frosted cupcakes keep for 2 days at room temperature in an airtight container, never in the refrigerator: the cold dries out the crumb.

For an American-style afternoon snack spread, they go well with American pancakes or their Japanese counterpart, extra-fluffy Japanese pancakes. On the chocolate front, the buttercream can also be made with cocoa, and American brownies round out the platter.