Published: by Allison · 564 Comments
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This small batch cupcake recipe makes 5 delicious vanilla cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream frosting. For those times that you’re craving a cupcake, you need a quick dessert, or you’re baking for just a few people – this is the recipe to have on hand.
Five cupcakes, made from scratch, ready in minutes. It doesn’t get much better!
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- These cupcakes are
- Small batch cupcake recipe overview
- Recipe tips
- Serving and storage
- More small batch recipes
- Recipe
These cupcakes are
Quick and easy: Only about 15 minutes of hands on time. No special equipment or techniques needed.
Soft and moist: These cupcakes have a fantastic texture. They bake up soft, moist, and flavorful.
Packed with vanilla: A generous amount of vanilla extract in the cake batter as well as in the frosting gives these cupcakes a classic flavor.
Perfect for small gatherings: If you’re low on ingredients, or only need cupcakes for a handful of people, this is the perfect recipe.
Small batch cupcake recipe overview
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
Whisk egg and sugar until well combined.
Add melted butter and vanilla extract.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) with the milk.
Whisk until fully combined but be careful not to overmix. Transfer the batter into 5 lined muffin cups and bake.
Cool completely before topping with frosting.
Recipe tips
- Make sure your ingredients are measured properly. When making a small batch recipe this is especially important.
- Don’t overmix the cupcake batter, this can make the cupcakes heavy and dense.
- Try not to open the oven during bake time. For even baking and a nice rise, it’s best not to move the pan around too much.
- Prefer a different frosting? You can make a half batch of Strawberry Buttercream or you can add a tablespoon of cocoa powder and a of splash of milk to the vanilla frosting recipe to turn it into chocolate frosting.
Serving and storage
Store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or at cool room temperature for up to 2 days. Serve at room temperature for the best flavor and texture.
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More small batch recipes
- Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
- Small Batch Brownies
- Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Small Chocolate Cake Recipe
Recipe
Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes
A simple and delicious batch of 5 vanilla cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream frosting.
4.66 from 229 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 5
Calories: 318kcal
Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- ½ cup (60g) all purpose flour, see note
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ¼ cup milk, preferably whole or 2% milk
Vanilla frosting:
- 5 tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1¼ cups (156g) powdered sugar, plus more if needed
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon milk, plus more if needed
Instructions
Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 5 liners in a muffin pan.
In a small bowl, combine flour (see note), baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg and sugar for about 30 seconds. Add the vanilla extract and melted butter and whisk until well combined.
Add half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. Add the milk, and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and whisk until combined (being careful not to overmix).
Divide the batter evenly between 5 muffin cups (each cup will be between ⅔ and ¾ full). Bake for 14-16 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:
Beat powdered sugar and butter until smooth. Add vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of milk. Beat on medium speed for several minutes, until light and fluffy. If the frosting appears too thick, add a little milk, if it appears too thin add a little more powdered sugar.
Frost the cupcakes using a piping bag and pastry tip; I use an open star tip. Top with sprinkles, if desired.
Video
Notes
Proper flour measuring: Weigh the flour (preferred) or whisk the flour to lighten it, scoop a heaping portion and level it off with a knife.
Serving and storage: Store frosted cupcakes tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or at cool room temperature for up to 2 days. Serve at room temperature for the best flavor and texture.
Recipe and photos updated May 2023: The cupcake portion is the same (with added weight measurements), the frosting makes a slightly larger portion.
Cupcakes adapted from How Sweet It Is
Nutrition
Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 83mg | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 560IU | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 0.7mg
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
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Comments
Aidan
The texture was different from a normal cupcake; I’m not sure how to describe it. Just not very cakey. I think they’d turn out with that cakey, fluffy texture if you beat the eggs and sugar longer, instead of just whisking for 30 seconds. And it the cupcakes were not very sweet on their own, so be sure to use a frosting. But they were quick, easy, and delicious. I made them to bring a friend when she was feeling blue, and she loved them. I’ll keep the recipe for the next time I need something made up fast.Reply
Tabitha
I love them I did them without milk because I can’t have it and they turned out so good I love the frosty and they are super easy to make.
LOVE LOVE LOVEReply
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Reply
Birdie
Hi! I love this recipe for making cupcakes on the fly and am wanting to make it for my boyfriend’s birthday this week but he is on a low carb diet so I want to use almond flour instead. Do you know the measurement I’d need? I’ve done a couple other cookie recipes where I’ve used the amount of all-purpose flour and added maybe 1/4-c more but not totally sure with more cake like texture, as almond flour adds more moisture.
Allison
Hi! I don’t have any experience with low carb baking. You’d have to play around with it and I’d guess you’d need some type of stabilizer since you’re not using flour. Is there a low carb all purpose flour you could try?
harry
Hi
I can see the recipe calls for whisking 30 sec. is that because if you whisk it longer it will
being a smaller amount of eggs and sugar- the cupcakes will sink?thanks
Reply
Allison
It’s to make sure that they are well combine but not overmixed.
Reply
Liz
It seemed like the ratios were off in this recipe. Maybe not enough flour. They didn’t rise and were a bit chewy and rubbery.
Reply
Jessica
Turned out delicious! Easy to make!Reply
Lindsay
Oof, these were not to my taste. The flavour is very eggy and my kids didn’t care for them when we sampled one together fresh out of the oven without frosting. I made the recipe as written, no substitutions, measured by weight, 2% milk, and didn’t overmix.Reply
disappointed
I should have read the comments before making these. They were quick & easy! But the results were not very good. The flavor is okay but the texture is unpleasantly dense & chewy. Someone said rubbery & I would agree with that.
I didn’t use the frosting recipe so I can’t comment on that.Reply
Sabine
They are definitely egg heavy in flavour. It reminds me of the taste of french toast. Not bad but I think the ratios are a bit off and it might need more flour. I will experiment next time. I made these with my 2 year old. She loved combining everything and stirring the batter. Because the amounts where smaller she could hold all the little bowls with ingredients without spilling.
Reply
Allison
Thanks for sharing your feedback. Be sure to use a large egg, not extra large or jumbo. 🙂
Reply
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Hi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....
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