These vanilla cupcakes will be your absolute favorite! So fluffy, with an intense vanilla flavor and buttery richness. They have a fine, even crumb, and a perfect dome on top! Sturdy enough to stand up to all sorts of fillings and frostings. You’ll reach for this recipe again and again!

Guess what?  I’ve reworked this recipe and come up with something even better!  Go check out my Even Simpler, More Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes—-> here

Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

If you like things simple, unfussed around with, and natural, then you’ll definitely enjoy Zulka Morena Pure Cane Sugar.  I have not been compensated by Zucarmex (the makers of Zulka), but I was given a sample of their product to review.  All of the opinions expressed in this post are my own.  Visit www.zulca.com or the Zulka Sugar Facebook page, for more great recipe ideas.

I was so pleased when the people at Zulka reached out to me recently, and offered me a sample of their product.  (If you aren’t already familiar, Zulka Morena Pure Cane Sugar is a less-processed, non-GMO version of the granulated sugar we already know and love.)  Since I am a huge lover of all things sweet, and ALSO of all things natural, I thought Zulka would be a great fit for me, this blog, and you, my readers!

I knew from the start I wanted to bake up a recipe that really allowed the flavor of the sugar to shine through.  Something simple and sweet, that would showcase this lovely product.

Also, I was overwhelmed by the positive response to my chewy peanut butter cookies.  It took me by surprise, that such a simple recipe was so well-received, and it got me thinking… maybe I should offer more tried and true basics on Baking a Moment?  Kind of silly for me to assume that everybody already has their favorite standby recipes to reach for.

So, today, I’m introducing a new category/recurring series here on Baking a Moment: “Simply Perfect.”  I still want to offer you guys some clever and inventive ideas, but I’m also going to arm you with some seriously awesome building-block recipes too!  These will be all my favorites, from years of practicing and experimentation!  I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do….

Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

First up are these simple white cupcakes.  I tested a total of four vanilla cupcake recipes, in search of my absolute favorite.  Here are the key features I was looking for:

  • A fine, even crumb.
  • A fluffy texture, but not so soft that it couldn’t stand up to filling/frosting.
  • A domed top.
  • Intense vanilla and buttery flavor.

The recipes I tested are as follows:

Billy’s Vanilla, Vanilla Cupcakes (tasted great but had a hard crust on top), America’s Test Kitchen White Cake (pillowy soft and delicious, but too delicate), Dorie Greespan’s Perfect Party Cake, via My Baking Addiction (subbing vanilla bean paste), and My Favorite Vanilla Cupcakes, by Cookies and Cups, which was adapted from Back in the Day Bakery.

Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

It was a close race, but in the end, Shelly’s Favorite Vanilla Cupcakes edged out Jamie of My Baking Addiction’s by a hair’s breadth.  Mainly by virtue of this simple fact:

Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

Also I thought Shelly’s had a slightly richer flavor, which is probably because of the egg yolk.  (But if you’re really going for a snowy white cake, I’d go with Jaimie’s.)  And her recipe is so easy to throw together, with only a mixing bowl, paddle, and measuring cup to wash when all’s said and done.  All of them were so very delicious though!  I’ve only made one slight modification to Shelly’s recipe, and that is the addition of vanilla bean paste.  It really amps up the flavor, and it’s a more economical choice than whole vanilla beans.

Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

These little beauties bake up so fluffy and soft, and they can be filled or topped with all sorts of deliciousness.  But today, I kept it simple with another “Simply Perfect” recipe: Vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream.  It’s a little more effort than the straight-up powdered sugar + butter variety, but the satiny-smooth, light-as-air, yet richly indulgent flavor and texture make it more than worth your while!

Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

You are going to love these simple, sweet cupcakes!  Sometimes the simplest pleasures can really be the best.  Not everything needs to be fussed around with, right?  And that goes just as much for sugar as it does for cupcakes.

Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

Here are some of my other “Simply Perfect” recipes:

Peanut Butter Cookies | Baking A Moment

Simply Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies (Naturally Gluten-Free)

Simply Perfect Pizza Dough

Simply Perfect Pizza Dough

Simply Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes

Simply Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes

Simply Perfect Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Seedless Blackberry Jam Made Simple | Baking a Moment

Simply Perfect Homemade Jam (No Pectin)

Simply Perfect Brownies | Baking a Moment

Simply Perfect Brownies from Scratch

Simply Perfect Salted Caramel Sauce | Baking a Moment

Simply Perfect Salted Caramel Sauce

Morena Pure Cane Sugar

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Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes
4.65 stars (14 ratings)

Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

Servings: 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
These vanilla cupcakes will be your absolute favorite! So fluffy, with an intense vanilla flavor and buttery richness. They have a fine, even crumb, and a perfect dome on top! sturdy enough to stand up to all sorts of fillings and frostings. You'll reach for this recipe again and again!

Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Place the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
  • Add the butter and mix on low speed, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (2-3 minutes).
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, and scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are well-combined.
  • Combine the milk and vanilla in a measuring cup, and beat half this mixture into the flour/butter/eggs.
  • Beat on medium speed for 1½ minutes, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, add the remaining milk mixture, and beat for another 30 seconds.
  • Fill paper liners ⅔ full with batter and bake for 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
  • Cool completely before topping with Swiss meringue buttercream.

Notes

Cupcake Recipe (barely) adapted from Cookies and Cups.
Calories: 200kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 114mg, Potassium: 84mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 292IU, Calcium: 38mg, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert, Snack
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