Small Batch Cupcakes – An easy and delicious recipe for 5 vanilla cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream frosting.
I have my son to thank for these cupcakes. Last week, he asked for a cupcake day after day, until I finally gave in. I didn’t need to make (or eat!) an entire batch of cupcakes, so I decided to try a recipe for a small batch of only 5 cupcakes.
I have to tell you that these are some of the best (and easiest!) vanilla cupcakes I have ever made. I assumed that because this was a scaled down recipe that they would be good, but I never expected them to be great.
I was pleasantly surprised by how soft, moist, and flavorful these cupcakes are. There was even an extra cupcake that didn’t get eaten immediately and it was still good several days later (score!).
Why We Love these Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes
- This recipe is super simple
- It creates only a few dishes
- The cupcakes taste amazing – they’re loaded with vanilla
- No extra cupcakes sitting around to tempt you
For those times when you need a little sweet pick me up, look no further. This small batch vanilla cupcake recipe will have you diving in to a perfect vanilla cupcake in no time.
Prefer a small batch of chocolate cupcakes? See here!
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*Recipe updated April 2015. After a couple of comments regarding the texture of these cupcakes, I changed the method for mixing the batter, and increased the baking time slightly.
Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour see note
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1/4 cup milk preferably whole or 2% milk
Vanilla Frosting:
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons milk I used whole milk
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 5 muffin cups or place 5 liners in a muffin pan.
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In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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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.
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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).
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Divide the batter evenly between 5 muffin cups (each cup will be between 2/3 and 3/4 full). Bake for 14-16 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
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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 an additional teaspoon of milk.
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Frost the cupcakes using a butter knife. Top with sprinkles, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Proper flour measuring: Fluff the flour with your measuring cup to lighten it. Scoop the flour and level off with a knife.
This frosting makes enough to spread a moderate layer on top of each cupcake. If you would like a generous amount of frosting, or if you want to pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes, you can double the frosting.
Cupcakes adapted from How Sweet It Is
OTHER SMALL BATCH RECIPES:
Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
Gooey Brownie Sundae (for two)
These cupcakes look so fantastic! I am in love!
Thanks, Jocelyn!
I just tried your recipe tonight and it turned out perfect!! I used cake flour instead of all purpose flour. The cupcakes turned out wonderful nice and moist! Great recipe! I am not that great at baking but i am very proud of myself for first try! 😀
Fantastic! I’m so glad that you liked them. Thanks for taking the time to stop by!
I love small batch recipes! These look so moist and fluffy! Bookmarking this stat!
Thanks, Meriem!
love the cupcakes always looking to feed the hungry horde. I have teenagers who look and eat like nfl linebackers thanks for sharing visiting from weary chef and I have pinned your cupcakes happy 3 day weekend.
Thanks for stopping by, Lorraine!
Fantastic recipe!!! I substituted regular flour for Gluten Free perfect flour blend. Best cupcake recipe I’ve tried. Thank you!!!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you liked them. And thanks for letting me know that they’re good with GF flour. 🙂
Super bummed. Tried this recipe twice &it smelled, tasted like, &resembled glue both times. Bummed. Oh well.
Hi Shannon! I’m sorry to hear the cupcakes didn’t come out for you. I retested the recipe with success, the only change I made is the suggestion not to over-mix the batter. Overmixing will definitely lead to a dry, tough cake. Also, hopefully your ingredients were all fresh, that can make a difference too. Thanks for the feedback.
Thank you so much for your response!! For some reason I couldn’t directly respond to my original comment, assuming it’s my cell phone. Over mixing could absolutely have been the problem considering my two year old son &four year old nephew helped mix. Thank you so much!! I shall try again when the kids are napping. ;]
Hello, I was wondering if I could use self rising flour instead of the all purpose flour and baking powder?
Hi Kimelle. I have never baked with self rising flour. I would guess that you should be able to substitute it, but I don’t know for sure. If you try it, please let me know how they turn out. Thanks! Good luck! 🙂
So I omitted the all purpose flour and baking powder and used self rising flour instead. Cupcakes baked up wonderful and tasted yummy. Thanks!
Great!! Thanks so much for letting me know. Enjoy! 🙂
I made them for a friend, they were amazing!! Thanks for the great recip!
So glad you liked them! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
A little disappointed the didn’t work out. Had the same “glue” issue as another commenter and over mixing was definitely not the problem. They actually tasted a little bland. Not really sure what happened. I’ll have to try it again. Happy that it worked out for a lot of other people though.
Hi Adrienne. I’m sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t work for you. If you try again, my suggestions would be to make sure you’re using fresh ingredients (especially the vanilla extract, since that’s adding most of the flavor). Also be sure not to over measure the flour (spoon the flour into your 1/2 cup dry measuring cup, then use a knife to level it off) Thanks for your feedback!
I made these for my boyfriend for Valentines day in a heart shaped tin. I substituted buttermilk for milk (because we were all out) and I shoved a square of Ghiradelli chocolate in the middle before baking. They came out PERFECT! Soft, fluffy, decadent, and with the right amount of sweetness. This is my new go to cupcake recipe. Thank you so much!
That sounds amazing! I love the addition of chocolate. I’m so glad you liked them. Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
I did not like these cupcakes. I followed everything the recipe said to do very precisely, and the cupcakes ended up very spongy and did not taste right. It tasted like a “cake in a mug” which I have made before and the cake in a mug tastes exactly like these cupcakes. We ended up throwing them all away.
Sorry they didn’t work out for you, Amanda. Small batch recipes tend to have a different consistency than “regular” recipes since you’re working with such a small amount of ingredients (same with a mug cake). Thanks for your feedback.
I made these cupcakes and I used up some leftover chocolate frosting on them. They tasted great.
That sounds yummy! Thanks so much for stopping by!
These are the best home made cupcake I’ve ever tried.
It may be just as good as the famous cupcake shop around town.
I made it with my 3 year old and after portioning out everything it was so simple to put together. We added pink food coloring and sprinkles in the batter.
NOTE: I think the vanilla measurement is off, unless the vanilla I had was too potent, I only put one teaspoon and felt it was more than enough.
I tried this recipe without searching much when I realized I’m running low on sugar, powdered sugar and out of oil.
What a pleasant surprise. I will use this recipe again and again.
Hi, Sevana! I’m so happy that you enjoyed these cupcakes. The vanilla extract is correct. Yes, it is heavy on vanilla flavor. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and comment. Happy baking! 🙂
Hi, I tried these cupcakes and they came out beautifully. This is my third time trying this recipe and I was wondering if you would be able to substitute powdered sugar to normal sugar from the frosting?
Hi, Mariam. I’m so glad you like these cupcakes, and that they came out good for you. I would not suggest swapping the powdered sugar for granulated sugar for the frosting. Granulated sugar would give the frosting a gritty texture. You can place granulated sugar in a spice grinder, coffee grinder, food processor or blender and blend it until it turns light and powdery, just like powdered sugar. Fair warning- if your processing it in a plastic container, the sugar might scratch it. I scratched my new Blendtec doing just that. Here’s a link with tips. Good luck! Happy baking!
I used this recipe to see if it would make a small 5″ personal cake for my daughter’s birthday and it turned out great! I will be making 2 batches for a double layer cake on her actual birthday this weekend. Thank you!
Perfect, Nicole! I’m so glad to hear that. Happy birthday to your daughter! My daughter turns one in just a few days! 🙂
Great recipe! Made a few mistakes (used 2 tablespoons of vanilla instead of 2 teaspoons) and some substitutions (cooking oil instead of butter in the cake and for half of the granulated sugar, I used splenda). I’m glad it was so versatile.
I’m glad you enjoyed these, and I’m glad they came out well with your substitutions. Thanks for stopping by, Angel! 🙂
Just made this cake for my sons birthday. I double the recipie because there is four of us and it was delicious! I’m saving for later for sure. Thanks so much. I might try to add confetti for the inside of cake to add some color :). Thank you.
I’m so glad you liked it, Amanda! Thanks for stopping by!
They were abit dry and bland but still delicious. Thank you for the recipe though!
Hi! Sorry to hear that. If they were dry, they might have been overbaked. They definitely should not have been bland – there is quite a bit of vanilla in them. Glad you still enjoyed them. Thanks for stopping by!
My two year old son made these cupcakes tonight .. as i oversaw … and I used the mixer for the frosting..
They actually turned out really well even though he’s not precise at measuring lol it was easy and not a lot of mess. He had a blast and was excited to give one to anyone who was near! I just wanted to say thank you for the recipe. Very appreciated!
I’m so happy to hear that! What a fun activity! Thanks for stopping by, Nico.
I made the butter cream thicker (I like it stickier, not sure why) and flavoured it with lime juice. These are perfect for a single girl. And much cheaper than anything bought. Has anyone tried a vegan version?
I’m so glad that you liked these. The addition of lime sounds yummy! I haven’t tried a vegan version, but would love to hear back if you try it.
I made those today with my boys. They were gone within minutes. Next time I’m doubling the recipe. Thank you.
Awesome! I’m glad you liked them! Thanks for stopping by.
Going to try it today but, Just a quick question about mixing the eggs and sugar. In the recipe it says to mix for a minute. What speed or until what consistency? Pale and double in volume?
Hi Carmen. I make these whisking by hand (not using a mixer), so I can’t say a specific speed. The eggs will lighten in color slightly, but most likely not double in volume. No need to whisk until doubled. The important thing is that the eggs and sugar are incorporated before adding the next ingredients. I hope that helps. Good luck! Enjoy!
I love baking cupcakes for my family, but it is really hard for me to find a good recipe. This recipe is amazing!!! The cupcakes came out fluffy, and moist. These were absolutely perfect!! Have a blessed day!
Awesome! I’m so glad that you liked them. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Reading some of the comments i was scared to try the recipe and because i been baking for 45 years i fgure how can this be a miss. Well, i tried it and its pretty hard to mess this up, it came out moist and light i made marbled cup cakes. With the same icing recipe you listed i used whipping cream instead of milk in the icing it was very good thank you for recipe!
Thanks, Jeanette! I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe.
Thank you so much for this great recipe as I have a very sweet tooth and sometimes want to make something but most of the time the recipe is for a too large amount but this is perfect. Yummm and I will post these on Instagram.
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked them. Thanks for stopping by!
These were Amazing!!! Thanks for posting a small batch. These were absolutely perfect for my sweet girls 1st birthday cupcake 🎉
I did use the gf bobs red mill flour, and I also substituted for a little less brown sugar and I used 2tbsp coconut oil and 2 tbsp apple sauce. I also accidently miss read the milk ratio and ended up only adding 2 tsp.
All that said, they were Amazing! This is my new go to recipie for cupcakes!!!
And also a big plus for 1st birthday goodies 😊
Thanks so so much for some healthy fun inspiration!
Yay! I am so happy to hear that you liked these. And thank you for sharing your substitutions in case anyone else is interested in doing the same. Thanks for stopping by, and Happy Birthday to your little one. 🙂
Hi. I made these cupcakes but they came out eggy and dense, not like the pictures above. I know I didn’t overheat the mixture. However, the frosting tasted good. Any idea what went wrong?
Hi there! Sorry to hear that. These cupcakes are a little dense, but just slightly. If the batter is overmixed they will become even more dense. As for being eggy, I’m not sure why. Were all the other ingredients measured properly? I use a large egg for this recipe, perhaps you used an extra large egg?
These came out not sweet enough, rather bitter tasting. The amount of vanilla seems disproportionately high to the amount of sugar used.
Hi Candace! Sorry these didn’t come out for you. They should definitely not be bitter. There is a fair amount of vanilla extract in them, but if you’re using good quality extract it should add a fantastic flavor. Make sure your vanilla extract is fresh PURE vanilla, not imitation, as that could give an “off” flavor.
i tried these and they were so good i never made cupcakes before and i tried this recipe and they were just so amazing
I’m glad you liked them. Thanks for stopping by to let me know. 🙂
This is an excellent recipe! I first used it to make cupcakes for my two nieces and was so impressed by the wonderful taste and texture. Later on used it to make layer cakes (multiplied 4 times). I’ve also infused the milk with tea bags to make an earl grey version – this was a hit with party guests!
The only thing(s) I do differently is to use room temperature butter and cream it together with the sugar before adding in the egg(s).
Thanks all the way from sunny Singapore halfway across the globe 🙂
Thanks for sharing your tips, your earl grey version sounds fabulous! I’m so glad that you liked this recipe. Thanks for stopping by!
hi i want to if we can beat the butter with the sugar because i don’t understand why we have to wisk the egg and the sugar .
I tried a recipe like this before and the texture of the cupcakes was like glue .
Hi! You’re welcome beat the ingredients, but that might lead to toughness. I tried to make this recipe available to people who don’t have access to a mixer (since it’s such a small batch). If you want to play around with your mixer, go for it. I just can’t say for sure what the outcome will be. Best of luck!
I Just made these, they taste Amazing, I made the frosting pastel pink, and added blue sprinkles, it’s a Really nice recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that you liked them! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
What if u want to make 10 cupcakes would u double the ingredients
Hi Ally. Yes, that should work.
sorry for asking but is the measurement for the flour and sugar in us cups or like a mug. I am planning on making them for my tea party
The measurements are US cups not mugs. These cupcakes are baked in a muffin tin, but the batter will be prepared in a bowl. Enjoy!
Made these tonight after searching for a small batch sweet treat.
They came out great! Moist, flavorful, and light with just the right hint of vanilla. The frosting was excellent too!
A big hit. We’ll be saving this recipe to make again. Thanks!
Fantastic! Thanks for taking the time to stop by. Enjoy! 🙂
I made them today and they came out doughy on the inside and hard on the outside I followed the directions to a tee and used fresh ingredients
Hi, Amanda. My guess is that your oven temperature runs high. If the outside was done long before the inside I would guess that the oven was too hot. Sorry it didn’t work for you. It’s not a very forgiving recipe since there are so few ingredients.
I make several desserts for super bowl Sunday I thought 6 would be perfect with the brownie skillets and mini cheese cakes. I’m so sad
It only made 3 cup cakes that were very heavy
Now I have to scramble to make another dessert😡
Hi, Christine. Sorry this recipe didn’t turn out the way you had hoped. This recipe is supposed to make 5 standard sized cupcakes. These cupcakes are quite dense, but yours were probably especially heavy since the batter was only spread between 3 muffin cups. I have received over 20 positive reviews on this recipe, and I personally have made it multiple times so I am confident that it is correct as it is written. Regardless, it’s still a bummer when you take the time to make something and it doesn’t turn out, so I apologize for that. Thanks for your feedback!
These cupcakes are amazing .so soft And fluffy but yet moist. just made it with some lemon in . last week I tried the chocolate batch. Just as good .I’d recommended it to everyone. 🙂
Thanks so much, Kelly! I just made them again last week so that I could make a video of the recipe (coming soon!) and I was reminded of how tasty they are. I’m so glad that you liked them. Thanks for taking the time to stop by!
For the record, this recipe makes about 16 mini cupcakes. It is perfect for when my daughter wants to help me bake a treat but we don’t need cupcakes coming out of our ears!
Great idea to make mini cupcakes! Thanks so much for letting me know the quantity. Thanks for stopping by, Haley!
Hi i made this for my brother in law for his bday but used demerara suger and cake flour. I didnt change any measerments at all just swapped out the two ingridients…they turned out great…I also added nutmeg and cinimon to the icing…I will def gonna be making them again big hit!!!…p.s no glue problem here! Lol
I’m so happy to hear that these turned out for you. And a big thanks for the “no glue problem” – ha! I’ve always loved this recipe. Thanks for stopping by.
These were great! I substituted the milk with almond milk (lactose intolerant) as well as used almond extract instead of vanilla in both the cupcakes and frosting. They turned out perfect. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi, Charlotte! I’m so glad that you liked them. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.
I tried this twice (months apart) and both times the cakes did not come out right. They sink down after coming out of the oven and are a bit gluey like others have said. It was only just now that I read the reviews and saw others have had this problem.
Sorry to hear that. This recipe has received plenty of good reviews and I personally have tested and retested it over a dozen times with success. Small batch recipes can be tricky because of the small quantity of ingredients. Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you for this recipe! It is the perfect scalable base to make any flavor of cupcake or cake. Today I doubled the recipe, subbed coconut milk and coconut oil, and made a brownie pan sized coconut cake.
That sounds delicious! Thanks for taking the time to stop by. 🙂