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
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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Recipe
Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes
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
Nutrition
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!
Kristin
Thank you for this easy and fun recipe. Delicious!
Celebrating Sweets
You’re welcome! Enjoy! 🙂
Luke
Love the cupcakes made them for a party at work
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Angela
I made the cupcakes for my cats birthday party (for the people who came). I just used canned frosting but the cupcakes were great! I did mini cupcakes, super easy to make.
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Abigail Wenderson
Amazing, this recipe looks perfect and so as cupcakes, I used this recipe to make cupcakes and they were delicious, in addition, I used sprinkles as toppings which made it tastier.
I suggest you also try these toppings.
Stevie
Delicious! I (impulse) made some cupcakes using this recipe and they were amazing, even with some gluten free substitutes!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Roshni
Very nice and easy recipe. The cupcakes were very easy to make. Thank you.
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Kate
Can i use sunflower oil here? Thank you.. looks yummy!
Allison
In place of the melted butter? You should be able to, but if it has a strong flavor it might come through.
Kendra
I doubled the recipe and it did not work, very dissatisfied.
Allison
Would you mind sharing specifically what didn’t work? I have other readers that have doubled it successfully. Just curious if you have any input. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Rebecca Scofield
Easy and turned out well but they lack flavor and have a heavy texture. OK I guess but I won’t make them again
Allison
If you decide to try again the key is not to overmix the batter. That’s what makes them heavy. Thanks for stopping by!
Cooking...
This is delicious!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Kimmie
These were quick and easy, but kind of disappointing. The cupcakes lacked flavor, were a bit dense, and barely gained any height while baking. I would have been happier with 4 taller cupcakes. The icing was WAY too buttery. I followed the recipe exactly, except baked for about 20 minutes because they were not nearly done at 16 minutes.