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!
Jump to:
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.
SUBSCRIBE to our free NEWSLETTER – Follow on INSTAGRAM
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!
Stephanie @ Punjabi Desi Foods
Wow… This recipe is so simple and easy to make and I hope this will also very yummy. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe with us.
Brianna
Made these today for my daughter’s 5th birthday. They turned out perfectly, and I stretched the recipe into 6 cupcakes. Made a little bit of extra frosting and tinted it pink. Everything tasted amazing! Thanks for a great small batch recipe!
Celebrating Sweets
Awesome! I’m glad that you liked them!
Barb
This is a first for me, they just didn’t come out well, the texture was grainy, taste was strong vanilla but kind of bland, not very tasty. I cooked them in the usual preheated oven but they were still not done at 17 min, with liquid in the middle. The batter is very thin for a cake batter, I also tried the chocolate ones but they were only so so. I have never said this before but they tasted like they didn’t have enough sweetness in them. I am an experienced cook and baker and rarely have a recipe not come out right.
Celebrating Sweets
Sorry to hear that.
Madelin
Hey! They look great, but I haven’t made them yet, and I was wondering if I could blend the egg whites by themselves so they could make the cupcakes extra fluffy?
Celebrating Sweets
You can try it, but I’m not sure how it will come out. This is a more dense cupcake because they are made without a mixer. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
Ame
Hi! It worked perfectly! But quick question… how many days do they last? And if I want them to like, last a little longer can I put them in the fridge or something? Dumb question but it would be pretty cool if you could answer me ❤️
Celebrating Sweets
I would recommend eating them within a day or two. The taste and texture is best within the first couple days of baking. If you need to keep them a little longer you can refrigerate them and bring to room temp before eating. Enjoy!
alienlove
Amazing!
Tej
Great cupcakes, just had a bit of trouble with the icing. Thanks!
Sarah
I made em, then I had myself a taste test when they were ready and frosted. Really good, my cat seemed curios so I let him try and he loved it. So good job from me and my cat.
Denise
I needed a small batch of vanilla cupcakes to do a testing of vanilla’s before deciding which vanilla to use in some cakes I’m baking. I was lazy and didn’t want to do the math to cut down my recipe, so I Googled “Small batch Vanilla Cupcakes” and landed here. The cupcakes were tender and fluffy and delicious. Thanks! My mother used an everyday cake that was made with vegetable oil instead of creamed butter. I loved the buttery taste of the melted butter. Good job and I’ll use melted butter in my next batch (full size) of vanilla cupcakes. BTW and FYI, I was taste testing Danncy Mexica Vanilla against my regular pure vanilla extract. My daughter and I didn’t care for the Danncy in this recipe. I won’t throw it away, but will use it in other applications that have winter spices to accentuate the floral flavor of Danncy.
Celebrating Sweets
Glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for stopping by!
Jacque Cunningham
My daughter used this recipe for her science fair! She wanted to see if they type of flour affected the height of the cupcake. I was so worried we’d be wasting tons of batter and/or covered up with cupcakes…but this recipe made the perfect amount to test her question…and have a few snacks!!!
Celebrating Sweets
Perfect! Thanks for stopping by!