Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Sweet without being cloying, these even taste good without frosting!
Texture: Ultra moist and fluffy.
Ease: Very easy!
Pros: Classic go-to cupcake recipe for so many occasions.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? Absolutely.
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Recently I set out on what turned out to be a very tedious and often frustrating baking adventure.
I had made my Yellow Layer Cake recipe into cupcakes but didn’t love how they turned out. They were too fine-crumbed for how I prefer cupcakes. I want my cupcakes to be a bit looser and ultra-moist.
You see, cupcakes don’t need quite the structure a layer cake demands to hold steady. They just need enough to support a generous amount of frosting.
I thought it would be easy enough to tweak my layer cake recipe for cupcakes, but that was not the case.
It took over 8 experimental batches to get this cupcake recipe just right. I was SWIMMING in failed cupcakes. When. Finally. After weeks. I finally felt I had gotten the recipe right! I even sent it to another HTH team member, Emily, for her to test as well.
I wanted to create Yellow Cupcakes that were as moist and tender as the box mix cupcakes but without the cloying artificial flavor. The result? Yellow cupcakes that actually taste good on their own but are phenomenal with my Best Ever Chocolate American buttercream recipe.
How to Make Homemade Yellow Cupcakes
How to make MOIST cupcakes:
I always recommend weighing your flour when making cake or cupcakes. I use my digital kitchen scale to weigh flour, but if you don’t have one, use the “spoon and level” method to measure with measuring cups. This helps to prevent dry or crumbly cupcakes because it’s all too easy to accidentally compact too much flour into your volume measuring cups.
There are a few key ingredients in this recipe that help create a moist and tender cupcake. The eggs with an additional egg yolk add richness and moisture. The buttermilk also tenderizes as well as adding more flavor (more on that below).
Why is there butter and oil in this recipe?
The main key to ultra moist cupcakes is a little bit of oil! This recipe creams together sugar and butter like most cake recipes, which allows air to whip into the batter for a light texture, but also takes advantage of butter’s unparalleled rich flavor.
Why buttermilk is the secret ingredient to the best cupcakes:
The (real) buttermilk in this recipe makes a WORLD of difference. Buttermilk substitutions just don’t work as well. You can see my extensive testing on buttermilk substitutions in my Buttermilk 101 article here. For best results, I would advise using real buttermilk (which is sold as ‘low fat’ in the grocery store).
I’ve tested variations of this recipe with whole milk, as well as sour cream. The whole milk doesn’t provide as much flavor as something cultured. The sour cream provided tons of flavor but made for a tighter, finer crumb. The goal for this recipe was something super tender and moist, and buttermilk was the clear winner for both texture and taste!
What is the best pan for baking cupcakes?
I like the Wilton Right Muffin Pans for baking cupcakes. Avoid using anything with a dark or gold-colored lining as this can result in browning or burning the bottoms and edges of the cupcakes.
Note that every brand of muffin / cupcake pan will have cavities of slightly different diameters and volumes. Some pans have smaller cavities than others. Always fill yours with batter 2/3 to 3/4 full and not more.
How to stop cupcake liners from sticking:
Oftentimes this is due to the brand of liners either being cheap or overly decorative. This is my favorite brand that I order in bulk from Amazon. I’ve written an entire post on how to prevent cupcake liners from sticking here in case this is a common problem for you.
How to prevent cupcakes from sinking:
Overmixing, expired baking powder, opening the oven door too much, or underbaking can all cause cupcakes to sink in the center.
Overfilling your cupcake pan cavities can also cause sinking. Fill 2/3 to 3/4 full. You may end up with more than a dozen cupcakes since every brand and style of cupcake pan has a slightly different cavity volume.
If you’re 3,000 feet or more above sea level, you’ll most likely need to reduce the baking powder in this recipe to avoid the cupcakes sinking or collapsing in the center. Start by cutting the amount of baking powder to 1 teaspoon if at 3,000 feet, and 3/4 teaspoon if at 5,000 feet or higher. This may require some experimentation depending on your specific microclimate.
How to decorate cupcakes:
To match the cupcakes you see in these photos, place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large plain open tip and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle with pastel rainbow sprinkles. You can also use an open star tip, like the Wilton 1M tip.
How to make Yellow Cupcakes ahead of time:
You can bake the cupcakes a day ahead of time. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Note that the tops of the cupcakes will become slightly sticky the longer they’re stored but the frosting mostly camouflages this.
The buttercream on its own can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or the freezer for up to 1 month. If frozen, let defrost in the fridge overnight. Let come to room temperature and re-whip in the stand mixer until light and fluffy again.
How to serve cupcakes outside:
If you plan on serving frosted cupcakes outside in a warm, humid, or sunny environment, store in the fridge just until you set up for the BBQ, party, or picnic. By the time everyone is ready for cupcakes, it should be the perfect temperature without running the risk of melting.
How to store cupcakes:
Frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, or in the fridge for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Other buttercream recipes:
More Recipes to Try:
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
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Yellow Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (175 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, at cool room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at cool room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, at cool room temperature
- 1
Batch of Best Chocolate American Buttercream
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the oil and beat for another minute, or until smooth. Add the egg, egg yolk, and the vanilla one at a time, beating very well between additions until combined.
- On low speed, add the flour mixture and buttermilk in three alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Batter will be fairly thick.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cavities, filling each about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Don't overfill, you may need to bake up to 15 cupcakes if using a pan with smaller cavities. Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops are springy to the touch. Let cool for 20 minutes in tin before turning out onto a cooling rack.
Frost the cupcakes:
- Use an offset spatula to frost each cupcake. Alternatively, place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
- Frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, or in the fridge for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
I am NO baker or chef by any means, so I apologize in advance for the stupid questions. Can you use egg yolk powder or what would be the best egg yolk you would suggest buying? Is real butter ok to use? What is the difference in baking powder and baking soda? Is fine salt the same as just salt?
Hi Jennifer! We recommend using a real egg yolk (from a real chicken egg, separated from the white, in addition to the whole egg). We do not recommend using powdered or replacement eggs. Real butter (unsalted) is also recommended. Fine salt is just regular salt (as opposed to coarse or flaked salt). As for baking powder vs. baking soda, Tessa discusses the differences between the two in-depth in this article here. I hope this helps!
Could I fill these cupcakes? I would like to find a good yellow cupcake recipe, but I am planning to fill with lemon curd. Will these hold up?
We haven’t tested that ourselves, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Let us know how your cupcakes turn out!
I’ve made these a few times and they are always a huge hit. Thanks!
So happy to hear that!
Can I double/triple this recipe? Or do I need to make it one batch at a time?
Hi Samantha! We haven’t tried that, but it should be fine! Just make sure that your mixer can that hold that much 🙂
Good recipe however it only made 10 not 12 and I had to scrape for the 10th one
Wow, I’m surprised! How full did you fill each cavity? Did you use a digital scale to measure your ingredients? All cupcake pans have slightly different cavity volumes depending on the brand and style, but usually more, not less, is the result.
Is it possible to fold in something like sliced strawberries without totally throwing off the recipe chemistry?
We haven’t tried that before, though it shouldn’t throw off the chemistry too much. Let us know how that goes!
These taste great however, I have attempted this recipe 3 times and each time they sink in the middle. I live in the mid west so my elevation is low, I did not over mix, and my leaving ingredients was just opened, the last time was the best but they were still con-caved, DO NOT OVER FILL – if you over fill they spill out and look like sugar cookies on top of cupcakes lol. The taste is GREAT but they don’t give you that risen look of a usual cupcake or muffin. I’m a little disappointed because I really like the taste.
I’m so sorry you’ve experienced issues with this recipe, unfortunately, it’s so tough to figure out what went wrong without watching your process! If only we could bake along with you! I live in Michigan and had issues with sinking the second time I made this recipe, and it was due to my butter being too warm. You definitely want to make sure your butter is at a cool room temperature, 67°F (along with your eggs and buttermilk). Not overfilling your liners is definitely key like you suggested, we’ve found that 2/3 full has been a popular solution in the HTH Facebook group. I’d double check to make sure your oven temperature isn’t running too high as well, as that can cause the cupcakes to rise rapidly but then sink due to not-quite-baked middles. I’m so happy you enjoy the taste of these cupcakes, and I really hope that you give this recipe another try, I’d love for them to turn out perfectly for you!
Although I couldn’t eat these delicious cupcakes due to my coeliac, my husband and several others said they were the best. My four year old granddaughter even commented on the buttercream icing which had been made as raspberry flavour. She is a definite conneseur of icing, (if you get me drift!)
Have these been made with gluten free flour, or a mix of rice flour etc, with any success and if so would you please share the recipe.. thanks again for the yummy are there any more cupcakes.
PS I live in Victoria in Australia
Hi Eirene! I’m so happy to hear that everyone enjoyed these cupcakes! Are you a part of the Handle the Heat Facebook Group? We have quite a few members who have made our recipes using gluten or dairy free options, and I think that would be the perfect place for you to ask! Here is a link to join, make sure you answer all three questions 🙂 https://www.facebook.com/groups/handletheheatcommunity
Can I use cake flour?
We haven’t tried that!
As you mentioned in your intro that you share trusted recipe’s I am sure about that now I tried baking this cake for my wife following your recipe it turned out to be instant hit thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe with us
Wonderful to hear that, Vishal! Thanks so much for letting us know 🙂
These were the best yellow cupcakes I ever made. Am not going to look for any other recipe now.. This will be my go to forever!!!!
So happy to hear you enjoyed them, Ruchi, and that they’re now your go-to recipe! Thanks for letting us know 🙂
Would you consider this recipe a “vanilla” cupcake as well as a “yellow” cupcake?
Hi Paula! Both white and yellow cakes are actually vanilla cakes. The difference is that yellow cupcakes contain egg yolks, whereas white cupcakes contain only egg whites; however, they are both vanilla cakes. Here is a great article explaining more in detail: https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-white-yellow-and-vanilla-cake-230663. Hope that helps!
Hi Emily and thank you for the great article. I have gone around and around with flavors and colors for a long time. I did read a great article from Tessa Huff explaining the differences. She said “vanilla” is simply the flavor, it’s about what kind of crumb/structure you are after: butter cake; sponge cake…..that was a great article. So…if I wanted to make this yellow cupcake recipe, but didn’t want a strong yellow color, more of a mix of the white and yellow (does that make sense), would I eliminate the extra yolk? Prob not….over thinker here.
We haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure! I’ve made this recipe 6 times so far (I test all of our recipes prior to publishing), but the eggs (and yolk) add extra richness and moisture (these cupcakes are SO good), and I don’t think I’d mess with it! What I would suggest is to try the recipe as written, see what you think, and then experiment with a second batch removing the yolk and compare the difference. Sorry I can’t help more! If you experiment, let us know what you find out 🙂