Light and Fluffy Yellow Cupcakes
Get this recipe for the best yellow cupcakes. Fluffy and moist, this is the only recipe you need for perfect from-scratch yellow cupcakes!
So, cupcakes. Let’s talk.
You need a really great yellow cupcake recipe. Whether you know it or not. One you can turn to when yellow cupcakes pop up in your immediate future. Funny how often that happens. Or is that just me?
Probably.
Anyhow, these yellow cupcakes are fantastic.
Light and fluffy and really perfection in a yellow cupcake. The merits: the recipe uses all-purpose flour which is nice when you don’t have cake flour laying around (and the cupcakes are still moist and tender) and the recipe yields 12 so you won’t have cupcakes coming out of your ears if you don’t want to (huh?) but easily doubles if you do and, finally, they are just completely delicious.
I will always love these Buttermilk Vanilla cupcakes; consider this yellow version…simply a better classic yellow cupcake.
As a little teaser, Friday I’ll be sharing with you the simplest, best chocolate buttercream frosting ever.
Friday can’t come soon enough.
And, I haven’t really publicized this because it furthers the fact that I have no life, but I’m in the midst of perfecting the.best.yellow.cake recipe on the planet.
I’ve been searching my whole life for The One. I’m not kidding, I’ve made it no less than 15 times over the last few weeks (that is no exaggeration; my kids kind of sigh when they see another yellow cake on the counter) and I am this close to it being perfect enough to share with you.
So these yellow cupcakes are the preface to the ultimate yellow cake (funny enough, cupcakes and cakes don’t always translate into the same batter which is why I’m still working on the cake).
Phew! Lots to look forward to…
One Year Ago: Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup
Two Years Ago: Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread
Three Years Ago: San Francisco Chops {Slow Cooker}
Light and Fluffy Yellow Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (213 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream, light or regular
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make sure an oven rack is positioned in the middle of the oven. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl (or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer). Add the butter, sour cream, egg, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until the batter is smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix for a few more seconds, if needed, until no more dry pockets of flour remain. The batter will be thick – don’t be alarmed!
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes (adding time, if needed) until the tops of the cupcakes spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. As always, don’t overbake or the cupcakes will be dry.
- Gently lift out the cupcakes from the muffin tin onto a cooling rack to let cool completely. Frost as desired!
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: barely adapted from Cook’s Illustrated (decreased salt, used light sour cream)
123 Comments on “Light and Fluffy Yellow Cupcakes”
I needed a quick cupcake recipe and of course Mel did not disappoint!! The cupcakes were tender and delicious.
It worked great! I followed the recipe. I baked them for 15 minutes because my oven runs hot.
Delicious!
These cupcakes turned out quite tasty! I’d read comments and looked at recipe instructions closely. Hadn’t made cupcakes in years. Because I had the ingredients I made the lemon powered sugar frosting although I went brain dead as call for 5 cups of powdered sugar shd have been a rip off. Prob for a double layered cake? Now a lot extra lemon frosting went into the fridge awaiting the next batch of cupcakes.
Glad Mel warned that batter would be thick. Maybe an understatement- it was gloppy and a minor challenge to get equally into the paper cup tins.
All in all really good for a foray into baked sweets.
This is my first time making a recipe from your website. These cupcakes didn’t work out for me-they overflowed the muffin tin. All of the edges stuck and I had to pry them out with a knife, ruining the edges. I live in a dry place. They also tasted like cornbread, not necessarily a bad thing but not what I was looking to make. Do you have a more fail-proof recipe I can try?
Hello! Just found your site the other day and love the selection of cake/cupcake recipes! These cupcakes did dome really nicely but they were slightly too dry. I’m assuming it’s my newbie baker error lol but what do you think of adding in an additional egg yolk? Would that make it more moist? Or some sour cream? Any tips are appreciated! Thank you!
Hi Devon, adding an egg yolk might help! (Or try adding a bit less flour)
Hello again! I added an extra yolk and a dab of extra sour cream and it helped the dryness and fluffiness. I will probably add a little less flour next time like you suggested. Flavor is super yummy!
I just made these with my sister and they turned out perfect. They even domed on the top. This is a keeper!!!
Hi Mel I was just wondering if you know how some people got great things out of this recipe and others did not.
Thank you for any advice you can give me
Hi Lolly – it’s probably due to many different factors. How we each measure and mix. Low and high elevations can me a difference, too. And at the end of the day, some of it probably just simply boils down to taste and texture preferences. 🙂
Thanks, when I made these they turned out perfect!
Wow! This is such a simple DELICIOUS recipe! I frosted them with chocolate buttercream….. but they were honestly so good on their own they didn’t even need the frosting. Will definitely be making again!
Can you make this recipe with cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
I think so – haven’t tried it, but it should work out ok.
I saw the negative reviews of this recipe but I’m an experienced baker and decided to try it thinking maybe people just don’t know what they’re doing. Wrong decision, I followed the recipe to a T, made sure not to over mix or overtake, and these are not remotely light and fluffy. I let them cool just long enough to frost them and already they felt dense and the top was dry and a little hard. I ate one then and it was ok, already knew I wouldn’t make it again, but now eating them for dessert just 3 hours later they’re even worse, definitely like cornbread as other reviews said.
I am a chocolate girl and would rather not have the calories if it’s not chocolate most of the time. But, my daughter has a small business baking (she’s a junior in high school). She was asked to do cupcakes for a gender reveal party and this was the recipe she chose. She split one to make sure the reveal worked and I had a bite. And then another. And then a whole cupcake. Oh, wow!! This was an amazing cake! It was rick and moist and just perfect. I may have my chocolate status revoked, because I’m already craving another!
From the many successes from your repertoire of recipes- here’s the first failed recipe. The cupcakes texture were like cornbread. And I followed the recipe verbatim.
From the many successes from your repertoire- here’s the first failed recipe. The cupcakes texture were like cornbread. And I followed the recipe verbatim.
Mel, the flavor and texture of these is outstanding! Just about everything a cupcake should be. My only wish is that they would dome up while baking, rather than having a flat top. Wondering if this is an altitude thing, or if that’s just how they roll. Would higher temp or more flour help them rise higher?
You could try 1-2 tablespoons more flour and then increasing the oven by 25 degrees and see how that goes!
These turned out perfectly!
These are perfect! I followed the recipe exactly and they are delicious. I will definitely be making these again and again!
I normally love Mel’s recipes, but I was really disappointed in this recipe. I followed all the directions exactly and my cupcakes all sunk in the middle and tasted oddly bitter and kind of like cornbread. They also were WAY overbrowned before they were done in the middle. Sad sad.
I’m not an avid baker and these were perfect for me. Easy to make and delicious.
I rarely comment on recipes, but these were truly horrible. Very dry & crumbly, I think this is the result when butter and sugar are not creamed together first. Also the flavor was only ok. Was excited to make these but very disappointed. And, yes I followed the directions exactly. The search for the perfect yellow cupcake continues!
Hi Mel!!! Love your recipes!! I have made these cupcakes twice now and I LOVE THE FLAVOR…. but I can’t quite get the cupcake perfect yet. The tops are the best part and then when you get down to the bottom it’s more dry and crumbles a little bit. First time I baked them at 325 for 22 min and then yesterday I baked them 350 for 20 min and results were the same. Not sure what I am doing wrong. I am using a dark nonstick wilton cupcake pan with liners. Any suggestions?
Hi Lauren – I’ve found the same results when using dark nonstick muffin pans. No matter what I do, the bottom third of the cupcake/muffin is dry. I think it has to be due to the dark nonstick pan. Do you have convection bake option on your oven? That will sometimes help. Otherwise, I’d probably try decreasing the temp even further – maybe to 310 degrees.
Hi Mel!!! Love your recipes!! I have made these cupcakes twice now and I LOVE THE FLAVOR…. but I can’t quite get the cupcake perfect yet. The tops are the best part and then when you get down to the bottom it’s more dry and crumbles a little bit. Not sure what I am doing wrong. I am using a dark nonstick wilton cupcake pan with liners. Any suggestions?
EXCELLENT !!! Moist and a wonderful flavor.
Daughter made them today with her version of vanilla butter cream frosting.
These are 100% a keeper.
Thank you Mel…
Hi Mel, I made these and while they tasted great, they were more muffin like (dense) and definitely not yellow in color. I followed the instructions exactly (including weighing the ingredients). Do you think I overmixed and it made them dense?
Over mixing can definitely lend a coarser/heavier texture to the cupcakes. Sorry they didn’t work out super great for you!
Hi there. This looks like a good recipe for cupcakes; I think I will try it! I was thinking of making your tested-and-perfected yellow cake and adapting it, but I found this in the comments. Looks easy enough. I am going to make it with greek yogurt instead of sour cream because I have that on hand.
Hi Mel. I just made these today, and OMG!!! Super easy to make, light/fluffy, and so delicious. Thank you again for another amazing & awesome recipe.
Hi. I made these cupcakes and they turned out awesome. How could I reduce the sugar amount without hurting the consistency of the cupcakes? thanks
I haven’t tried reducing the sugar but feel free to experiment!
mmmhhmmm. These were perfect. Although, I must admit, I didn’t actually make cupcakes. I baked the batter in a cake round, and then used it for cake pops. I think I came out with 50%less cake pops than I could have made. when one is crumbling up an entire cake, one must sample all parts of the cake. Quality control.
They look awesome and easy to make but as a first time cupcake baker I have two questions ….
1. Will cake flour still make these light and fluffy? In my country we do not have all purpose flour.
2. How do I measure butter in a tablespoon as spoons come in different sizes. Is it a special measuring baking spoon? Thanks!
I haven’t tried them with cake flour but it might work ok. Also, tablespoon is a measurement we use in the United States – you may need to google an equivalent or way to measure differently. Good luck!
Hi Mel! 🙂 I made this for my kids and they devoured it! 🙂 Thank you foe bwing my go-to for recipes! You have saved many dinner nights for my family. 🙂
My daughter is celebrating her 4th Bday in 2 weeks and she is requesting this cupcake in mini version. If I use a mini muffin pan, how long should I bake it and do I beed to adjust the temperature or anything else? Thank you so much for sharing your delicious recipes. 🙂
Hi Gen – you shouldn’t need to adjust baking temp unless you are using a really dark, nonstick pan – then decrease the baking temp by 25 degrees. Mini muffins or cupcakes usually bake within 7-9 minutes so watch them closely. Good luck!
Awesome cupcake recipe! Cupcakes were light, fluffy and definitely moist!
Thankssss so much for this recipe.I been trying to find a good butter cake recipe and I haven’t been satisfied with any I’ve tried until this one.Mine came out huge lol but delicious.I just know to make them smaller next time.I will be making these again.
Your recipe looks exactly the same as the Joy of Baking’s. http://www.joyofbaking.com/YellowCupcakes.html#ixzz3L8t7xfkG
Perhaps they got it from Cook’s Illustrated which is where I first spied the recipe (and the source I linked to underneath the recipe).
Just made these. Once they were in the oven, I realized I had forgotten the vanilla (long day!). However, they still tasted great. Thanks for another go-to recipe!
Made these today! The cake was very good! Maybe a little sweet, if cut back on the sugar for next time. However, the tops of my cupcakes were hard. It almost reminded my of a cornbread. Any suggestions to help fix this?
Perhaps bake just a minute or two shorter – I’m not really sure why that would be happening.
The same thing happened to me. I even baked the cupcakes on the shorter end of the time frame, watching the them like a hawk.
I was thinking of using these cupcakes for fairy cakes with passionfruit cream. Do you think the flavour of passionfruit would go with the yellow?
Sure, I think that would be delicious!
Just made these and they COMPLETELY FELL and have caves in the middle. I’m SO SAD! I followed all the directions. I am wondering if altitude is the problem (Utah – 5000 feet). I have had another of your recipes come out similar and I added TWICE the flour and it worked much better the second time. I am thinking the same thing with these – not enough flour, so the dough wasn’t thick enough. Please help. Maybe you could list on your recipes the adjustments for altitude, that would help a non-professional like me.
Jillee – I’m sorry that these fell when you tried them! High altitude (among other factors) can be fickle. I’ve had readers who live at high altitude try them with no adjustments and they come out fine and others have problems so it’s really impossible for me to list a high altitude adjustment that would be perfect for everyone (especially since I live close to sea level). There are some good baking sites online that give high altitude fixes if you google it. I am sorry again, and hope if you have the heart to try them again they turn out better.
I’m planning to try your perfected yellow cake and these cupcakes for my son’s birthday this week. Unfortunately, no time for a trial run! I was thinking I might add some sprinkles or jimmies to the batter to make it more colorful and fun. Will that affect anything? Thanks!
Diana – Not sure since I haven’t tried it but I think it should be ok. Good luck!
Mel you’ve done it again! These are PERFECT! I made them for my husband’s birthday two days ago and frosted them with that deliciously easy chocolate buttercream and it was like taking a walk back through my childhood – yellow cupcakes, chocolate buttercream and pure happiness. The texture on these is amazing, they are still fresh two days later. I doubled the recipe and they made exactly 24 just like you said 🙂 Love how easy the recipe came together too. Thanks so much!
These are quite possibly the best cupcakes I ever had. I am never going back to storebought!:))
Did you grind your own flour for the cupcakes? If so, which variety?
Dillon – I used unbleached all-purpose flour (I didn’t grind my own).
I just made these for my daughters birthday party. As opposed to being light and fluffy, they are actually the densest cupcakes I have ever had. Reading through the comments it’s so funny to see others describe them as tasting like corn muffins because that is exactly the way we described them. I did use eggs right out of the fridge and I see from above comments that that could be my problem. Next time I’ll warm them in bowl as suggested since I rarely plan ahead either!
I used room temperature eggs and they still came out just like cornmuffins . Sad.
What kind of sprinkles did you use and what kind of food dye for the frosting (and how many drops?) Its my little sisters birthday:)
Viktoriya – I used random sprinkles from the grocery store (Wilton brand I think) and I always use gel food coloring and just dab a bit on the toothpick and add it to the frosting, adding more as needed).
Thanks for this great recipe. The taste is so delicious! I have made these several times now and I can’t seem to get them just right. For some reason my middles sink. I thought that maybe they weren’t cooking long enough so this last time I left them in a little longer and they still sunk in the middle and now they are dry! Do you have any suggestions as to what it could be? Have you ever had this happen? I just really want these to turn out perfectly and I think I am close to it. I do have a gas oven.
Michele – I’ve never baked with a gas oven but many people have left comments about using a gas oven and their issues with it. When I’ve googled about it, using a gas oven can really make a difference in outcome. If I remember right, there are some suggested alterations (like baking time/temp) so you could google to find out. Also, are you at high altitude? Cakes and cupcakes like to sink when baked at high altitude. Usually adjusting the leavening and adding a tablespoon or two more flour will help with that. (Here’s a good guide: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/high-altitude-baking.html#a1). Good luck.
Thanks, Mel! That does make me feel much better! I have generally found that most baked goods do take less time than recipes call for. Usually by 10 min give or take. So, yes, I tend to babysit whatever it is I’m baking. Thanks again for your reply!