White Cupcake Recipe
My white cupcakes have been carefully engineered to be soft, light, tender, perfectly fluffy and white as snow. While some technique is involved in order to achieved the perfect texture (and a cupcake that doesn’t collapse on itself), I’m confident even beginner bakers can master this one.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Pure white color! You’ll likely spot some light golden coloring on the very exterior (much like you will with my white cake) but the inside should be pure white. And most of that golden crumb on the outside will peel away with the cupcake wrapper anyway 😊 Moist and tender with a springy texture. They are so light and lovely, it’s hard to eat just one! Makes 12 cupcakes, but doubles easily for 24 (or more!). These would be so elegant and pretty as wedding cupcakes! Pairs well with many frostings. I include a few additional ideas below, but really you can get creative with it–Oreo frosting, fruity pebbles frosting, and white chocolate buttercream would all be divine here. Note that you may want to skip the almond extract in the cupcakes if you plan to use a frosting that will clash with it.
Ingredients
Let’s review a few key ingredients for these white cupcakes before we get started.
Cake flour. Using cake flour means our white cupcakes will have a lighter crumb and fluffier texture. You can use all-purpose flour in a pinch, but your cupcakes won’t be as fluffy. I talk more about this and include substitution instructions below. Almond extract. This is optional, but it adds such a subtle, yet bright flavor. It’s also a classic flavor for white wedding cupcakes, if that’s what you’re using this recipe for! Clear vanilla. Clear vanilla is key to the pure white color in my white cupcake recipe. Something to know about this ingredient is that clear vanilla is an imitation vanilla with artificial flavoring and is not a pure extract. Pure vanilla extract does not exist in a clear form. While you absolutely can use regular vanilla extract (or homemade vanilla extract), it’s important to know that your cupcakes will have a slightly golden/yellow color. Butter and oil. The combination of these two ingredients works for a number of reasons and you’ll find me using this combo often (like in my key lime cake). The butter adds flavor that the oil cannot, and the oil adds moisture that the butter cannot (and helps the cupcakes stay softer even if stored in the fridge). A particularly yellow butter can tint your white cupcakes a bit golden, but we use a small amount and cream it well before beginning, which helps keep the final crumb nice and pale. For the oil, I personally like to use avocado oil, but canola or vegetable would also work. Buttermilk. I use this ingredient in my vanilla cake and chocolate cake and many other recipes because of the wonderful depth of flavor and tender texture that it offers the final product. In a pinch, you can make a simple buttermilk substitute, but the cupcakes are best when made with real buttermilk. Egg whites. We skip the egg yolks and use only the whites, which we’ll whip to fluffy, stiff peaks before folding into the batter. This creates a beautiful white color and gorgeous fluffy texture. Avoid carton egg whites, which may not whip properly for you.
SAM’S TIP: Don’t want to toss those egg yolks? My lemon cheesecake, key lime cheesecake, and fruit tart all use exactly three egg yolks! This is just an overview of the ingredients I used for my white cupcake recipe and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
Cake Flour vs. All Purpose Flour
I know not everyone keeps cake flour on hand, but I wanted to show you the difference it makes in this white cupcake recipe. If you take a look at the top cupcake, you can see that the crumb is lighter (in texture and color). It makes for a much fluffier cupcake that, to me, is also prettier. All-purpose flour will still yield tasty white cupcakes, but the texture won’t be quite the same and the cupcakes a bit heavier. You can definitely use this and still have great results though! Note that if you are not using a scale to measure, this won’t be an even 1:1 substitution; I provide instructions to properly substitute in the recipe card.
How to Make White Cupcakes
SAM’S TIP: Make sure you use a clean, dry, and grease-free bowl and utensils for your egg whites, or your they may not whip properly. I also recommend avoiding silicone, rubber, or plastic when whipping your eggs (all tips that apply to my meringues and macarons as well — egg whites can be finicky things!).
A Note on the Frosting
I used my vanilla buttercream in these photos, but with a few slight modifications. Swapping in clear vanilla (instead of pure vanilla) keeps the color whiter, and gradually whipping in 3-4 Tablespoons of heavy cream both lightens the color and texture. This version pairs so well with these cupcakes! Over the years, so many of you have asked how to turn my white cake into white cupcakes, so I am absolutely thrilled to finally share this with you today 🤍. Let me know what you think! Enjoy! Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
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