Ever feel like regular-sized cupcakes are a little too much to handle? Then this recipe for Mini Vanilla Cupcakes is for you! The perfect easy-to-make treat that you'll have on your kitchen counter in no time at all!
This recipe for easy moist mini vanilla cupcakes is made from soft vanilla cupcakes piped with a fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting! These cupcakes can be decorated in any way you wish! This and their small size makes them the perfect bake for a birthday party, baby showers, and even weddings.
If you love cupcakes and looking for other great cupcake flavors to try out, then have a look at this recipe for Coffee Cupcakes or this recipe for Strawberry Filled Cupcakes.
Or if you are looking for other recipes for mini desserts, have a look at this recipe for Mini Carrot Cake Loaves or this recipe for a Mini Chocolate Cake.
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Ingredients
To make this easy recipe, you will need the simple ingredients listed below. Remember to always use fresh room temperature ingredients when baking.
- Sunflower oil
- Granulated white sugar
- Extra-large eggs
- Self-raising flour
- Whole milk
- Vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Sprinkles
Sunflower oil - these cupcakes use oil instead of butter for extra moistness! Use neutral-tasting vegetable oil for this recipe like sunflower or canola oil.
Extra-large eggs - out of their shell, the eggs I use weigh 56 grams, if you aren't sure if you have the same eggs - weigh the eggs you have and adjust accordingly.
Self-raising flour - if you can't find self-raising flour, you can use cake flour or all purpose flour mixed with baking powder. Check the recommendations on the packaging of your baking powder to decide how much should be added.
Vanilla extract - choose a quality vanilla extract rather than essence to give this recipe a great vanilla flavor. You can also use vanilla bean paste.
Unsalted butter - choose unsalted butter when baking, so that you are able to adjust the saltiness of your bakes. It is very important that you are using room-temperature butter for the frosting.
Sprinkles - I used sprinkles and jelly sweets to decorate these cupcakes, you can do the same or choose to use chocolate sprinkles or shavings, fresh fruit, or anything you'd like!
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow the easy instructions below to make this mini cupcake recipe. First, you will be making the mini vanilla cupcakes, then the vanilla buttercream frosting, and then decorating the cupcakes.
Instructions for cupcakes
STEP 1: Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 170 °C (340°F) and line 24 mini cupcake liners into two 12-hole mini cupcake pans.
STEP 2: Beat eggs, sugar, and oil. Add the oil, eggs, and sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
STEP 3: Add dry ingredients. Sift together the salt and flour then add the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Beat at low speed until just combined.
STEP 4: Add wet ingredients. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a jug, and slowly pour this into the cupcake batter with the mixer's motor running at low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again, making sure it is lump-free.
STEP 5: Bake. Pour the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a jug or ice-cream scoop, filling each case two-thirds of the way up. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in their tins for 5 minutes, then to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Instructions for frosting
STEP 1: Beat the butter and icing sugar. Add the unsalted butter and icing sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
STEP 2: Combine the milk and vanilla. Add the vanilla extract and milk to a small jug.
STEP 3: Add the milk and vanilla. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the icing sugar and butter mixture with the mixer's motor running. Once all of the milk has been added, beat at high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl often while mixing. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle.
STEP 4: Pipe buttercream. Pipe a swirl of buttercream onto each cupcake and decorate with sprinkles and sweets, enjoy!
Hint: The frosting needs to be light and fluffy before adding it to a piping bag for decorating. If 5 minutes isn't enough, continue beating.
Variations
These delicious mini cupcakes can be decorated in so many different ways! You can color the frosting with edible food coloring for kid's birthday parties or you can choose to use a different flavored frosting.
If you are looking for other frosting recipes, have a look at this recipe for Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, this recipe for Strawberry Frosting, or this recipe for Biscoff Buttercream.
Equipment
For these easy mini cupcakes, you will need x2 12-hole mini cupcake tins or one large 24-hole mini cupcake pan for mini cupcakes, 24x paper mini cupcake cases, a wire rack for cooling, a disposable piping bag, a piping nozzle, and an electric mixer.
I always use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer to make the buttercream as they help ensure a fluffy frosting. I also always use an accurate kitchen scale when baking.
Storage
Cupcakes cool quickly and dry out just as quickly so try to frost them the same day that they are baked. If you don't have time to decorate the cupcakes the same day as baking them, store them in an airtight container or cover the cupcake trays in plastic wrap until the next day.
For any frosted leftover cupcakes, store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature out of direct sunlight. If you have added fruit to the top of your cupcakes, choose to store them in the fridge.
To freeze these cupcakes, place any leftover cupcakes in a freezer-safe air-tight container and freeze them for up to three months. Defrost properly before consuming them.
Top tips
Follow the top tips below to make sure you are baking the perfect vanilla mini cupcakes
- Set the oven correctly, and check the actual temperature of your oven with an oven thermometer.
- Always use room-temperature ingredients when baking, for this recipe it is very important to use room temperature butter for the frosting.
- If the frosting doesn't look whipped enough, keep beating it until it is light and fluffy.
- Add the milk slowly to the frosting, on hot days you might need less milk than suggested.
- Only decorate the cupcakes once they have cooled completely, otherwise, the frosting can melt.
FAQ
The eggs I use weigh 56 grams, if you aren't sure if you have the same eggs - weigh the eggs you have and adjust accordingly.
Check the temperature of your oven and make sure you haven't overfilled the cupcake cases. Overfilling the cases can result in misshapen cupcakes.
Mini cupcakes bake very quickly, set the bake time for 10 minutes and see if this is enough time. Be sure that the oven isn't set too high otherwise, these cupcakes can burn on the bottom very quickly.
These bite-sized cupcakes are my favorite bake to bring along to any special occasion, and they'll be gone just as soon as you lay them out!
If you gave this recipe a try and love it as much as I do, please leave a comment and star rating below - I love hearing from you!
Remember to follow along @with_love_kitty to make sure you never miss a new recipe!
Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
📖 Recipe
Mini Cupcakes
Equipment
- 1x 24 hole mini cupcake pan
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 60 ml sunflower oil
- 2 eggs extra-large
- 125 g sugar white
- 150 g self-raising flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 140 ml milk whole
Vanilla Buttercream
- 250 g powdered sugar
- 80 g unsalted butter
- 25 ml milk whole
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- sprinkles to decorate
Instructions
Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and line 24 mini cupcake liners into two 12-hole mini cupcake pans.
- Add the oil, eggs, and sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Sift together the salt and flour then add the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Beat at low speed until just combined.
- Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a jug, and slowly pour this into the cake batter with the mixer's motor running at low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again, making sure it is lump-free.
- Pour the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a jug or ice-cream scoop, filling each case two-thirds of the way up. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in their tins for 5 minutes, then to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Vanilla Buttercream
- Add the unsalted butter and icing sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the vanilla extract and milk to a small jug.
- Slowly pour the milk mixture into the icing sugar and butter mixture with the mixer's motor running. Once all of the milk has been added, beat at high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl often while mixing. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle.
- Pipe a swirl of buttercream onto each cupcake and decorate with sprinkles and sweets, enjoy!
Debbie says
What a great cupcake recipe, thank you for sharing!