These cupcakes are the third recipe I’ve made in my search for the ultimate vanilla cupcake, and I have to say I’m about ready to call off the search and declare these the best vanilla cupcakes! Why are they so good? Well, they’ve got great rise, but hold their shape really well when being cut or removed from their cases. They are moist – being covered with a vanilla sugar syrup that infuses them with extra flavour and prevents them from drying out. They are made with a vanilla pod, which gives them a nice flavour and flecks of vanilla bean through the cake. And they’re made with a cream cheese frosting, which still pipes beautifully but isn’t as sickly sweet as the buttercream frosting that many classic vanilla cupcakes use.
Here’s the recipe – yes, it’s a little more involved than your current go-to vanilla cupcake might be, with the sugar syrup step. But it’s oh so worth it. Oh and I’m sure this recipe would make an ace layer cake too.
- For the cupcakes
- 200g soft unsalted butter
- 200g caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 vanilla pod
- 200g self raising flour
- For the sugar syrup
- 75g caster sugar
- 5 tablespoons water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- For the frosting
- 1 batch foolproof cream cheese frosting
- Preheat your oven to 180C/gas 4/350F and line two cupcake tins with cases. The ones I used are from Lakeland - I was going for a green theme as I was making them for a Macmillan cake sale.
- Next, mix your soft butter with your sugar. You can do this by hand or in a mixer, just cream together until fluffy and combined before adding your eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of the flour for each egg. Add the rest of the flour and mix to combine, and then add your vanilla seeds. Take a sharp knife and lay your vanilla pod down on a cutting board, and slit it from end to end. Unfurl the pod and scrape out the seeds, either with your knife or a teaspoon works well too. Add the seeds to your mixture.
- Next, fill your cases with batter. Peggy pipes hers for perfectly distributed batter, but I just used two tablespoons, and made sure to push the batter down to fill any gaps. Pop your cupcakes into the oven, and while they're baking, make your sugar syrup.
- Put your water and sugar into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir until the sugar crystals are dissolved into the water, and then remove from the heat and cool. Once your syrup is cool, add the vanilla extract. Did you know you can make sugar syrups with any flavourings you fancy, and you can also use them to make cocktails?
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, removing from the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Still in their pan, cool your cupcakes for ten minutes, and then prick each one with a fork (I did mine three times each so nine total holes) and brush over some of your sugar syrup. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely.
- Next, make your frosting! Use my recipe for foolproof cream cheese frosting and add a little gel colouring of your choice if you'd like it to be a bright colour. Or, stir in chopped fruit (strawberries make it pink!).
- Eat! Store at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in a fridge if it's very warm.
Mmm, love the flecks of vanilla bean through the batter!
I achieved the bright green colour by using a mixture of blue (ice blue) and yellow (melon) gel colours by Sugarflair. It’s much easier to achieve bright colours and a good frosting consistency when you use gel colours than old fashioned liquid colours.
I piped my frosting on using a star nozzle that was provided in the Lakeland frosting kit that I bought a few years ago. I also use Lakeland disposable icing bags.
For my decorations I used Dr Oetker sprinkles – citrus strands and polka dots.
You HAVE to try these cupcakes – I promise they’ll become your new favourite!
x Kerry
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Kelly says
May 3, 2018 at 5:54 amHow many does it make? 24?
Kerry Cooks says
May 8, 2018 at 7:09 pmHi Kelly – it makes 12 – I’ll update the post 🙂
CakenGifts.in says
July 8, 2017 at 8:00 amThis is fantastic! Not only tasty but so quick and easy to make.
Very Nice Article…
Rossie says
April 23, 2016 at 3:28 pmAmazing frosting!! Thanks for sharing it. It is the second time I follow this recipe and it always turns perfect!
Sacha says
August 25, 2015 at 11:18 amThey look absolutely gorgeous! Would you say it’s a complicated recipe because I need to really quickly bake some cakes for a party and I don’t have much time 😮 xx
Kerry Cooks says
August 25, 2015 at 11:21 amNot at all, and you can skip the syrup if you need them asap
Maggie says
May 18, 2015 at 9:14 amHi Kerry, I love all your posts…. Thank you. Please could you tell me, do you use the normal size cupcake cases, the v pretty ones I can see ….. Never the bigger size muffin cases (which I like but they are not pretty!!). And do you put them in muffin tins, which a little deeper than fairy cake tins???
Thank you. Xx
ginevra says
March 29, 2014 at 1:39 pmhello,I want to try this recepe,but I want to ask,there is no milk or other liquid?just the eggs?thank you
Kerry Cooks says
March 29, 2014 at 8:56 pmHi Ginevra,
Yes that is correct – just the eggs!
Enjoy!!
ginevra says
April 2, 2014 at 8:20 pmthank you.
Emily Mathias Tagg says
March 1, 2013 at 4:21 pmthey look heavenly, I mus try them out soon! Did you get this recipe from one of Peggy’s books? I’m tempted to buy one of them but I dont know which one.
kerrycooks says
March 1, 2013 at 4:30 pmThank you Emily! I actually found it online in Sainsburys Magazine, I expect it is in her book though and I know the new book has excellent reviews, sadly I don’t own any myself 🙂
Lisa says
January 9, 2013 at 11:26 amI have this book, but all I’ve tried we’re the chocolate heaven cupcakes and they are the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever had! Guess I now know what to make next! They look amazing!
kerrycooks says
January 9, 2013 at 12:26 pmOoh chocolate heaven cupcakes, they sound amazing too!
Natasha says
September 24, 2012 at 6:45 pmthey look really lovely Kerry. Good work with your piping too, you’re really coming along well! This is a victoria sponge cake essentially with the syrup added. I’ve never thought to add a syrup to a regular sponge cake but will consider it in future! Another sponge recipe that has been recommended is weigh the eggs (without their shells!) and weigh the other ingredients so everything is the same weight as the eggs and follow the same method. great results with that way too xx
kerrycooks says
September 25, 2012 at 9:07 amThanks Natasha!! Really lovely of you to say 🙂
Nic's Notebook says
September 18, 2012 at 12:51 pmOOh fab – I have had similar trials looking for the ultimate vanilla cupcake! Never tried these tho… 🙂 x
The Vagabond Baker says
September 18, 2012 at 10:49 aminteresting! I’ve come across using syrup in other cakes- lemon, carrot etc but never plain vanilla sponge.
kerrycooks says
September 18, 2012 at 10:50 amYes, she says its to keep them moist. They were indeed moist and delicious – you couldn’t tell it had a syrup in