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.
We add in a little bit of oil to the butter mixture not for flavor, but instead for MOISTURE! Oil is liquid at room temperature so it coats the palate and gives the sensation of tons of moisture to these cupcakes. It helps to create a texture more similar to box mix cupcakes without the artificial flavor.
I actually recently conducting a baking experiment of Butter vs. Oil in Baking to see how the type of fat used affects tenderness, flavor, and texture in baked goods. The results were SHOCKING. Check out the full article with more side-by-side comparisons like the one below here.
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:
I’ve made these cupcakes a few times now. I’ve always doubled the batch. They’ve been fine. A little dense; maybe a little too much buttermilk taste. But they were edible, and people said they liked them. (I was never all that impressed.) However, I just decided tonight to make them in a pinch for a Christmas party tomorrow. BUT, I measured in grams tonight, whereas I had never done that before. Pardon my language but holy sh*t – what a difference it makes! They are freaking delicious!! To anyone reading this: trust me, measure in grams for the ingredients that call for it. You will not be disappointed.
These cupcakes are so, so good! The texture is amazing – it is light and fluffy; the small amount of oil gives them the satisfying moisture of a box mix. This will be my go-to recipe from now on! Thank you Tessa!
So glad to hear it, Bonnie!!
Hi Tessa. Thank you for your lovely website. I’d love to make these cupcakes. Would it be possible to tell me how many grams correspond teaspons of baking and soda? Many thanks. Caroline
Hi Caroline! Tessa prefers not including gram measurements of teaspoon measurements because most home-use kitchen scales aren’t accurate enough at such a small level, so these ingredients need to be measured by the teaspoon/half teaspoon/quarter teaspoon. I hope that helps 🙂
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 🙂
These yellow cupcakes are delicious and make the most beautiful batter. I followed the directions to a T (weighing ingredients, following every step precisely), but my cupcakes still came out sunken in the middle. I live at at 4,000 elevation and so decreased the amount of baking powder according to the recommended amount (1 tsp). I trust all of Tessa’s recipes, so I’m sure it was something on my end.
hmm…the first thing I’d check is to make sure your leaveners are fresh (read my article here). I’d be cautious next time about overmixing your batter as well as possibly overfilling your liners (maybe try 2/3 full next time). Do you have an oven thermometer? If so, I’d check to see if your oven is running high-that can cause your cupcakes to rise rapidly but the middle won’t be baked, causing them to sink. I’m glad they still tasted delicious, but hopefully next time we can solve the sunken middle issue!
Thank you for the feedback! I filled them 2/3 full, and I didn’t feel like I overmixed them. I will check the leaveners, and probably should invest in an oven thermometer. Thank you!
The flavor was sweet but not reminiscent of a yellow cake recipe. Additionally, the texture just fell apart even after cooling and was extremely crumbly.
Oh no, I’m sorry to hear your cupcakes didn’t turn out! Normally crumbly cupcakes are due to too much flour. Do you use a digital scale to measure your ingredients to ensure accuracy? Did you substitute any ingredients?
I love baking but I sometimes have a hard time with cakes and cupcakes. Most of the time my cakes come out dense. Not this recipe though! I loved this recipe. Great flavor and they turned out light and fluffy. Tessa definitely knows what she’s talking abbot when it comes to baking.
Thanks so much for your kind comment, Bailey! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed your yellow cupcakes!
These are INCREDIBLE!! So full of flavor and truly the perfect yellow cupcake. Make SURE to not overfill your liners as that was a problem of mine! I also had too warm of butter the first time, but once fixed the second time I made these, they turned out perfectly 🙂
Also… that chocolate buttercream it is TO DIE FOR, yummy!!
I’m so happy to hear you tried these again, Emily, and that they turned out perfectly after your corrections 🙂
Oh no, I’m sorry to hear your cupcakes sunk! Did they sink while they were still in the oven or after you checked them for doneness and took them out? Sunken cupcakes can happen for quite a few reasons: baking at high altitude, expired leavening agents, over mixing the batter, overfilling your liners (this has been a popular one in our FB group, 2/3 full has worked well!) or also if your oven is running high, that can cause your cupcakes to rise rapidly but the middle won’t be baked, causing them to sink…I want to make sure that you didn’t substitute any ingredients as well. Please let me know if I can help troubleshoot more. I also want to let you know that reviews are published, we just have to moderate them due to spam.
I made these 2x in a matter of 3 days! First batch were a trial to see if the family gave them the thumbs up. They did so then I doubled the recipe to make for my daughters grade celebration! The taste is similar but loads better than a classic yellow box cake with the added bonus of being homemade! My only issue was after they cooled, they all sank. This did not really matter as taste was not affected and I piped frosting on top but I do wonder why? This is my new #1 cupcake recipe!
I’m so happy to hear they were such a hit!! Did they sink at all while they were still in the oven or only after you checked them for doneness and took them out? Sunken cupcakes can happen for quite a few reasons: baking at high altitude, expired leavening agents, over mixing the batter, overfilling your liners (try about 2/3 full next time) or also if your oven is running high, that can cause your cupcakes to rise rapidly but the middle won’t be baked, causing them to sink. Did you substitute any ingredients? Also, do you use a scale to measure your ingredients? I know my batch sunk when I was working on the amount of all-purpose flour to be used and had too much!
I appreciate you taking the time to reply! They had a nice slight dome shape when I took them out but when they cooled, shrunk and sunk! Sounds funny!
– I weighed all my ingredients
– Did not make any substitutions
– not at night altitude
– nothing was expired
– cakes were half filled (smaller cupcake liners in-between a mini and American full-size called English “fairy cake”
– BUT now I’m thinking that I’m in England with a fan only oven so that could be it!?
And I may have over mixed them, so I’ll be aware to not over-mix next time.
Regardless, I’m a keen amateur baker who has been looking for the best home made cupcake recipe for many years and my kids and husband have all said this is it!!!
Thanks again!
I’d pay attention to the over mixing next time, but I’m thinking your oven may be the issue as well! I don’t recommend using a convection setting for delicate foods or anything that raises tall like a muffin or cake-it will make it develop an a-symmetrical shape due to the windy environment. I’d recommend checking out my Oven 101 article, it includes the adjustment you’ll need to make when using a recipe that doesn’t call for the convection setting. Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes the next time you make them, good luck! 🙂
Can I reduce the sugar level from 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar to 150aig??
Lowering the sugar will alter the outcome of the cupcakes as even the slightest change to an ingredient has been proven to make a difference in my testing. I will say that these aren’t super sweet cupcakes, and they’re incredibly fluffy and moist. I’d personally recommend trying them out as written, and then alter if you need to once you’ve tried them. Let me know how it goes if you change anything! 🙂
What kind of cupcake liner and pan do you use? Mine usually turn out greasy and I’m not sure why, thanks!
I list my favorites with links in the pink box above the recipe 🙂
HI!
Ive just made these with my daughter and they were fantastic! She couldnt wait for the frosting and just ate the cupcakes when they were still warm….. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing!
So happy to hear this recipe was a hit!! It’s definitely hard waiting for them to cool:)
These cupcakes look delicious. Do you think chocolate ganache will go with it?
Also, what is the difference between yellow cake and white/vanilla cake?
Is this recipe okay to double for I need more than 12 cupcakes
Absolutely!
What temperature would “cool room temperature” be?
Cool room temperature is about 67° 🙂
Looks great! Is there a recipe for the frosting or is there a frosting that you would recommend?
Yes! There’s a link right in the ingredients list for my Best Chocolate American Buttercream 🙂