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5.0 from 15 votes

White Cupcakes

My white cupcake recipe makes beautiful, snow white cupcakes with a fluffy and tender texture. Top them with my whipped vanilla buttercream, or use your favorite frosting!Recipe includes a how-to video!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
32 mins
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 183 kcal
Course: Dessert , Baked Goods
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup neutral cooking oil avocado, canola, or vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons clear vanilla see note
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
  • 1 ½ cups cake flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup buttermilk room temperature preferred
  • 3 large egg whites room temperature preferred
  • ½ batch vanilla frosting (see note) or your favorite frosting

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
  2. Place butter in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) and use an electric mixer to beat the butter until smooth and creamy.
  3. Add sugar and oil and beat until creamy and well-combined.
  4. Add vanilla and almond extract and stir until combined.
  5. In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  6. Add a portion (about a third) of the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and use a spatula to gently fold into the batter until just combined. Add about half of the buttermilk and fold again using a spatula. Repeat, gently mixing by hand until all of the flour mixture and buttermilk have been added and the batter is just combined.
  7. In a separate mixing bowl (see note), use an electric mixer to beat egg whites on low-speed, gradually increase to high speed and continue to beat until stiff peaks form (batter will be thick, voluminous, fluffy, and the peak that forms when you remove the beater from the mixture will hold its shape and not fold in on itself).
  8. Use a spatula to gently fold the egg whites into your batter. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so all ingredients are thoroughly combined, but take care to not over-mix.
  9. Evenly divide the batter into the prepared cupcake tin, filling not more than ¾ of the way full.
  10. Bake in center rack of 350F (175C) preheated oven for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  11. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before decorating with frosting (I used my vanilla buttercream frosting).

Notes

  • Clear vanilla flavoring, rather than pure vanilla extract, is used here to give the cupcakes the most pure-white color possible (real vanilla is brown and can color the cupcakes). If that doesn’t concern you, feel free to substitute real vanilla extract.
  • I recommend cake flour for best, lightest results. All-purpose flour could be substituted in a pinch (you would use 1 ⅓ cup + 1 Tablespoon or 175g) but the cupcakes won’t be as light and fluffy.
  • I recommend avoiding store-bought egg whites (the kind sold in cartons) as readers have reported mixed results when attempting to whip these to stiff peaks. When separating your eggs, make sure to separate the whites into a clean, dry, grease-free bowl and make sure not even a little bit of yolk is mixed with them.
  • Use a completely clean, dry, and grease-free mixing bowl and beaters. I recommend avoiding silicone, plastic, or rubber when beating egg whites as well.
  • This recipe doubles well for 24 cupcakes.
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature (frosting permitting) for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. These cupcakes may also be wrapped and frozen for several months.
  • For the cupcakes in these photos and in the video, I made a half-batch of my favorite vanilla frosting but substituted clear vanilla for the extract. I piped the frosting with the Ateco 846 tip (you can find all of my favorite cake supplies in my Amazon shop).

Nutrition Information

Serving 1cupcake Calories 183kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 25g (8%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 8g (12%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 4g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 9mg (3%) Sodium 163mg (7%) Potassium 43mg (1%) Fiber 0.4g (2%) Sugar 13g (26%) Vitamin A 104IU (2%) Calcium 34mg (3%) Iron 0.2mg (1%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12cupcakes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 183

% Daily Value*

Serving 1cupcake
Calories 183kcal 9%
Carbohydrates 25g 8%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 9mg 3%
Sodium 163mg 7%
Potassium 43mg 1%
Fiber 0.4g 2%
Sugar 13g 26%
Vitamin A 104IU 2%
Calcium 34mg 3%
Iron 0.2mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.