GET THE RECIPE.
We make a lot of cupcakes in the Delish kitchen, so we're confident in saying we know a thing or two about making them. We've tried it every which way but our boss Jo still always had issues with from-scratch vanilla cake in particular. She thinks it's always too dense and cornbread-like and not as soft and fluffy as cake mixes. So she extended a challenge: make the PERFECT vanilla cupcakes. Challenge accepted, boss.
Most traditional vanilla cake recipes use all-purpose flour, which we've decided is the culprit in making the cake way too dense. The solution: cake flour, which is annoying AF. (It wastes too much space in the cupboard and you hardly ever need it!) So we developed a hack to turn regular all-purpose flour into cake flour by using cornstarch. It gives cupcakes the fluffiness our boss (and everyone else) so desired.
Many other recipes also use melted butter or oil. But we decided that softened butter was the ultimate way to get the flavor and texture we wanted. We also added in more eggs, which we thought gave the cupcakes a richer flavor and, again, fluffier texture.
Last, but not least, we added a lot of vanilla — 1 full tablespoon! Just make sure it's the real thing and not the imitation stuff. When you taste it side-by-side with a boxed mix cupcake, there's no comparison. The boxed stuff will taste v. superficial.
But don't take our word for it. Next time you need to whip up cupcakes or a vanilla cake for a birthday (or a Friday night), give this recipe a try. We guarantee you'll be in vanilla cake-induced bliss in no time.
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