These Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes are dairy-free, simple to make, and lend a bakery style texture and a vanilla bean finish. You can bake up a batch of these perfect cupcakes in no-time.
These are seriously the most incredible, better-than-bakery style Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes! They’ve been shared thousands of times and people come back weekly to tell me how amazing they are.
I use vanilla bean paste these days, but you can easily use Rodell’s vanilla extract (aff link). Rodelle Vanilla Paste is my newest favorite item to bake and cook with and that’s why I use it in my vanilla cupcakes.
Now that I’ve tried it, I may never go back to extract again. It has such a deep, rich flavor and it’s never too much. I do love Rodelle’s Vanilla Extract, but the paste is dreamy, especially in these Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes.
When I first developed this recipe, I used extract, so please don’t think that you have to use vanilla bean paste. Extract lends a lovely flavor too.
I have been working on perfecting my gluten-free vanilla cupcake recipe since 2010. It’s not that it’s a complicated recipe or anything. I usually work on new recipes, not improving old ones.
My old cupcake recipe was fine, but I wanted a better texture. I wanted it to be fluffy and crumbly at the same time. I made these Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes a couple of times in January for one of my daughters birthday’s.
Finally the last time I made them I found the right amount of ingredients to get the exact flavor and texture that I had been dreaming about. From frosting to cake, they are now perfect. They’re buttery (even though dairy-free), tender, crumbly, and have the perfect amount of vanilla.
There are a couple of tips and tricks to getting the right texture with gluten-free cupcakes. First, you have to follow the recipe. So many people comment on recipe posts saying that they made a ton of substitutions and the recipe didn’t turn out.
Other than the dairy substitute, I haven’t tried other substitutes in this recipe. If you use substitutions, you are doing so at your own risk. Second, you want to mix at the right time and not over-mix. When you are beating the oil, sugar, and eggs you’ll want to beat it for the time listed. This adds air which in turn helps the cupcakes rise. Once you add your flour mixture, you’ll only want to beat until combined. Beating any longer will cause the batter to stiffen.
Why did my cupcakes explode?
First off, you may have overfilled the cupcake wells. Never fill more then 3/4 of the way full, and it’s best to stick to around 2/3’s of the way full. I use a 1/4 measuring cup to fill mine. Another reason could be that you added too much leavening agent, or that you are at higher elevation. Baking powder tends to work twice as hard at higher elevations. Consider cutting your baking powder in half if you are at a higher elevation.
All those tips are relevant to most cupcake recipes, not just these Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes.
Why did my cupcakes sink?
There are several reason why cupcakes sink, one is from over beating the batter and adding too much air. Also, cupcakes often will sink when there is too much moisture. This is more common in humid climates where added moisture can collect naturally in ingredients such as flour. When this occurs, cupcakes may rise rapidly and then fall during baking. In higher elevations, the leavening agent works twice as hard and may cause the batter to rise rapidly and sink before it’s had a chance to set up.
If you like these Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes, you might also like my Gluten-Free Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes, or my Caramel Macchiato Cake. Both are simple to make and bursting with flavor. I’ve also recently updated the photos for my Gluten-Free Lemon Cupcakes. If you’re a lemon fan, you’re going to love them!
Yields 12
15 minPrep Time
16 minCook Time
31 minTotal Time
Save Recipe5 based on 2 review(s)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or oil of choice)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose gluten-free flour blend ( I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour )
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup dairy-free milk (I used So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk )
- 2 teaspoons Rodelle Vanilla Paste OR Rodelle Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 cup dairy-free butter (1 stick), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Rodelle Vanilla Paste OR Rodelle Vanilla Extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons dairy-free milk (I used So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk )
Instructions:
- For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Position rack in center of oven. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl combine oil and sugar.
- Add eggs and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for one minute. Add flour, salt, baking powder, dairy-free milk, and vanilla paste; beat at medium speed for one minute.
- Spoon batter evenly into cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the centers springs back when touched and cupcakes are very lightly browned.
- Let cool in the pan on rack for five minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan onto rack and cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting: In a medium mixing bowl, beat together dairy-free butter and vanilla paste until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well. Alternate one cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of dairy-free milk until all ingredients are blended.
- Beat in additional dairy-free milk if needed to obtain desired constancy.
- Frost and enjoy!
Disclosure: I’m an ambassador for Rodelle. They are one of my favorite brands. Opinions are my own.
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