These French vanilla cupcakes are full of deep vanilla flavor. They are delicious on their own but make a great base for your own tweaks and changes.
We were going to a potluck at church and supposed to bring food. I don’t know why this always stresses me out but it does. I mean, what food? What will everyone want? What will work? What if I make something and it turns out disgusting?
It was especially difficult Saturday because I worked until 3 and then still had no idea what I was making. Time frame? We were leaving the house at 5. Uh oh. Ya know what? Food Network to the rescue. After numerous viewings of Cupcake Wars I realized that I could easily put together 24 cupcakes in 2 hours.
The Restless Chipotle Channel
If I hurried.
These French Vanilla cupcakes are moist and very, very vanilla. Not boring, kiss-your-sister vanilla but seductive, exotic, fabulous vanilla. Deep, velvety, luscious vanilla.
I used Rose Chocolate Swiss Buttercream on half and Lavender Key Lime Swiss Buttercream on the other half. You can use any frosting you like but I am really hooked on Swiss Buttercream. It is very rich, not too sweet, and totally amazing flavor-wise. Try it at least once.
If these are still not what you are looking for you’re sure to find one on my 50 Best Cupcakes on the Internet post.
French Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
- 1 cup unsalted butter , room temperature
- 2 cups of vanilla sugar
- 2 large eggs , room temperature
- 2 egg yolks , room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup of buttermilk , room temp
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 1- inch piece of vanilla bean
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Preheat oven to 350F.
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Heat the buttermilk until it just simmers.
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Remove from heat and add the vanilla pod.
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Set aside.
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Beat butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy.
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Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beat thoroughly after each addition.
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Blend flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda, in a bowl.
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Cut open vanilla pod and scrape out seeds into the buttermilk. (You can dry the pod and use it to make vanilla sugar)
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Add vanilla to buttermilk
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Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low until mixed.
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Add 1/2 the buttermilk.
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Continue to alternate the flour and buttermilk, ending with the flour.
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Scoop into cupcake papers about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
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Cool and frost with desired buttercream
You can replace 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk with vanilla brandy for a deeper flavor.
Lillian says
Please could you advise me whether the cup of butter is a normal 250ml? Or do you perhaps know the weight of butter to be used?
Thank you so much
Marye Audet says
A cup of butter is 8 ounces… or 116 grams… 🙂
Lilloan says
Thank you for the reply. Will be trying these in a day or two. Can’t wait
Marye Audet says
Let me know!
Natasha says
A client of mine requested a banana cream cupcake this week, so I’m going to be using your vanilla cupcake recipe with a banana custard filling and a banana butter cream frosting!!
Marye Audet says
That sounds delicious!
Demy says
hello. i have made this recipe with 100gr sugar and it turned out better than with the 400gr. The only problem was that they did not rise at all and after i took them out of the oven and the cupcake pan, there was oil on the bottom. Is there a way to fix that?
Marye Audet says
Sugar is important for texture and rising. If you change it then the rest of the ingredients will be off balance
Erica says
My husband has requested a French vanilla cake for his birthday on Wednesday, and I am definitely going to be making these cupcakes instead of an actual cake! I also don’t have any time to order/buy vanilla sugar,but I saw above you posted that you can just double the vanilla. Would I double both the vanilla extract and vanilla bean? Thank you for posting this recipe btw! I can’t wait to make these!
marye says
Either way is fine. 🙂 You can just double the vanilla or for more flavor double the vanilla bean.
Meredith says
Is it going to make a big difference to not use vanilla sugar? Or can you find this somewhere in a store? I did read above where it says you can order it online or make your own but I don’t have time. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
marye says
Double the vanilla and you should be good. 🙂 You may lose a little flavor…
Tasha says
Question while reading the recipe…it says vanilla sugar? can you get that anywhere
marye says
you can get it online or you can put a vanilla bean in sugar for a few weeks and make your own. 😉
Tina says
Hi, I was interested in making these and in the ingredients it has 2 tsp of vanilla extract listed, but it doesnt say where you added that?
marye says
You can add it in with the buttermilk or with the creamed butter. It really doesn’t matter with vanilla. 🙂
Tina says
Thank you for your response! I made these today and they were a hit! It came out to be 30 cupcakes for me and I frosted them with a Vanilla Buttercream frosting; absolutely delicious and will def make again 🙂
marye says
YAY! There is nothing better than a really good vanilla cupcake! Ummm… unless maybe it is a really good chocolate one…. or pineapple… or…
Erin Myers says
You are going to make me some right? Since I didn’t get to taste them the first time? oooh yummy.
marye says
If you would come over here more….. yeah.. I will make some saturday. 🙂
Cori G. says
Hi Marye,
These look amazing and I loved your description of them ;-).
xoxo Cori
marye says
Good to see you cori!
Karen says
Looks yummy….just copied down recipe… On the books for this week! Thanks 🙂
marye says
What kinda buttercream ya using?