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These light, fluffy cupcakes are everything I love in a classic Southern-style wedding cake—moist, tender, and laced with that perfect blend of vanilla and almond. Topped with my go-to whipped cream cheese frosting (it’s rich like Swiss buttercream, but way less fussy), they’re the kind of treat that turns any day into a celebration. I’ve made these for birthdays, showers, weddings, Tuesdays— and to celebrate the ex moving out. They freeze like a dream, but honestly… they never make it that far around here.
By the way? You'll find even more recipes for cupcakes in my 50 Best Cupcake Recipes post. Chocolate #6 is simply amazing!
🧾 Ingredients
🔪 Instructions
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl - set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar, add the sour cream, almond extract, and vanilla. Add the egg whites and beat.
- Add the flour mixture to the egg white mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk.
- Spoon batter into paper liners ⅔ of the way up and bake.
- Add cream cheese and Confectioner's sugar to a large mixer bowl.
- Beat the cream cheese, and Confectioner's sugar until fluffy.
- Add the cream, pudding mix, and almond extract. Beat until it thickens and stiff peaks form.
- Frost the cupcakes as desired.
📖 Recipe
White Cupcakes Recipe
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White Cupcakes
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature - do not use low fat or fat free
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1 ¼ cups Confectioner's sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant pudding powder, white chocolate or vanilla
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
White Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Line muffin cups with cupcake liners.
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl - set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar together with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Add the sour cream, almond extract, and vanilla-butternut flavoring to the creamed mixture.
- Mix until combined.
- Add the egg whites and beat well on medium speed, scraping down the bowl often.
- Add the flour mixture to the egg white mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk.
- Beat on low speed for a minute, scraping down the sides to ensure all the ingredients are incorporated into the batter.
- Spoon batter into paper liners ⅔ of the way up.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few crumbs clinging to it.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool 5 minutes before removing from the pan.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese, and Confectioner's sugar until fluffy.
- Add the cream, pudding mix, and almond extract.
- Beat until it thickens and stiff peaks form.
Notes
- Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before beginning. This is important!
- Be sure to cream the butter and sugar long enough - 3 to 4 minutes!
- Mix gently! Cupcakes are made fluffy by air bubbles. If you mix them too long you'll break all the bubbles and your cupcakes will be tough. Always mix on low speed just until your batter is blended and then if you need to mix a little more do it by hand.
- Don't overbake!! If no wet batter is on a toothpick when you check them they're done -- even if a few crumbs cling to the toothpick.
- Use a scoop to fill the cupcake liners so that they are all the same size. The measurement is about a scant ¼ cup of batter for each cupcake.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
📖 Variations
If you want that traditional wedding cake flavor you'll want to stick with what I've done with a mixture of almond and vanilla but if you are adventurous you can use any clear flavoring you'd like.
- You can use 2 whole eggs instead of the egg whites but the cake won't be completely white depending on how dark the egg yolks are.
- Coconut flavoring is really good!
- Vanilla-butternut flavoring adds a flavor to this vanilla cupcake recipe that everyone loves but no one can quite put their finger on!
- Almond works well but use just about ¼ teaspoon because it's strong.
- Rosewater - in the days before vanilla was a thing (ie: a very long time ago) people used to flavor desserts with rosewater.
- Orange water - this also gives them a delicate, old fashioned flavor.
- Add vanilla bean scrapings for even more vanilla flavor.
- Put a small spoonful of raspberry jam in the center of the cupcake batter top with more batter and bake. Yummy surprise centers!
- Add ¼ to I/2 cup of sprinkles to the batter for birthday cupcakes.
- Make mini cupcakes, top with vanilla buttercream, and add a tiny sugar rose to the top of the cupcake for baby showers, wedding showers, and other special occasions.
- The whipped strawberry cream cheese frosting from the strawberry sheet cake recipe would be delicious on these.
💭 Things to know
If your cupcakes rise unevenly one of 3 things has happened - uneven heat, too hot of an oven, or your oven isn't level.
You can try turning your pans during baking to keep them baking evenly, get an oven thermometer to check that the temperature is correct, and if you live in an old house like I do you'll just want to get used to uneven cupcakes since there is NOTHING that's level in an old house.
👩🍳 FAQs
I've never tried to make these gluten free or sugar free so I can't really comment on whether or not substitutions will work. My best advice is to give it a try and see what happens.
Yes and no. If you substitute a whole milk Greek yogurt for the sour cream then it should be fine. You cannot substitute a low fat or nonfat yogurt for the sour cream in this recipe because they have stabilizers and will break down and become watery. Trust me - go with the sour cream.
The reason most recipes call for unsalted butter is that you can then control the amount of salt in the finished cupcake. If you use salted butter you don't really know how much salt is in there.
It sure can! If you want a 2-layer 8-inch cake you'll need to double the recipe. Bake it at 375F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I also have a recipe for a homemade white cake mix that's fantastic!
This classic white cupcakes recipe is simply the best. It has the perfect texture, is just sweet enough but not too sweet,
Think of them as vanilla cupcakes with attitude! I love these for Spring - they're perfect for Easter. Here are 91 more Easter dessert recipes, too.
📚 Related recipes
There's nothing as delicious as a batch of homemade cupcakes! Here are more recipes I think you'll love
... and definitely try this classic red velvet cake! You can make it into cupcakes as well - I'll tell you how.
First published February 21, 2018. Last updated April 1, 2023 for better images.
Pat H says
I made the wedding cake cupcakes for Memorial Day barbecue and they were a big hit. I used coconut flavoring because of a family member nut allergy. The icing is the absolute best .. we used left over icing to dip strawberries.. so yummy.. I will make these again .. thank you for this recipe!
Marye says
Im glad you liked them! Smart idea on the coconut!
Jo says
1 used 1 pint heavy cream for the frosting. The frosting was too runny, never came to peaks. It seems like measurements are off on the sugar or whipping cream. Any suggestions?
Marye says
I’m happy to help! This recipe has been tested many times and has worked beautifully for myself and others, so let’s troubleshoot. The cream cheese must be full-fat and at room temperature before creaming with the powdered sugar. The heavy cream sometimes works best if it's very cold and added in a slow pour, whipping the whole time. If the frosting didn’t come to peaks it’s likely that the heavy whipping cream wasn’t cold enough, the cream cheese had been microwaved rather than room temp, or it simply needed more whipping time. Since there's instant pudding in it it does thicken up pretty quickly so I'm not sure what happened on your end. Hope that helps, and thanks for giving it a try!
Linda kraner says
Is there a White Gluten free cake recipe??? I need one for a wedding this fall..thank u Linda. But I will malinda ke this white cake!
Marye says
No, I don't do gluten free recipes. :/
Aisha says
Will try the recipe the way that it is. However I’m not a fan of almond flavor, it I leave out the almond flavor will that change anything?
Marye says
just substitute vanilla or lemon for the almond..or whatever you like.
billiejo lear says
I have never used the vanilla butternut flavoring. Could you recommend the brand you trust?
Marye says
I use McCormick?
Virginia Alvarado says
Taste is amazing. However, my cupcakes sank in the middle when cooled. What causes this?
Marye Audet says
Virginia, there are a variety of reasons - underbaking, filling the cupcake liners too full, overmixing... When that happens to me I just put some jelly or pudding in the center and add my frosting on top!
Mandy Campbell says
I AM WANTING TO MAKE AN OREO CUPCAKE BY ADDING CRUMBLED BITS OF OREO INTO THE BATTER, OBVIOUSLY THIS WOULD PROBABLY BE BEST GENTLY FOLDED IN LAST... BUT MY QUESTION SINCE YOU DO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS BATTER IS DO YOU THINK I SHOULD WORRY ABOUT CHANGING ANY OF THE INGREDIENTS SINCE I AM MORE OR LESS ADDING IN AN DRY INGREDIENT WHICH WILL PULL ON THE MOISTURE OF THE SURROUNDING BATTER OR IS THIS A BATTER THAT DOES WELL WITH ADDING IN TWEAKS LIKE THIS?
Cindy says
Hi! Cupcakes cakes came out delicious, however , the frosting consistency was liquid, next time I think I have to use less than a pint of the heavy whipping cream.
Thank you!
Marye Audet says
I'm sorry it didn't work for you. It's a recipe I use often. I wonder if there were brand differences?
Grace says
What can I sub for pudding mix in the icing?
Marye Audet says
There is no substitute, sorry. 🙁
Dina says
I was curious as to why you chose all purpose flour over cake flour. I always thought that cake flour would
result in a more tender, less dense cake. I thought of swapping it out. Would you recommend the all purpose over cake flour?
Marye Audet says
This recipe was created with all-purpose flour and that's how it works best. If you'd like to swap out and use cake flour you certainly can.
Cleopatra says
I dont have almond extract, what can I use?
Marye Audet says
vanilla or whatever you like.
Julie B Hicks says
These cupcakes are so moist everyone loved them but I did not care for the icing to decorate with
Marye Audet says
I'm glad you liked the cupcakes, Julie. What didn't you like about the icing?
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
Save one for me -- I'd love one of those light cupcakes. I'm not usually a cake eater -- sometimes they're too darn dry. Yours certainly don't look that way. YUM!!