Copycat Sweet Tooth Fairy’s VaNIElla Squared Cupcake
on Jul 18, 2014, Updated Jul 15, 2024
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Once you try these Vanilla Cupcakes you’ll never want to use another recipe ever again! The cupcakes are soft, moist, and fluffy and the frosting is rich and sweet. With how easy they are to make, you won’t be able to stop making these delicious cupcakes!
These moist vanilla cupcakes are not your ordinary cupcake. The cupcakes themselves are soft, moist, and perfectly chewy while the light and fluffy buttercream adds just the right amount of sweetness. You might feel a little intimidated by the ingredient list for these cupcakes, but they could not be easier to make!
Inspired by the Sweet Tooth Fairy’s VaNIELLa cupcake recipe, this recipe really takes a classic dessert to the next level. One of my favorite parts of this recipe is the combination of coconut and almond extract in frosting. Together they add a rich, distinct sweetness to the cupcakes.
I’m a lover of all things cupcake. Try these yummy treats too: Pink Lemonade Cupcakes, Cherry Chip Cupcakes and Pumpkin Cupcakes with Whipped Cinnamon Icing.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The cupcakes and frosting compliment each other perfectly.
- They are easy to bake.
- These cupcakes are great for late night snacking or large family gatherings.
Recipe Ingredients
- Flour—All-purpose.
- Baking Powder and Soda—To help the cupcakes rise.
- Sugar—You will use a combination of granulated and powdered sugars.
- Butter—Unsalted and melted.
- Egg Whites—Using egg whites instead of the entire egg helps make the cupcakes light and spongy.
- Greek Yogurt—Make sure it is plain, not vanilla.
- Whole Milk—To help add moisture to the cupcakes.
- Vanilla Extract—Gives the cupcakes their distinct flavor.
- Heavy Cream—Serves as the base of your frosting.
- Coconut Extract—Adds a little bit of fresh sweetness to the frosting.
- Almond Extract—Helps round out the flavor of the frosting.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes
Step #1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
Step #2. In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter and sugar. Whisk in the egg whites, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract. Combine with the flour mixture.
Step #3. Fill your cupcake liners evenly with the cupcake batter.
Step #4. Beat the butter until fluffy. Add cream, vanilla, coconut extract, salt, and 2.5 cups powdered sugar. Whip for 3-5 minutes. Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.
Step #5. Bake cupcakes until the tops begin to turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Step #6. Place in an icing bag and pipe onto the cool cupcakes.
Recipe FAQs
Using a combination of Greek yogurt and milk is the key to a moist cupcake. These ingredients will work together to give the cupcakes moisture and prevent them from drying out as they bake. Once your cupcakes finish baking, you can help them stay fresh for longer by storing them in an airtight container.
While it is not completely necessary, spraying your liners down with some nonstick cooking spray can help you get every last bit of cupcake out of the liner. I always recommend baking your cupcakes without cooking spray and then if they are sticking too much you can spray them next time. That way you don’t risk altering the flavor of the cupcakes at all.
As long as you keep your cupcakes covered with plastic wrap or move them to an airtight container, you can store them on the counter for up to 4 days. After that they will start to dry out a little bit.
Expert Tips
- If your frosting is too thick then you can add 1-2 extra tablespoons of heavy cream. If it is on the thinner side, add ¼ – ½ cup of extra powdered sugar and continue whipping.
- Even though it can take 3-5 minutes, don’t skip the whipping of the butter step for the frosting. Beating the butter helps it to be light enough to combine smoothly with the powdered sugar.
- I like to make sure the eggs, milk, and yogurt are room temperature. If they are too cold then it can cause your batter to be a little clumpy and cause the cupcakes to be a little dense.
- If you do not have plain Greek yogurt then you can use sour cream instead.
More Cupcake Recipes To Consider
Cupcakes
Cherry Chip Cupcakes
Frosting Recipes
Light and Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Cupcakes
Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Sweet Tooth Fairy’s VaNIElla Squared Cupcake Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
- 3/4 cup 2% or whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a whisk to combine them. In a separate medium bowl add the melted butter and the sugar. Stir to combine (will be gritty). Add the egg whites, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture and stir to combine. Add the flour mixture all at once and stir until just incorporated. The batter will be thick.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 lined cups. Bake for around 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Let the cupcakes rest for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan. Allow to cool before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Add the butter to the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on medium speed with the whisk attachment until the butter is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, Add cream, extracts, salt, and 2.5 cups of the powdered sugar. Mix on low until combined and then increase speed to medium and whip for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the icing 1/2 to a 1/4 cup at a time to until you reach the desired consistency.
- The constancy of the icing is important if you are going to pile it high on a cupcake. It should be a medium consistency. If you mix the batch of icing with a metal teaspoon (the kind you use for dinner) it should stand up straight in the middle of the bowl when it is in the icing. So, you should be able to stir it with a spoon by hand but it should also be sturdy enough to hold the spoon up. If the icing is too thick, add a little cream. If it needs to be a little thicker add a 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and whip to combine until it’s sturdy enough.
- Place in an icing bag and pipe on the cool cupcakes with tip 2A
Hey, I used to work at a sweet toothfairy bakery (loved it!), try cream cheese instead of heavy cream, and equal parts vanilla, almond, and coconut.
Whaaattttt! Thank you for the tip! This was just my best guess (because I LOVE this cupcake!) I’ll tinker with your suggestions!
These look so good! Have you tried using the recipe to make a whole cake instead of cupcakes? If so, any necessary changes?
I don’t have great luck making homemade cake from scratch, it always falls in the middle since I’m at a pretty high altitude. I’m not sure if this would make a good cake or not.
Seriously, this is the BEST vanilla cupcake recipe I’ve ever made! ?? The cakes are moist and chewy and not crumbly. The texture is fantastic. I used Bulgarian yogurt instead of sour cream. It took me about 22 minutes to bake them. The batter made 16 cup cakes. I didn’t change one thing about the ingredients for the cakes.
The frosting is probably more buttery for my taste but still really good. I used only 2.5 cups of sugar as I like less sugary frostings (maybe that’s why it was more buttery). I also added extra from the extracts. The combination of flavors are very good together. The consistency of the frosting is perfect for piping.
Thank you SO much for sharing your recipe.
Ohhhh I love this! Thank you so much for leaving a review and telling us what worked for you. Merry Christmas friend and happy cupcakes to you.
I’m glad she was kind to you.. I met her when I worked in the service industry and was very sweet and attentive to her, but I found her to be extremely rude, curt, dismissive, and condescending. Maybe she is nicer at publicity events or doesn’t think much of service people, but it really soured me on her and on the Mormon church.
I’m so sorry to hear that, that must have been so disappointing! Please don’t let one person sour you on a whole group (aka the Mormon Church) because she doesn’t represent the whole of the people. I hope someone will come along and show you proper kindness from the church to change your impression. Merry Christmas friend!
Looks amazing. Have you tried doubling this recipe or should I just make two batches?
It doubles well, I’d go for it!