White Cupcakes that are perfectly soft, flavorful, light, and airy. Skip the boxed mix and make this easy one-bowl recipe at home!

White cupcake topped with a buttercream frosting and white sprinkles.

People have loved my recipe for The Most Amazing White Cake and I’ve been overwhelmed with requests for a cupcake version. Here it is! This recipe makes 24 beautiful white cupcakes.

ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS: Several of the ingredients in the recipe are listed as being room temperature. By following this method you’ll have a better texture in the end so it is worth the patience.  For the buttermilk, I simply warmed it in the microwave for 30 seconds because the idea of leaving it out on the counter to reach room temperature didn’t sit well with me.

Should I use salted or unsalted butter?

This recipe is developed using salted butter because that is what most people tend to buy and have on hand. I like to keep my recipes convenient for home cooks so salted butter is used whenever possible in my recipes. Unsalted butter certainly works, but you may need to add a pinch more of salt. I used vegetable oil over butter in my chocolate cake because it produced a more result, but I was unable to replicate that in a white cake, as vegetable oil tinted the batter yellow.

White cupcake topped with a buttercream frosting and colorful sprinkles.

Do you have to use Almond extract?

Almond extract is used in a white cake. It has been my experience that some people aren’t fond of almond extract or feel the flavor is too strong. Almond extract is clear so it is ideal for a white batter. You can buy clear vanilla extract to use if you prefer that flavor. The almond extract in this recipe can also be reduced by half if desired. I myself prefer the traditional almond flavor.

Can I make this recipe gluten free?

Use gluten free flours at your own risk. Not all gluten free flours are equal and most don’t work as a straight forward substitute for all-purpose flour. I have not personally tested any gluten free flours in this recipe,

Do you have a chocolate cupcake recipe?

I sure do! You can find my recipe for The Most Amazing Chocolate Cupcakes here. They really are pretty amazing!

Do I really need to use buttermilk? Is there a buttermilk substitute?

Buttermilk reacts with the baking powder in the recipe to help the cake rise. You CAN use milk in this recipe, but your cake won’t rise as much. If you need a buttermilk substitute, I’ve written an entire article about it. There’s probably one that will work for you without having to run to the grocery store.

What kind of frosting should I use?

This recipe pairs really well with my recipe for Perfect Buttercream Frosting. It can easily be used for piping as well as spreading.

Watch the video below where we will walk you through every step of the recipe with a video demonstration.