These mini cupcakes are just like the classic cupcake you know and love, just mini! They’re light and fluffy mini vanilla cupcakes, topped with a classic vanilla buttercream. This recipe for small cupcakes is easy to make and quick to bake, making these tiny cupcakes the perfect 2 bite dessert.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
There’s something so fun and whimsical about mini desserts. From my Mini Oreo Cheesecakes to my Mini Blueberry Muffins and Apple Cider Donut Muffins I absolutely love a great mini dessert recipe. These small cupcakes are another mini recipe I know you will love.
- Layers of flavors and textures: These easy mini cupcakes are made from a moist, soft and fluffy vanilla cupcake topped with a classic light and fluffy vanilla frosting. It’s pure nostalgia in every bite.
- Easy to make, bake and eat: These tiny cupcakes taste like you just bought them from the bakery, but are so simple to make. They take about 10 minutes to make and another 10 minutes to bake.
Ingredients
This mini vanilla cupcake recipe requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge.
Mini Cupcakes
Dry Ingredients: Gather all cake flour, baking powder and salt.
Wet Ingredients: Gather melted butter, oil, sugar, an egg, vanilla extract, milk and sour cream.
Vanilla Frosting
Gather unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt and heavy cream.
Substitutions
These miniature cupcakes are as easy to make as they are delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions to make these 2 bite cupcakes if you need them.
- Cake Flour: To make these small cupcakes especially light and fluffy, I like to use cake flour. If you don’t have cake flour, don’t worry, you can make your own. Simply measure out 1 cup of all purpose flour (120 g) and remove 2 tbsp (15 g). Replace the 2 tbsp of flour with 2 tbsp (16 g) of cornstarch. Then whisk well and use the same as you would 1 cup of cake flour.
- Baking Powder: This acts as a leavening agent in the tiny cupcakes.
- Granulated Sugar: This mini cupcakes recipe calls for granulated sugar, but maple sugar would also work well to make them refined sugar free.
- Melted Butter: Feel free to use an equal amount of salted butter in place of the unsalted butter. Just make sure to omit the added salt.
- Canola Oil: Feel free to use any neutral oil in place of the canola oil or use an additional 2 tbsp (30 ml) of melted butter in place of the oil.
- Egg: This recipe has not been tested without eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: This provides a lovely vanilla flavor to the mini vanilla cupcakes.
- Sour Cream: A thick and creamy greek yogurt works well in this recipe in place of the sour cream.
- Milk: Use any milk you like.
- Powdered Sugar: I like using Wholesome Organic powdered sugar. If you need a lower sugar powdered sugar alternative, I recommend Swerve or Lakanto.
- Heavy Cream: I like to use heavy cream for this vanilla frosting because I love a light and airy whipped texture. Replace with an equal amount of milk if needed.
Variations
Do you ever wish you lived next door to a Cupcakes by Melissa just so you could have an endless variety of mini cupcakes? If so, take a look at some of my favorite variations of this small cupcakes recipe.
- Chocolate Mini Cupcakes: Add ¼ cup (20 g) dutch process cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and follow the remaining recipe as written. You can also follow my Small Chocolate Cake recipe and bake in a mini muffin pan. Top them with my Oreo Frosting to make mini Oreo cupcakes.
- Orange Mini Cupcakes: Zest one medium orange directly into the sugar. Mix together until the sugar resembles the texture of wet sand. Mix 1 tablespoon orange juice (15 ml) or 1 teaspoon (5 ml) orange extract after the vanilla extract. Follow all other parts of the recipe as written.
- Lemon Mini Cupcakes: Zest one medium lemon directly into the sugar. Mix together until the sugar resembles the texture of wet sand. Mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml) or 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon extract after the vanilla extract. Follow all other parts of the recipe as written.
- Strawberry Mini Cupcakes: Whisk in ¼ cup (59 ml) strawberry jam or preserves right after the vanilla extract. Mix on the lowest setting or by hand until well combined. Top with this delicious Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting for the ultimate mini strawberry cupcake.
How To Make
Learn how to make mini cupcakes in a few easy steps. Here’s how to make them.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line a 24 ct. mini muffin pan with mini cupcake liners. In a mixing bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together until well combined.
- Whisk the melted butter and oil together until smooth and well combined. With the mixer on low, stream in the sugar. Mix the sugar with the oil and butter mixture until light and fluffy. Next, whisk in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
- Alternating with the dry, whisk in the sour cream and milk into the wet in this order: dry, milk, dry sour cream, dry until just combined. Do not overmix. Use a tablespoon sized cookie scoop to scoop the mini vanilla muffin batter into each of the mini cupcake liners.
- Bake the muffins for 10 - 14 minutes or until the sides of the mini cupcakes are lightly golden and the tops bounce back quickly when lightly pressed. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Gently remove them from the pan to cool completely. While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting.
- Cream the room temperature butter on low until smooth. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in the sifted powdered sugar 1/2 cup (60 g) at a time, beating each addition of powdered sugar until incorporated. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl as needed. Once all the sugar has been added, mix in the vanilla extract, salt and heavy cream. Beat on high until the vanilla buttercream is fully incorporated and your desired consistency.
- Top each of the mini cupcakes with 1 - 2 tablespoons (15 - 30 ml) of frosting and enjoy!
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Store leftover cupcakes: Place the unfrosted mini vanilla cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 - 4 days. Mini cupcakes with vanilla frosting or Funfetti Frosting can be kept at room temperature for 1 day and then transferred to the fridge for another 2 -3 days. If the cupcakes are topped with a cream cheese based frosting such as my Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting or my Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting, they should be stored in the fridge.
- Freeze the small cupcakes: Make sure the little cakes are completely cooled to room temperature. Transfer them to an airtight and freezer safe container life a zip lock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To thaw the mini cakes: The easiest and tastiest way to thaw your vanilla mini cupcakes is to let it sit them out at room temperature until they are thawed.
M’s Expert Tips
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in soft, fluffy and moist cupcakes.
- Use a small cookie scoop: This is the easiest, quickest and cleanest way to get the best mini cupcakes. Each small cupcake is about 1 tablespoon of batter.
- Fully preheat the oven: Ovens need about 20-30 minutes to fully preheat.
- Don't overfill the cupcakes. Aim to fill each mini cupcake liner about 2/3 - 3/4 full.
- Fully cool the cupcakes before topping them with frosting.
FAQs
Can I make this mini cupcakes recipe as regular cupcakes?
Yes, the recipe for small cupcakes can be made into about 8-9 regular cupcakes. Prepare the recipe as written, scoop the vanilla cupcake batter into a 12 ct. muffin pan and bake at 350 F (177 C) for about 18-22 minutes. Gently press on the tops. If it bounces back, the cupcakes are ready.
How long do mini cupcakes take to bake?
Most regular cupcakes take about 18-24 minutes to bake. Mini cupcakes take a fraction of that time, about 10-14 minutes.
How much do you scoop for mini cupcakes?
1 tablespoon of cupcake batter is needed to fill each mini cupcake liner about ¾ full.
Other Cupcake Recipes to Try
If you try this Mini Cupcakes recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking!
Mini Cupcakes Recipe
These mini cupcakes are just like the classic cupcake you know and love, just mini! They’re light and fluffy mini vanilla cupcakes, topped with a classic vanilla buttercream. This recipe for small cupcakes is easy to make and quick to bake, making these tiny cupcakes the perfect 2 bite dessert.
Equipment
- 1 24 ct. mini muffin pan
- 24 mini cupcake liners
- 1 stand mixer with whisk and paddle attachment or hand mixer with beaters
- 1 small tablespoon sized cookie scoop optional
Ingredients
Mini Cupcakes
- 1 cup (120 g) cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (US), room temperature
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (59 ml) milk, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream, room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ? tsp salt
- 2 - 3 tbsp (30 - 45 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line a 24 ct. mini muffin pan with mini cupcake liners.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together until well combined.1 cup (120 g) cake flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt
- Whisk the melted butter and oil together until smooth and well combined. With the mixer on low, stream in the sugar. Mix the sugar with the oil and butter mixture until light and fluffy.4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, melted, 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- Next, whisk in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.1 large egg (US), room temperature, 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- Alternating with the dry, whisk in the sour cream and milk into the wet in this order: dry, milk, dry sour cream, dry until just combined. Do not overmix.¼ cup (59 ml) milk, room temperature, ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream, room temperature
- Use a tablespoon sized cookie scoop to scoop the mini vanilla muffin batter into each of the mini cupcake liners.
- Bake the muffins for 10 - 14 minutes or until the sides of the mini cupcakes are lightly golden and the tops bounce back quickly when lightly pressed. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Gently remove them from the pan to cool completely before frosting them.
- Cream the room temperature butter on low until smooth. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in the sifted powdered sugar 1/2 cup (60 g) at a time, beating each addition of powdered sugar until incorporated. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl as needed.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, 2½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- Once all the sugar has been added, mix in the vanilla extract, salt and heavy cream. Beat on high until the vanilla buttercream is fully incorporated and your desired consistency.1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract, ? tsp salt, 2 - 3 tbsp (30 - 45 ml) heavy cream
- Top each of the cooled mini cupcakes with 1 - 2 tablespoons (15 - 30 ml) of frosting and enjoy!
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