Amy Sedaris's Vanilla Cupcakes

From the kitchen of Carly

Classic vanilla cupcakes with real vanilla extract and a tender crumb. The recipe creams butter and sugar properly, then alternates flour and milk for moisture. Top with Amy Sedaris's buttercream for something genuinely worth the effort.

Amy Sedaris's Vanilla Cupcakes

Soft, tender, and unapologetically simple. These vanilla cupcakes earn their second-best-in-the-city title through pure restraint, a proper cream, and the kind of butter-forward crumb that doesn't need a backstory. The method is straightforward enough that even eggshell disasters become part of the charm. Pair with that buttercream and you've got the whole story.

Prep
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Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 1/2 stickunsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cupsugar
  • 2eggs
  • 2 tsppure vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 tspbaking powder
  • 1/4 tspsalt
  • 2 1/2 cupflour
  • 1 1/4 cupmilk
  • 1"Amy Sedariss Vanilla Buttercream Frostingepi:recipelink</epi:recipelink>"

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

  2. Beat the butter in a stand mixer on medium speed until fairly smooth, then pour in the sugar and beat well. Crack in the 2 eggs, mix well, then add the vanilla, baking powder, salt, flour, and milk. Beat until the batter comes together and looks smooth. Divide it among individual baking cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. The batch should yield 24 cupcakes.

  3. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost them generously with vanilla buttercream frosting.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Room-temperature butter creams faster and smoother, which means you won't overmix once sugar hits. Start at medium speed and give it a full minute before adding sugar.
  • Add eggs one at a time to a moving mixer if you're feeling brave, but crack them into a separate bowl first if eggshells scare you. Either way works.
  • Don't overbake. Check at 18 minutes, especially if your oven runs hot. A golden top and a toothpick with a few moist crumbs is the target, not cake-dry.

Variations

  • Almond extract swap: Use 1 teaspoon almond extract instead of vanilla for a subtly different floral note that still feels classic.
  • Lemon version: Zest two lemons into the butter before creaming, and swap half the milk for fresh lemon juice. Pair with a lemon buttercream.
  • Brown butter: Cook the butter until the solids turn golden and nutty before creaming. It deepens the whole thing without changing technique.

Make ahead and storage

Keep frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or refrigerate for up to four days. Unfrosted cupcakes freeze well for up to a month, wrapped individually, then thaw at room temperature before frosting.