Cupcake Recipe
We use this cupcake recipe every time the kids’ school announces a bake sale. The recipe is super easy, the cupcakes are fun to decorate, and they are always sold out within minutes.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
0.5 cup (1 stick) butter, softened but not melted
3 eggs, lightly beaten
0.5 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 tablespoon high quality vanilla
For frosting:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1.5 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon high quality vanilla or coconut extract
For decorating:
M&Ms, sprinkles, small marshmallows, or any other favorite candy.
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a small bowl, stir together flour and baking soda.
In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Add sour cream, milk and vanilla or coconut extract and mix until you get a creamy batter.
Add flour mixture to the batter. Mix until combined.
Spoon cupcake batter into muffin tin, filling lined muffin cups almost full (you might be able to get more than 12 cupcakes from this cupcake recipe – maybe 14 or 15):
Bake 17-18 minutes. This is how the cupcakes look in the oven after about 15 minutes. Almost ready, but not quite:
To me, this is the magic of baking and why I love baking so much: watching the heat turn limp, sticky batter into an airy, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth treat. It’s pure magic.
This is what the cupcakes look like when they come out of the oven, after about 18 minutes:
Allow the cupcakes to cool for about 15 minutes on a wire rack:
These cupcakes are excellent without any frosting, but if you want to frost them, or if your kids are making you frost them, prepare the frosting while the cupcakes are cooling: beat the cream cheese until softened, using an electric mixer on medium. Slowly add the sugar and vanilla or coconut extract, and beat for a couple more minutes, until creamy.
When the cupcakes are cool, frost them (we use very little frosting, but you can use as much as you like) and decorate! This is the best part.
Well, ALMOST the best part. 
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More recipes from MomGrind:
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Pita Bread Recipe
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
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MommyNamedApril responds:
Posted: June 14th, 2009 at 6:21 pm →
yum. yum. yum.
Tracy responds:
Posted: June 14th, 2009 at 6:50 pm →
Those look so yummy! I love that the recipe makes 12 because I never know where to put the 24 cupcakes most recipes make. Silly, huh?
I like a modest amount of frosting, too but my boys eat them frosting first. They love the cupcakes at Whole Foods with 2 inches of icing (come on, I’m not the only one that goes to WF for cupcakes, am I?)
Lilly responds:
Posted: June 14th, 2009 at 6:51 pm →
They look delicious!
Lance responds:
Posted: June 14th, 2009 at 7:02 pm →
I want some! Vered, they look so delicious – it’s no surprise they sell out quickly!!
I think there should be a big blog party – and you’re in charge of bringing the cupcakes…
MomGrind responds:
Posted: June 14th, 2009 at 7:13 pm →
@ Tracy: No, you’re definitely not the only one.
@ Lance: Blog party… I like that.
Tess The Bold LIfe responds:
Posted: June 14th, 2009 at 7:13 pm →
What fun. Bake sales for church, childrens schools, and garage sales are some of my favorite memories when my children were young. We all participated and they were so proud! Of course they helped make everything. The cupcakes look “happy” and would be a joy to eat!
jelveh responds:
Posted: June 14th, 2009 at 7:22 pm →
yummy, I am loving all things cupcake related these days…thanks for sharing…
Rowe responds:
Posted: June 14th, 2009 at 9:05 pm →
Vered, these little treats look divine. Now, this is my idea of what being a ‘yummy mummy’ is all about, cooking up delicious and good looking treats.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: June 14th, 2009 at 9:09 pm →
@ Tess: Exactly. This is about creating wonderful memories. I hope it works.
@ jelveh: I love these, without frosting, with my morning coffee.
@ Rowe: I agree!
Dominique responds:
Posted: June 14th, 2009 at 9:55 pm →
The cupcakes really look yummy
I haven’t been doing cupcakes with the boys lately but last weekend we had a bake and eat pizza n cookies playdate
Davina responds:
Posted: June 14th, 2009 at 10:19 pm →
Hi Vered. These look yummy… thanks to your excellent photographs! It takes patience to halt the process each step of the way to snap a shot.
Jannie Funster responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 4:04 am →
Yummy-yummy. But just the mention of bake sale makes me a bit sad, as you know I missed my churchs’ one and that baklava that could “make angels cry for weeks.” But I’ll try to buck up and make it a happy day, anyway.
Evelyn Lim responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 5:42 am →
OMG….your cupcakes look yummy!! I haven’t made them for some time. It’ll be great to get some baking done. I haven’t tried mine with M&Ms, just colored sprinkles (for the kids mainly). It will be great to do some with M&Ms. Thanks for the idea!
Paisley responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 6:58 am →
I love food and cooking. Cupcakes are hard to resist.
Your photos are so clear and bright and cheerful.
I love cupcakes with a big dollop of peanut butter instead of frosting – and raisins instead of candy. I honestly think it’s yummy. It’s not because I’m being all ‘superior’ and ‘anti-sugar’.
RC - Rambling Along responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 7:52 am →
Hmm… With my little guy’s severe dairy allergy, I’m debating if these would taste as good with some soy substitutes.
J.D. Meier responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 7:54 am →
Those cupcakes look great. I can taste them with my eyes. You always use great pictures.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 9:04 am →
@ Dominique: Sounds like a yummy play date!
@ Davina: It does. I never had to do it until I started blogging.
@ Jannie Funster: You should come here and taste that local baklava I told you about.
@ Evelyn Lim: You’re welcome.
@ Paisley: Sounds good, but I don’t think my kids would like that at all.
@ RC: If you try, let me know.
@ J.D. Meier: Thanks!
Nurit responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 9:18 am →
My son loves to make cupcakes with me. I usually leave the decorating to him. I have a big variety of candies and treats, and sprinkles he can use. I colcet them
as well as a variety of decorative cupcake liners.
One more thing I like about baking, versus cooking, is that it is very easy to do with kids and a bit safer since no touching a hot stove or oven is needed.
Michelle @ Find Your Balance responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 9:35 am →
I think it’s great you make them homemade for bake sales. So often I’ve seen store bought cupcakes or stuff made from a mix. Homemade junk food is always best, for taste and health!
Friar responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 9:40 am →
Okay, I’m sorry, I’m “Yummy-ed” out. I think we’ve used up our quota for that word today.
I’ll go out on a limb, and use another adjective.
These look “”mouth-watering”.
The Lawyer Mom responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 9:44 am →
Ah, to be domestically gifted!
MomGrind responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 10:21 am →
@ Nurit: “One more thing I like about baking, versus cooking, is that it is very easy to do with kids and a bit safer since no touching a hot stove or oven is needed.” I agree. To me, also, baking is a “cleaner” activity. Cooking is messier, which is exactly why my husband prefers it over baking. I guess it’s a personality thing.
@ Michelle: “Homemade junk food is always best” – I agree. It’s still white flour and sugar, but at least it doesn’t contain trans fats or HFCS.
@ Friar: Hehe mouth watering sounds good.
@ The Lawyer Mom: Hardly.
Bonnie/JustPeachyBabyBlog responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 10:36 am →
Great pics, Vered! I wanted to eat them unfrosted, as I stared at them on your blog post! Looks like you took them out of the oven at the perfect moment. That is hard to do. A minute more or less, and the cake does come out the same. Thanks for the recipe. I can’t wait to try it!
Barbara Swafford responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 11:51 am →
Ooooooh Vered,
Another great looking recipe, and easy, too. Now when I’m looking for something to bake, I can just come to your site and grab a recipe. I’m still salivating over the chocolate covered strawberries and pita bread you shared in earlier posts.
Like you, I also love to bake. It’s magical.
Patricia responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 12:40 pm →
Vered.
Will you please make these for me for my birthday!
We can not make homemade things at our schools any more for bake sales because of food poisoning – people using too old eggs etc….and food allergies…. The kids and I had such fun making goodies to share.
Our favorites were Chocolate Chip Pumpkin muffins…Oh just thinking about them sounds good.
Cath Lawson responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 12:44 pm →
These look yummy and the topping sounds tastier than ordinary icing. You make some lovely food Vered.
Rana responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 2:36 pm →
Those look so good. I like the idea of topping with m&m’s. You put me in the mood to bake. Thanks for the new recipe.
Lori Hoeck responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 3:04 pm →
As Tess writes, “The cupcakes look ‘happy’.” And festive. And yummy. And very easy to make.
Marelisa responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 3:06 pm →
These look delicious. And it looks like the recipe is easy enough for me to make. I think I’ll wait until my nephews have a bake sale at their school though; the last thing I want is a dozen cupcakes calling out to me from my refrigerator.
Tara responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 3:18 pm →
Cupcakes are our ‘thing’ when it’s someone’s birthday or event.
The children absolutely love making them and I’ve even managed to train them into only licking the spoon AFTER the cupcases have been filled!
utterly gorgeous photos though Vered. Very edible!
MomGrind responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 7:20 pm →
@ Bonnie: It IS hard to know exactly when to take them out of the oven. It makes a big difference. I tend to err on the side of over baking just a little, and then they come out a little dry.
@ Barbara Swafford: It IS an easy recipe!
@ Patricia: “We can not make homemade things at our schools any more for bake sales” – that’s sad!
@ Cath Lawson: I like the frosting because it’s cream cheese, not butter. Butter-based frostings are gross IMO and margarine is even worse.
@ Rana: You’re welcome.
@ Lori Hoeck: That’s why the kids like them so much… they look happy.
@ Marelisa: “the last thing I want is a dozen cupcakes calling out to me from my refrigerator” – I agree! I sometimes make double and freeze the extra ones – it’s a good way to make sure I don’t overindulge. I defrost just one each morning to have with my coffee.
@ Tara: “I’ve even managed to train them into only licking the spoon AFTER the cupcases have been filled!” You’ll have to share your tips!
Arswino responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 8:22 pm →
They look delicious, Vered.
I will show this recipe to my wife. Thanks.
Daphne @ Joyful Days responds:
Posted: June 15th, 2009 at 9:37 pm →
Vered,
Your photos made me want to eat some and I don’t even like cupcakes! Lovely post and I’m almost inspired to bake some soon…
Natural responds:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 2:43 am →
those looks super delicious. i was watching martha stewart on the today show and she was making cupcakes, but added a twist to some of them. she put them on top of ice cream cones and then added the frosting. it looked really cute and i thought about trying it.
i didn’t see her using m&m’s though. that’s another great idea!
janice responds:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 4:34 am →
I’m not feeling very well today but wanted to catch up on some blog visits etc. Every site I’ve visited has cheered me up! Thanks for this yummy post and for a life and blogging lesson, too! I wrote a draft post about some special cupcakes the kids baked as a present but deleted it because I’m a new blogger and read some ‘advice’ in a Biggie Blog that said “Don’t bore people with the details of what you had for breakfast.” What I’ve learned from reading your glorious post today is to listen to others’ well meaning advice but do what my inner voice tells me to. Thanks, Vered. Expect more recipes on my blog. (There’s a category link there that’s never had anything in it.) If we have a blog party, can I bring Greek mezedhes? Tess did a lovely post about painted chairs recently; maybe we could all arrange a day and post photos of our favourite chairs, gardens, patios and the food and drink we’d bring – then just hop from blog to blog clinking cyber glasses!
MomGrind responds:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 7:38 am →
@ Arswino: Or, YOU can bake them!
@ Daphne: They’re great with coffee.
@ Natural: I admire Martha Stewart as a businesswoman. As a homemaker, she scares me. Too perfect.
@ janice: “listen to others’ well meaning advice but do what my inner voice tells me to.” Absolutely. Greek mezedhes sound great… I’ll bring the ouzo.
Feel better soon!
Dr. J responds:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 8:56 am →
The Girl Scouts need to put you in charge of their “cookie” drive. That way they would sell a wonderful product that even MeMe Roth would eat
Chania Girl responds:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 2:57 pm →
I love cupcakes, and I love baking, and I love that these are not from a box! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us. I’m always looking for cake recipes that are “‘from scratch,” especially since boxed anything is hard to find in Greece.
Baking is a creative outlet for me, and I find it incredibly cathartic, as well.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 5:55 pm →
@ Dr. J: Nice idea.
@ Chania Girl : “boxed anything is hard to find in Greece” – that’s a very good thing actually! I wish it was the same here in the U.S.
Tricia responds:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 6:46 pm →
Simple, beautiful and delicious…the perfect treat.
Chania Girl responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2009 at 6:41 am →
I agree, Vered. Almost everything I make in Greece is made from scratch, and I love it this way. There are so many delicious foods and delicious ways to prepare foods without filling our bodies with “stuff.” All those preservatives and additives and chemicals and hormones in pre-packaged foods are harmful to us and just put one barrier between us and what we eat. I’m a slow fooder and an organic shopper. Yes, it takes more time. (And here in the States it’s so expensive!). But aren’t I worth it?
Kim Woodbridge responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2009 at 8:28 am →
They look really good. I like to cook but I’m not as into baking. I even (gasp!) bought cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday rather than making them.
One time I tried to make heart shaped ones without a special pan – you put a marble on one side for the indent. They ended up looking like pac-man or little butts. It was SO funny.
Suzie responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2009 at 8:46 am →
I am surprised you have posted a cupcake recipe. Usually its politics or social comentary but I think we all need a good cupcake now and then.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2009 at 10:21 am →
@ Tricia: Thanks Tricia!
@ Chania Girl: Absolutely worth it!
@ Kim Woodbridge: “I like to cook but I’m not as into baking.” We are complete opposites.
@ Suzie: “we all need a good cupcake now and then.” Exactly.
J Grants responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2009 at 2:16 am →
Looks yummy!
Shevonne responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2009 at 10:11 am →
Yummy beyond YUMMY
Computer Addict responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2009 at 2:07 pm →
i could use one of these right now…
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Shan responds:
Posted: June 25th, 2009 at 5:55 pm →
What beautiful photos! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Meaghan responds:
Posted: June 26th, 2009 at 5:45 am →
They look amazing! The m&ms are a great touch. Thanks for sharing! (my mouth is watering)
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