White Cupcakes are a delicious treat with a moist, fine crumb and a dense texture, making them ideal for a special occasion! They are perfect for frosting and decorating to fit your celebration or event, but also good enough to enjoy the cupcake itself! If you are looking for more Cupcakes, I have you covered!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Flour: I used cake flour in this recipe. Cake flour is very low in protein (about 6-8 percent) when compared to all-purpose flour (10-12 percent). Used in these cupcakes, it results in delicate, fine-crumbed cupcakes. If you don’t have any on hand, make your own!
Butter: Use room-temperature unsalted butter. If using salted butter, you may want to lessen or omit the salt in the recipe.
Extracts: Both vanilla and almond extract are added to the muffin batter. If you have a nut allergy, you could substitute vanilla for almond extract. Or, you can also use Imitation Almond Extract which is typically not made with almonds. Be sure to check the ingredients. If you just don’t like the flavor, the cupcakes do not taste almondy. It simply adds a freshness, a refined elegance, to the overall flavor.
Eggs: You will need only egg whites in this recipe. This gives you a lighter and fluffier cupcake. Try to separate them from the yolks as best as you can. To separate the egg white from the yolk, simply crack the egg over a slotted spoon that is over a bowl. Let the egg whites fall through the slots in the spoon. Don’t throw away the yolks! Beat them and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days to use in other recipes like my Browned Butter Toffee Cookies.
Milk: Whole milk is my preferred milk to use. However, you could use lower-fat milk if that is all you have on hand.
How to Store Cupcakes
To store cupcakes, first, let them cool completely. Then, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. I do not recommend storing these cupcakes in the refrigerator; they will dry out faster.
Can I Freeze Cupcakes?
Yes! In fact, freezing cupcakes is a great way to preserve their freshness. To freeze cupcakes, let them cool completely. Then, store them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2-3 months. When ready to frost or enjoy, let them thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Best Frosting for White Cupcakes
That is a loaded statement because it will absolutely vary based on your preferences!! These cupcakes are pictures with my American Buttercream, but here are a few more ideas!
- Strawberry Ermine Frosting
- Lemon Ermine
- Stabilized Whipped Cream
- Chocolate Buttercream
- Easy Coconut Frosting
Elegant White Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups (275 g) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (500 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 5 large egg whites
- 1 cup (225 g) milk, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare muffin tins with liners. (This recipe yields 23 cupcakes.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on the lowest speed, carefully add in egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer still on low, add ⅓ of the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, then half the milk, another third of the flour mixture, the remaining milk, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Using a ¼ cup ice cream scoop or a ¼ measuring cup, fill each lined muffin cup with the batter.
- Bake for 21-23 minutes, or just until the cupcakes start to brown at the edges and the center springs back when touched.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about five minutes. Then, invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
My son has a birthday coming up and you better believe I will be making these for him! These might just be the PERFECT white cupcakes!
Elizabeth
No frosting was needed for these soft and flavorful cupcakes! They were moist and delicate and would be the perfect treat to share at a party or celebration! These are versatile enough to add your favorite frosting.
Bella
This has such a lovely, sweet flavor! It was soft and moist, just how cupcakes should be. The cupcake still tastes great without frosting.
A soft, tender, flavorful cupcake! I meant to eat just half! Oops!! Would be delicious with your favorite chocolate, lemon, or even an orange frosting! Love!!!
Selena
These are the perfect white cupcake. The texture is soft and lovely. The hint of almond is just perfect. So delicious!
Your cupcakes are beautiful!!
This recipe… is a puzzle! 🙂
I made this and put it into two 8″ pans. I loved it. I panicked at how brown the cakes were turning, but they were cakes and not cupcakes. But otherwise they were beautiful to handle and tasted great. A couple of people thought the cake was just a touch dry. I did not get this but they may have been right.
Tonight I made cupcakes. My success did not transfer! I did have problems with one of the cupcakes completely sinking in the first batch. I thought I just misfiled the cupcake liner. They also rose a whole lot. To do this recipe again I will likely get something around 30 cupcakes. Unless… is it possible to cream this mixture too much in the first step? Maybe I put too much air into the batter?
So along with sinking, especially in the second pan (I refrigerated the batter while the first pan baked and then filled the liners), the cupcake tops are crunchy and the cupcakes taste very sweet – to the point where I am considering trying again with less sugar. But it tasted fine in the cake version.
What I do to achieve baking success: I use room temperature ingredients. I weigh my ingredients – usually in grams. I am consistent with the ingredients I purchase. I preheat my oven and I use a thermometer to make sure I have the proper oven temperature. Once my batter is ready it goes into the oven save for when I have extra batter as with this recipe. In those cases, unless the recipe can withstand being on the counter, I will refrigerate it. I avoid ringing phones, knocks at the door and other distractions while measuring. So… what did I do here? Also, I have made hundreds and hundreds of cakes. And heaven knows how many cupcakes!! I would be very grateful for any thoughts you can provide.
And I love your posts!!!
Pam
So I have to admit… I am a bit puzzled too! It sounds to me like you are a highly accomplished baker who knows her stuff! Just about the only thing you described that I have not done is the batter-in-the-fridge part, but that would not account for the first pan of cupcakes falling too. 🙁 At this point, I would recommend jumping over to King Arthur’s original recipe (the link is right under the recipe in my post) and trying that. The reason I like to use their recipes and adapt from them is that they are so well tested and taste so good!!! I hope it works better for you!!
Thank you! I will check out their recipe. But I will also try your recipe again – I hate defeat. And the over sweetness – hot to slightly warm cake does taste sweeter, and I know that. Anyway, they tasted great the next day. And this recipe has now won over two (2) TWO people who said they do not like white cake. 🙂 That kind of conversion is always sweet!
Thanks, again!
Pam
Trying these for my daughter’s birthday Saturday. Super excited!!! I noticed you said to invert the cupcakes after cooling in the pan. I know what it means, but not sure what if that’s what you meant??
Remove them from the pan (invert). Then you can place right side up. 🙂
I love the traditional white wedding cake with white icing, and I think this may come pretty close. Thank you for your time and creativity, you made a beautiful productm
Could this recipe be done dairy free (sub coconut oil for butter and coconut milk for the milk, or coconut cream)? I would really like to make these cupcakes for my son’s birthday but I have a dairy allergy. I’d like to be able to eat some of the cake if I’m going to make it, if possible! Thanks for any pointers you can give (or anyone else)!
I do not bake dairy free so have not made those modifications. If you do, please feel free to report back and let us know your findings!
Any idea what the baking time/temp would be if I made these into mini cupcakes?
Wondering is cocoa could be added to make them chocolate? If so how much?
How would I modify this recipe for a 9×13 cake pan?
bump.
Hi Amy! So Sorry you had any issue. There are definitely difference in temp and timing when you are making mini’s… so I hope you were able to account for that? Also, I don’t recommend making mini’s in a pan without cupcake liners. I would recommend making this recipe as it is written before rejecting it entirely. Hope your tea party with your granddaughter was lovely… it sounds like a wonderful way to make memories!
Hi, looks like a lovely recipe, however what is cake flour?
It is a lower gluten flour that makes a more tender cake or cookies. It’s good for pies too!
White cake and pick velvet cake testes different ???