Light & Buttery Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

The perfect light and fluffy gluten-free vanilla cupcakes, with a tender crumb and buttery, vanilla flavor. Top these super moist tender cupcakes with classic American buttercream!

Using my gluten-free chocolate chip cupcake from three years ago as a starting point, we made several dozen cupcakes in our quest. We ended up with a cupcake that was pretty great, especially considering all its limitations. But because I can't leave well enough alone, after the party, I threw the dairy and sugar back in and kept testing. 

My goal: perfect basic gluten-free vanilla cupcakes - the vanilla counterpart to my perfect gluten-free chocolate cupcake recipe.

Update 04/09/2024: And because I really can't leave well enough alone, I've continued improving this recipe until the resulting cupcake is, well, absolutely perfect. I tested my gluten-free vanilla cake in cupcake form, and the result is the perfect gluten-free vanilla birthday cupcake recipe. 

Why you'll love these gluten-free vanilla cupcakes

• Ultra-moist buttery gluten-free vanilla cupcakes bursting with flavor.
• Light and fluffy, with tender crumb that is neither dry nor gummy.
• Tastes like our favorite soft loft-house style gluten-free sugar cookies topped with vanilla frosting and sprinkles
• Classic American buttercream or cream cheese frosting for a perfect birthday party cupcake 

The flours I use to make the best gluten-free vanilla cupcakes

Rather than using an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour, I prefer to make my own blend of gluten-free cake flour. Not all store-bought flour blends behave the same in different recipes. Additionally, store-bought gluten-free flour blends rely heavily on starches and gums without as many flavorful flours.

As such, I've found that gluten-free recipes turn out better when you adjust the flours depending on what you're baking (ex. cupcakes versus cookies). When you choose the best gluten-free flours for each specific recipe, you're able to achieve the best texture and flavor.

• Sorghum flour: Sorghum flour is a wholesome whole-grain flour. With slightly sweet notes, sorghum flour adds flavor depth. Sorghum also helps creates a very moist crumb.
• Sweet rice flour or mochiko: Sweet rice flour is distinctively different than white rice or brown rice flour. Sweet rice flour is the same flour used to make mochi, and as such, its stickiness helps to bind the cupcakes together, creating chewiness like a classic cupcake recipe. I prefer Koda Farms Mochiko for cupcakes and cake, but Bob's Red Mill Sweet Rice Flour also works.
• Tapioca flour: Tapioca flour adds chewiness and helps mimic the fluffiness of classic cupcakes.
• Millet flour: Millet flour is a neutral flour that balances the others out so the cupcakes aren't too moist or gummy

I have tested these cupcakes with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 baking flour blend with success, so if you'd rather use an all-purpose flour, I recommend substituting all of the flours by weight with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 baking flour.

Do I need really need to use xanthan gum?

Yes. In these cupcakes, the xanthan gum is not optional. While there are some recipes where xanthan gum is not required but will help with a lighter fluffier crumb (like my gluten-free chocolate cupcakes ), this gluten-free vanilla cupcake does. Without it, the cupcakes bake up flat and gummy.

How to Make Gluten-Free Cupcakes

1. Sift together dry ingredients and set aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, scraping sides after each addition.
4. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.
5. With mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the sour cream and milk, mixing until just combined.
6. Fill the cupcake liners and bake. Let cool completely before frosting.
7. Top with your favorite frosting!

Recipe

Light & Buttery Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

yields: 15 cupcakes

prep time: 30 minutes mins

cook time: 33 minutes mins

Additional Time: 10 minutes mins

total time: 1 hour hr 13 minutes mins

The perfect light and fluffy gluten-free vanilla cupcakes. Top these super moist tender cupcakes with classic American buttercream or cream cheese and your favorite sprinkles for the ultimate birthday cupcake. This is my go-to recipe for gluten-free vanilla cupcakes!

5 from 1 review

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Ingredients

Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

• ▢ 72 g (½ cup + 1 tablespoon) Bob’s Red Mill sorghum flour
• ▢ 70 g (¼ cup + 3 tablespoons) sweet rice flour, also called mochiko, different from "white rice flour" or "brown rice flour"
• ▢ 56 g (½ cup) Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
• ▢ 46 g (¼ cup + 1 tablespoons) Bob’s Red Mill millet flour
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• ▢ 220 g (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon almond extract, or more vanilla extract for nut-free version
• ▢ ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (150 g) whole milk, room temperature
• ▢ ⅓ cup (80 g) sour cream, room temperature

Vanilla Buttercream for cupcakes

• ▢ 1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened slightly above room temperature
• ▢ 450 g (3¾ cups) powdered sugar, sifted
• ▢ ½ whole vanilla bean, seeds only, or ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1-3 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
• ▢ Optional: a few drops gel food coloring, sprinkles

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INSTRUCTIONS

Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two muffin tins with 15 cupcake liners.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the sorghum flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca starch, millet flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar over medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing and scraping down the sides after each one.
• Add the vanilla and almond extracts, mixing until just combined.
• Keeping the speed on low, slowly add the dry ingredients in three batches, adding the sour cream and milk in between, mixing until just combined.
• Fill the cupcake liners ⅔ full. I recommend using a ¼-cup ice cream scoop for even cupcakes. Bake for 25-28 minutes until the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed in the middle and a toothpick comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs. These cupcakes will seem light and airy in texture when gently pressed, so take care not to overbake them.
• Remove from oven. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting Option

• Once cool, make the buttercream. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter over medium speed. With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar to the butter, in 4 batches, beating until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix until smooth. Add the milk or cream, starting with just 2 tablespoons and adding additional milk or cream as needed, until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Fold in a few drops of gel food coloring, if desired.
• Frost the cupcakes. Pipe or spread frosting on the cupcakes using a ½-inch closed star piping tip or offset spatula. Top with sprinkles.

Video

Notes

If you want another delicious frosting option, my Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting pipes beautifully and is a perfect pairing to the vanilla cupcakes. 

Store any leftover cupcakes in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Because this is a butter-based cupcake recipe, it's best served at room temperature. Additionally, when stored in the fridge, the crumb is much more prone to drying out. 

Flour substitutions: I have tested these cupcakes with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 baking flour blend with success, so if you'd rather use an all-purpose flour, I recommend substituting all of the flours by weight with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 baking flour.