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Easy Sourdough Vanilla Cupcakes

This sourdough vanilla cupcake recipe is easy to make and incorporates that yummy discard we all love, adding a sweet touch to any occasion. Bursting with buttery vanilla flavor, the buttercream frosting takes them over the top.

A batch of frosted sourdough vanilla cupcakes with gold sprinkles.

I like to seize any opportunity I can to add sourdough discard to a recipe. My daughter’s 4th birthday seemed the perfect occasion.

It’s usually a toss-up between these vanilla cupcakes and my sourdough chocolate cupcakes, but hands down, these vanilla ones were a total hit, and my whole family devoured them.

After testing and tweaking the recipe a bit to get a lighter and fluffier texture, I was able to turn out a delicious batch of sourdough discard vanilla cupcakes. I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as we did!

A little girl getting ready to blow out the birthday candles on her frosted cupcakes.

Tips for the best sourdough cupcakes.

A full-fat sour cream adds moisture to the cakes, keeping them nice and light.

Pull out all the cold ingredients (starter, egg whites, buttermilk, sour cream) and allow them to come to room temperature before you begin making these cupcakes.

No real cultured buttermilk on hand? Simply add a teaspoon of vinegar to the measuring cup before pouring in regular milk. Stir and let sit for about 5 minutes and viola! — Buttermilk.

Recipe Box Repertorire

Reasons why this recipe is worth adding to your recipe collection.

  • It’s a perfect recipe to indulge your taste buds and use up some of that extra sourdough discard.
  • You can make these cupcakes with melted butter, which is great if you forgot to set out butter to soften.
  • As shocking as it may seem to all the chocolate lovers out there, some people actually prefer vanilla cupcakes to chocolate ones. This recipe serves those peculiar folks very well. 😉
A little girl biting into a sourdough cupcake.

Ingredients Needed

A few key ingredients make these cupcakes turn out light and fluffy rather than dense and sunken in. Let’s take a look at them.

  • Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt make up the dry mixture. All-purpose flour works just fine for this recipe, but you can use cake flour if you have it on hand for even better results. Cake flour will give even lighter and fluffier results.
  • Unsalted butter and sugar: Melted butter gets creamed together with granulated sugar to make the base of the batter.
  • Sourdough starter: In most discard dessert recipes, you can use either an active or discard starter. It’s usually only necessary to use an active or “fed” starter when making a recipe that requires the lift and rising power of yeast. We don’t need an active starter because we are using baking powder and baking soda, but it won’t mess the recipe up either way.
  • Egg whites: Skipping the yolks gives a lighter color cupcake while adding structure to the cakes.
  • Buttermilk: The acidity of the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda, helping these cupcakes rise and enhancing the flavor.
  • Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt: Sour cream works much like buttermilk without thinning out the batter. I recommend it over the yogurt, but either one will do.
  • Vanilla: Choose the best quality pure vanilla extract. It really does make a big difference!
A batch of sourdough vanilla cupcakes with white buttercream frosting on top and golden sprinkles.

Quick-Guide How-To Make

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare the cupcake pan, then whisk the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
  2. Add the melted butter and sugar to a large bowl and beat until creamy, then add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix again.
  3. Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix; be careful not to overmix.
  4. Spoon the batter into greased cupcake liners, filling 2/3rds full. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Toothpick test. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

Photos of the Process

Allow all the ingredients to come to room temperature. Why, you might ask? Well, Sally can tell you all about it. Preheat the oven to 350°F, prepare the muffin pan with greased cupcake liners, and begin by mixing up the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

All the ingredients for sourdough vanilla cupcakes on a counter with a handheld mixer.

Start with the melted butter and sugar, mixing with a stand or handheld mixer until creamy. Next, add the rest of the wet ingredients: sourdough starter, egg whites, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla, mixing on medium-high until combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined.

Sourdough cupcake batter being mixed up in a white bowl by a handheld mixer.

Be careful not to overmix, or you might end up with dense or tough cupcakes. Mix gently until everything is just combined. Less is more!

A bowl of sourdough cupcake batter mixed with handheld beaters.

The batter should be a bit thick. This recipe makes enough for about 12 cupcakes.

A muffin tin filled with cupcake liners 2/3rds full of unbaked cupcake batter.

Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3rds full with the batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.

Unfrosted baked and golden sourdough cupcakes in gold cupcake liners on a cooling rack.

Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost the cupcakes with buttercream frosting (recipe in the card below) or your preferred frosting. I like using a piping bag with a piping tip like the Wilton Open Star 1M, but you can also spread it with a butter knife or icing knife.

FAQ

Do I need to grease the cupcake liners?

This is an optional step. I like to grease the cupcake’s liners so the cupcakes don’t stick to the liners and fall apart when pulling them off.

If you keep the liners stacked together the way they come from the store, you can use a cold stick of butter to rub inside the top liner, then remove it from the stack, place it in the muffin tin, and repeat one by one until they are all greased.

Should I use all-purpose flour or cake flour?

This recipe calls for all-purpose flour because it is what most of us keep on hand, but cake flour will give fluffier results.

What do I do with my leftover egg yolks?

Make some spaghetti Carbonara!

Can I use oil instead of butter?

Yes. I think butter adds a lot more flavor, but oil will work great as well, and in fact, it will keep the cupcakes moist for longer if you plan to refrigerate them.

Are there any less sweet frosting options?

Italian meringue buttercream is a deliciously silky frosting option that won’t give you sugar overload. It also pipes beautifully.

How To Store

You can make these cupcakes 1 day in advance and leave them covered on the counter. I have a handy cupcake carrier that works perfectly, but any storage container with a lid will do.

These cupcakes will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend letting them come to room temperature before eating them.

Freezing Instructions

Unfrosted or frosted cupcakes can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just thaw them overnight in the fridge when you are ready to enjoy them.

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A little girl biting into a sourdough vanilla cupcake.

Easy Sourdough Vanilla Cupcakes

Alicia Pyle
An easy sourdough vanilla cupcake recipe — these perfectly moist cakes add a delightfully sweet touch to any occasion.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 222 kcal

Equipment

  • Cupcake liners
  • Cupcake pan
  • Piping bag optional piping tip
  • Stand mixer or handheld

Ingredients
  

  • 1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter room temp
  • 2 egg whites room temp
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk room temp
  • 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt room temp
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Optional: Spray liners with non-stick spray or coat lightly with butter to prevent cupcakes from sticking to paper).
  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
  • With a stand or handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides as needed. Add the sourdough starter, egg whites, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla extract and mix on medium-high until well incorporated.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
  • Spoon batter into greased liners, filling each cup about 2/3rds full. Bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Allow cupcakes to cool completely and then frost with buttercream frosting (see notes). You can use a piping bag with a piping tip or spread the frosting on with a butter knife. Cupcakes keep well covered in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: Mix all the ingredients together in a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer until light and fluffy.
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 4-5 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1/4 cup cream, half and half, or milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
Make Ahead: These cupcakes can be made 1 day ahead of time. Let them cool completely, frost, and then cover and store at room temperature.
Freezing: Freeze cupcakes frosted or unfrosted in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, take them out and let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Room temperature ingredients: Bring all the wet ingredients to room temperature before mixing.
Tip: Cake flour can be used for fluffier, lighter-textured cakes.

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 237mgPotassium: 43mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 274IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg
Keyword sourdough cupcakes
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