i love this recipe but wondered do you have to have vannila extract?~Hannah:)

Hi Hannah,

You can make them without the vanilla, but then they won't be vanilla cupcakes :)

You could substitute lemon or orange extract or juice and finely grated citrus peels. If you have any dark rum, you could use that, or other flavoring liqueurs such as Dekuypers butter rum schnapps, coconut rum, amaretto, anisette, orange curacao, limoncello or walnut liqueur. These flavorings are not as concentrated as vanilla extract is, so you'd need to increase the amount used to a few tablespoons or more. I know I probably shouldn't, but I do taste the batter to be sure it has enough flavor and is not too bland before baking. To keep the correct ratio of liquids in the batter, add the flavorings to the measuring cup and add enough milk to measure 2/3 cup (plus 2 teaspoons for the missing vanilla). Most of the alcohol evaporates during the baking. Remember that vanilla extract also contains alcohol.

A side note: I steep vanilla beans in dark rum for a year or more to make great tasting vanilla extract. (You can also improve store-bought vanilla extract this way).

This is not a clear extract because the vanilla beans eventually break down in the rum. At that point, I add more beans, more rum, more vanilla extract, etc. I keep this in a wire-bail bottle with a rubber stopper like the ones that are used for brewing root beer or ales.

Vanilla sugar is also wonderful to use in baking; add a few vanilla beans to a tightly sealed container or jar of sugar and allow it to sit for several months before using.

-- CM

I haven't baked from scratch in about 20 years. This recipe was definitely easy and fool proof. The cupcakes came out perfectly and delicious, only downfall.. not sweet enough but that could just be me, otherwise a SUCCESS!!!

I found that by adding a tsp of cinnamon and a 8th of a cup of brown sugar and 2 tbs of honey they had a nice sweet taste. I didnt try the recipe as is I went with the last comment and mended it a bit for my tatse as I have a sweet tooth

can you substitute the sugar with that powder sugar stuff??

Hi Hollaa,

I would only use granulated white sugar or honey, etc. Powdered sugar tends to make baked goods too dense.

-- CM

Tomorrow's my girlfriends birthday and I needed something that I could make her that was easy and fast (last minute stuff) and these were perfect! I did them within thirty minutes and when I tasted them they couldnt be anymore perfect! also, I couldnt find any vanilla extra so I didn't put it in and they still tasted perfect! Thank you so much! :)

Hi I was wonder if i could use self rising flour

Hi Rose,

You can use self-rising flour if you also eliminate the baking powder and use 1/8 tsp. salt. Make sure your self-rising flour is fresh (not older than 6 months).

-- CM

I wanted to make this but I was wondering if you could add fruit like strawberrys and if so how?

Thank,
Kendra

Thank you for the recipe ,which came out very nice and liked by children and adult . Please keep on posting more such nice ones. It wasn't time consuming either. Thanks again .

I would like to ask, if I want to bake only 6 cupcakes, what's the amount of the ingredients needed?
Thanks in advanced. :)

Hi Erica,

1/4 cup softened butter
scant 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/3 cup cold milk

Bake in a preheated 350°F oven.

Yield: 6 cupcakes.

Flavor may be varied by substituting lemon, orange or almond extract for the vanilla and adding 1/2 tsp. freshly grated citrus peel (without the white portion).

-- CM

This is the best. We added sprinkles, peppermint extract, cocoa powder!! Great!! And a lot of vanilla extract!!!!

I was babysitting and this was a very easy and fast recipe to make. Thank you. I am sure they will come out of the oven tasting great!

Hi, I was wondering instead of using regular milk, can I use soy milk? Thanks.

Hi Mona! Yes you can absolutely substitute soy milk in this recipe. But the results may be slightly different.

Easy recipe! I did not have butter & all-purpose flour and so used mazola corn oil & bread flour instead. The cup cakes came out soft & moist. Wonderful treat with Tea. Thanks :)

I was wondering if you can use wheat flour instead of all purpose and also if you can use splenda instead of sugar, and maybe even just egg whites? I LOVE cupcakes and I'm in charge of the holiday cupcakes but I have been on a diet and really want to make the cupcakes semi healthier, is that even possible?

I made these cupcakes today and it was really delcious.
But the only problem i had was that the cupcakes came out a little hard and not as soft. What does that mean and where did I go wrong? Thanks.

Hi Carina,

Try baking them a minute or two less or add another tbsp butter or shortening. Another problem could be that you reduced butter in the recipe or used low-fat milk. Be sure not to overmix to avoid tough cupcakes. The reason your cupcakes may have turned out hard is most likely because you over-beat the batter or left them in the oven too long.

Here's what to do: 1) Be careful not to over-mix the wet and dry ingredients when making the batter. Over-mixing can cause the gluten proteins in the flour to develop, resulting in a tougher cupcake crumb. Stir or whisk the ingredients together until they're just combined - no more! 2) Check your oven temperature using an oven thermometer and set it to the correct heat setting for your recipe (usually between 350°F-400°F).

Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out (almost) clean, about 18-22 minutes. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before frosting or decorating. You can brush the tops with melted butter.

-- CM