Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: Light and airy crumb with creamy frosting.
Taste: Buttermilk + vanilla = sweet, flavorful cupcakes.
Ease: Easy to make bakery-quality cupcakes — perfect for birthday parties and events!
Top Tip: Several of the ingredients need to be at room temperature when added to the mixture. Don’t forget to prep these ingredients before you’re ready to bake!
Recommended GF Flour: Use a high-quality flour that contains xanthan gum. Both King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour work well!
Would I make these again? Absolutely! These cupcakes are moist, airy, and packed full of flavor. They’re topped with the creamiest buttercream frosting — perfection in every bite!
xoxo erin
This post was originally published in August 2023. It was updated with new photos and instructions in May 2025.
These gluten-free vanilla cupcakes check all the boxes for bakery-style treats that are sure to impress! They’re light and airy, with perfectly domed tops, and topped with the smoothest buttercream frosting.
There’s really so much to love about these cupcakes — that’s why they’re my go-to for birthday parties, special occasions, class parties, and more!
Featured Comment
From Tessa: “Incredible! Easy to follow, so so delicious, and those who can eat gluten didn’t even realize they were gluten free!”
Table of Contents
- Erin’s Recipe Rundown
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- Gluten-Free Cake Flour
- Frosting Tip
- How to Make Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes
- Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
- Can these gluten-free vanilla cupcakes be made dairy-free? What about nut-free?
- What does filling every other cupcake well do?
- What is the best way to frost them?
- Gluten-Free Cupcake Tips
- More Gluten-Free Cupcake Recipes
- Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes (BEST EVER!) Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these gluten-free vanilla cupcakes. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements
- Gluten-free flour: It’s important to use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum for this recipe. For these cupcakes, both Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour and King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour work well!
- Cornstarch: Adding a little cornstarch to the gluten-free flour is a trick to create easy gluten-free cake flour that lightens the gluten-free flour blend for the best crumb.
- Baking powder: Baking powder helps create a light, fluffy cupcake with the perfect rise.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is a key ingredient that helps set these cupcakes apart from the rest. It creates an ultra-moist, fluffy cupcake! For dairy-free, use unsweetened dairy-free milk mixed with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
- Butter/Oil: A combination of oil and butter are crucial for achieving the ideal texture. I like to use salted butter for all of my gluten-free baking. It has more depth of flavor than unsalted! For dairy-free, use vegan butter.
- Eggs: This gluten-free vanilla cupcake recipe requires four large, room-temperature eggs. By adding them in one at a time and beating them on high, lots of air gets incorporated into the batter for a light, airy crumb.
- Vanilla: I always recommend using real vanilla extract for cupcakes. Vanilla bean paste is another great option!
For more gluten-free cake recipes, try this gluten-free lemon cake, gluten-free pound cake and gluten-free angel food cake. You might also like this 7-minute frosting recipe.
Gluten-Free Cake Flour
Use a combination of gluten-free flour and cornstarch to create your own gluten-free cake flour. The cornstarch helps to lighten the gluten-free flour.
- Powdered sugar: The fine texture of the powdered sugar helps create a light and smooth buttercream.
- Milk: I like to use regular milk for this frosting, but dairy-free options will work too! The milk thins out the consistency enough so that the frosting is spreadable.
- Butter: I prefer salted butter since it creates more depth of flavor. For dairy-free, you can use vegan butter in its place.
- Salt: I love adding a pinch of salt to my frosting recipes. It adds the perfect bit of complexity and really brings out the flavor.
Frosting Tip
A pinch of kosher salt makes the frosting extra delicious! It helps to cut the sweetness and bring out the flavor.
How to Make Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes
Here’s an overview of how to make these cupcakes. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
- In a medium bowl: Whisk together all of the dry ingredients (gluten-free flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer: Use a whisk attachment to beat the softened butter and oil until they’re completely blended (about 3 minutes). You can also use a hand mixer with a large bowl!
- With the mixer on medium-low: Slowly add the sugar into the butter/oil mixture, then beat on high until it becomes light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). You’re looking for it to turn a very pale yellow.
- Incorporate in air: Add the eggs one at a time. It helps to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add in the vanilla and beat on high (2 minutes). This adds a lot of air to the batter for light and fluffy cupcakes!
- With the mixer on low: Add half of the dry mixture, then half of the buttermilk. Mix until they’re fully combined, then repeat the process by adding the rest of the dry mixture followed by the rest of the buttermilk.
- In a prepared cupcake tin: Place liners in every other cup and pour batter into the liners, filling them 3/4 of the way full. Bake (18-30 minutes) until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean (a few moist crumbs are okay). You can refrigerate any extra batter, if needing to bake in batches! Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer: On medium-high, beat the butter (2 minutes). Add 4 cups of powdered sugar plus the milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix them together on low (30 seconds), then up the mixer to medium-high (2 minutes). You can also use a hand mixer and a large bowl!
- Frost: If the frosting seems too thick, you can add a little more milk. If too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. You want it to be a spreadable consistency. Frost and enjoy!
You also might like these family-favorite recipes for gluten-free banana cake, gluten-free mug cake, gluten-free carrot cake and gluten-free german chocolate cake!
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: Unfrosted cupcakes can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The frosting can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Briefly re-whip it before frosting the cupcakes.
To Store: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months if individually wrapped in plastic wrap and then stored in a freezer bag or airtight container. Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours before frosting. The frosting can also be frozen for 2 months if stored in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then re-whip before use.
Can these gluten-free vanilla cupcakes be made dairy-free? What about nut-free?
Yes! For the cupcakes, you can use 1⅓ cups unsweetened dairy-free milk mixed with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to replace the buttermilk. Dairy-free butter will work in place of the regular butter too. For the frosting, use dairy-free butter and unsweetened dairy-free milk.
These vanilla cupcakes are naturally nut-free!
What does filling every other cupcake well do?
Spacing out the cupcakes by only filling every other cup allows for better air circulation which helps them to bake more evenly. This helps to create the perfect rise for bakery-style domed cupcakes!
What is the best way to frost them?
Once you get the frosting to a spreadable consistency, scoop the frosting into a piping bag or even just a Ziploc bag. The piping bag can be fitted with different tips, like a classic star tip. For the Ziploc bag, cut one corner off to create a circle opening. Gently pipe the frosting in a circular motion onto the cupcakes. There’s always the option to decorate with sprinkles and other toppings too!
Gluten-Free Cupcake Tips
- I use these cupcake liners. They never stick!
- Be sure the butter is completely at room temperature! It won’t whip up with the oil correctly if it is too cold.
- Use a combination of gluten-free flour and cornstarch to create your own gluten-free cake flour. King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour both work equally well.
- A combination of oil and butter makes for the perfect texture. I highly recommend using both!
- This batter requires a secret ingredient – AIR! Whipping the cupcakes helps add lots of air to the cupcakes and creates a light, fluffy texture.
- Adding a pinch of kosher salt to the frosting helps to cut the sweetness and bring out the flavor.
More Gluten-Free Cupcake Recipes
Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes (BEST EVER!)
Video
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (337g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- ½ cup (64g) cornstarch
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Other Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113g) butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) neutral oil
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups (320ml) buttermilk at room temperature
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) butter at room temperature
- 4-5 cups (480-600g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk of choice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place paper liners in every other cup of two cupcake tins. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the softened butter and oil together until blended well, about 3 minutes.
- With the mixer running on medium-low, slowly add the granulated sugar to the oil and butter. Beat on high until the mixture is light and fluffy and turns a very pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs in one at a time, scraping down the bowl in between each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract, then beat on high for another 2 minutes. You want to incorporate lots of air!
- With the mixer running on low, add ½ of the dry ingredients followed by ½ of the buttermilk, mixing until fully combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk.
- Using a kitchen scoop or large spoon, fill each baking cup ¾ of the way up. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Repeat with the remaining batter if needed.
- Let the cupcakes cool in their pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to awire rack to cool completely.
Make the Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add 4 cups powdered sugar along with the milk, vanilla and salt. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and whip for a full 2 minutes.
- If the frosting is too thick, add a little more cream/milk. If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar to make a spreadable consistency. Frost the cupcakes as desired.
I have made this recipe many times and it literally never turns out like your pictures or video. They always collapse and the are always dense. So, I added 1/4 tsp baking soda (for a halved amount) today and the texture came out great but they still collapsed. I also baked them at 325 for 20 minutes and the toothpick came out clean but a few minutes into cooking they collapsed. Please help! My baking powder is good, I’m not over mixing, everything is room temp, I’m following it to a T but it never comes out right that’s why I made some adjustments.
Hi Kelly, we’re sorry you had this experience! It sounds like you’ve taken a lot of great steps to troubleshoot. Here are a few ideas: Are you using the recommend gf flour, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour? Other gf flour blends will have different properties and absorb moisture differently so we recommend this brand for the best results. Other factors could include, baking at the lower temperature (we recommend 350°F) or allowing them to cool too long in the muffin pans (it’s best to move them to a wire rack). Adding extra leavening can also cause the cupcakes to rise quickly and then collapse as the structure can’t support the fast rise, but if you found it helped the texture, that may not be the issue in this case. We hope these ideas help!
I made these for my daughter’s birthday party and all the kids loved them!! I substituted coconut sugar for refined sugar and earth balance for the butter. The coconut sugar changes the color but still sooo good!! Thank for your commitment to making gluten free taste good!!!
Yay! We’re so happy to hear these cupcakes were totally kid-approved! We hope your daughter had a great birthday too! Thank you for sharing your positive experience with us, Jen.
Made the cupcakes last night for my daughter’s birthday party on the weekend and they are delicious! (Without even any icing )
I was planning on making the icing Friday as the party is on Saturday and then ice them that morning before the party. Will the icing last a few days incase they don’t all get eaten on Saturday?
Hi Nicole, the leftover frosted cupcakes will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If eating within a day or so, they should do fine at room temperature, but if keeping the leftovers for 2 or 3 days we’d recommend refrigerating them. If storing the frosting separately, it will keep in the fridge for about 1 week. We hope they’re a hit at the party and that your daughter has a great birthday!
Hi! Super excited to try this recipe and it looks delicious! These and your chocolate ones are going to be for a staff party on Friday. Quick question since I’m pretty low on time this week, if I bake the cupcakes on Wednesday, frost them on Thursday, will they still be good by Friday? I’ve baked gluten free before but usually its all done night before and then I bring it in, so I just want to know if I have anything to worry about with freshness with this timing between baking and someone actually eating them. Any advice would be great! Thanks!
Hi Mary, thank you for your question! These cupcakes can be made up to 3 days in advance, just make sure to store them in an airtight container to keep them from drying out. We hope both kinds of cupcakes are a hit at the party. Happy baking!
Hi Erin
I want to ask what the difference is between all-purpose flour and baking flour. I used all-purpose flour, but it wasn’t ideal. I make my own mix at home because I don’t have ready-made flour available.
Incredible! Easy to follow, so so delicious, and those who can eat gluten didn’t even realize they were gluten free!
Yay! We’re so happy to hear the recipe was such a hit! Thank you for sharing with us, Tessa!
Can anything be used instead of buttermilk as I don’t have any?
Hi Di, thank you for your question! You can use milk with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice in place of the buttermilk. We hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
Seriously our favorite gluten free vanilla cupcakes!!! Would this work to make into a cake instead or would that likely just flop?
Yay! We’re so glad you loved the recipe, Miranda! To make a cake out of this recipe, you can use the same batter and either two 8-inch rounds or one 9×13. The oven temperature will remain the same, but the bake time will need to increase. We also have a vanilla cake recipe you may be interested in trying. We hope this helps!
Can these be made sugar free?
Hi Angela, we don’t typically bake sugar-free or with sugar substitutes. It would most likely change the taste and texture of the cupcakes. If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
Hi! Is there any substitutes for cornflour?
Corn starch**
My first GF cupcakes and they are amazing. I followed the recipe, step by step. I hope the icing is as good.
Yay! We’re so glad you loved the recipe, Melissa! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback!
Can this recipe but halved and still turn out the same?
Gluten free as it should be — delicious! Great recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Brenda! Thanks for sharing your feedback with us!
The cupcakes taste amazing and looked beautiful coming outif the oven, but shrunk when they cooled, did I do something wrong?
Hi Elizabeth, we’re glad to hear you enjoyed the cupcakes! Cakes and cupcakes can shrink when cooled due to temperature changes from opening the oven door too soon, underbaking, or not letting them cool a little bit in the muffin pan before removing. Another tip is to line every other cup of the cupcake pan for extra high cupcakes. We hope this helps!
I’ve never made anything gluten free before so I’m a little confused about the purpose of the cornstarch if I’m already using gluten free cake flour? I got an all purpose gluten free flour (1:1) that says it’s for cakes so do I still need to use cornstarch?
Hi Sadie, we recommend using a gf 1:1 flour that contains xanthan gum, like this one, plus the cornstarch for best results with this recipe. Other flour types may not produce the same results. The cornstarch works with the gf 1:1 flour to lighten the batter and create the best texture and consistency. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Question- can I replace the butter with a non dairy soy and vegetable oil free alternative?
Hi Chloe, the butter and oil combo really creates the best texture for these cupcakes, but if needing to avoid dairy butter, a non-dairy alternative may work, but it will impact the texture. If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
The cupcakes were a hit for wedding guests. I replaced with almond milk, canola oil and dairy/soy free butter.
They did shrink a bit but overall the crumb was good for replacing all of the alternatives!
Made these for a wedding and they were perfect! I’m prepping for a farmers market that is 3 days away. Can I make the batter and leave it in the fridge overnight and bake the next day or is that too long? Thanks!
Hi Shelby, thank you for the kind feedback! Since this batter relies so heavily on whipping air into it to create its light, airy texture plus they keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for three days or frozen for up to three months, it might be better to bake them ahead and just frost them fresh. We hope this helps!