Sourdough Vanilla Cupcakes

5 from 1 vote

Light and fluffy vanilla cupcakes topped with a vanilla buttercream frosting and sprinkles of your choice. Perfect to customize for any occasion!

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Cooling Time1

Total Time1 50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 237kcal

Author: Jessica Vogl

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup unsalted butter softened
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
3 eggs room temperature
⅓ cup sour cream non-dairy or regular dairy, room temperature
¼ cup milk non-dairy or regular dairy, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Buttercream Frosting

1 ¼ cups unsalted butter softened
4 ⅓ cups confectioner's sugar
2 ½ Tablespoons milk non-dairy or regular dairy
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Food coloring optional
Sprinkles optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325℉ (165℃). Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, use a hand-held mixer to cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sourdough discard, eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth and combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth and combined. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, fill the cupcake liners with about ½ cup batter per cupcake.
Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the cupcakes are set and lightly browned at the edges. A toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake should come out clean.
Let the cupcakes cool in the baking pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully (at least an hour) before frosting.
To make the frosting, use a hand-held mixer to cream the butter in a medium-sized bowl until light and smooth, 2-3 minutes. Slowly mix in the confectioner's sugar. Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix until fully smooth and incorporated. Add more milk if you feel that the frosting is too thick.
Transfer the frosting into a piping bag, then pipe the frosting onto your cupcakes. Add sprinkles (optional) and serve.

Notes

1 cupcake = 1 serving.

To make this recipe with active sourdough starter, replace the sourdough discard with active starter (200g). You do not need to change any other ingredients in the recipe.

Customize this recipe with food coloring and sprinkles to make these cupcakes fitting for any occasion!

Love these cupcakes? Try my Sourdough Vanilla Sheet Cake, too!

Nutrition