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Gluten-Free vanilla cupcake. White frosting. Unwrapped in front.

Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

Easy one-bowl gluten-free cupcakes. Soft and tender. Small batch recipe.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

  • 1 ¼ cups gluten-free flour (6 ¾ ounces; 192 grams)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (5 ¼ ounces; 148 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup milk, regular or dairy-free (4 ounces; 113 grams)
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil (2 ⅔ ounces; 75 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting

  • ½ cup butter, room temperature (regular or dairy-free butter replacement) (4 ounces; 113 grams)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (8 ounces; 226 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons milk, regular or dairy-free, more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes

  1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set pan aside.

  2. Whisk gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix until the batter is smooth.

  3. Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners. Fill each cup ⅔ full. This prevents overflow during baking. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean, about 18 minutes.

  4. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for five minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost cupcakes when cool. Use your favorite gluten-free frosting or the recipe below.

  5. Store cupcakes, tightly covered, on the counter for up to three days or freeze for up to two months.

Make the Frosting

  1. Beat butter until smooth in a medium bowl. Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Turn mixer to medium-low speed. Mix. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light. If frosting is too thick, add more milk.

Recipe Notes

Notes

Recipe Yield: Cupcake pans vary slightly in size. This recipe makes between 10 to 12 cupcakes. 

Gluten-Free Flour: This recipe was tested with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Using a different flour might change the taste and texture of the cupcakes.