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This recipe for Sprinkles Copycat Vanilla Cupcakes with vanilla icing is even better than the original! Moist, dense cake that is packed with vanilla flavor.
On this Memorial Day (or anyday), let us take a moment to remember all those men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our Country and our Freedom.
All things considered, I think a holiday celebrating the brave men and woman who protect our Freedom calls for cupcakes. While definitely not ideal for shipping overseas, I know these Sprinkles Copycat Vanilla Cupcakes or these strawberry cupcakes would bring a smile to any serviceman’s face when delivered with a “Thank you”.
Sprinkles Cupcakes is the only place where I have ever loved the vanilla cupcake with vanilla icing more than chocolate. That’s right, more than even this triple death by chocolate cupcake! I also love their triple cinnamon cupcakes enough to make another copycat recipe.
Sprinkles Cupcakes opened up a store in Atlanta several months ago, and my Husband and I were obviously there the day opened. What of it?
Accordingly, hubs and I have had a healthy (or possibly unhealthy) obsession with Cupcake Wars for several years now. We have seen every single episode, ate macarons at the Paris bakery where Florian was executive pastry chef, and search for Cupcake Wars winners in every new city that we visit. There is an obsession between us with Sprinkles Cupcakes, but I think I already mentioned that one!
My husband and I were eagerly waiting for months for the new Atlanta shop to open and the night before he said, “I would probably break the law right now to have a Sprinkles cupcake.”
Certainly, he was 100% serious. About that, and probably about these carrot cake cupcakes!
I have been scouring the Internet for Sprinkles Copycat Vanilla Cupcake recipes for months to try and replicate the dense, chewy texture and perfect vanilla flavor at home, and I think I have finally found it. For the vanilla cupcake recipe I adapted a recipe I found at Layers of Happiness and I modified the “official” Sprinkles vanilla frosting recipe that I found on Food.com. Quite frankly, I felt the one posted couldn’t possibly be right because it didn’t have any vanilla bean paste in it, so I changed it. In similar fashion I bumped up the vanilla extract.
You’ll never need another vanilla cupcake recipe again because these are the BEST! Additionally, I actually used the same cake recipe in these Salted Caramel Cupcakes. Swoon.
Want to laugh? My most compelling evidence of obsession: this is me at the Sprinkles Cupcakes’ ATM. That’s right I said cupcake ATM!
Sprinkles Copycat Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ¼ cups sour cream room temperature
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3 ½ cups confectioner sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 muffin tins with 24 cupcake liners.
- Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each addition.
- Add vanilla, sour cream and almond extract, beating until just combined.
- Reduced the mixer speed to low and stir in the flour in several additions. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir the last bit of flour in with a spatula until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Scoop batter into cupcake liners and bake in preheated oven for 14-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few clinging crumbs.
- Allow to cool completely before icing.
For the Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and salt on medium-high speed until combined, then add cream, vanilla extract and vanilla paste and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
- You can either smooth the frosting on the cooled cupcakes with a small offset spatula à la Sprinkles, or you can just pipe it on. Personally I find piping easier!
Notes
Nutrition
Before You Go!
Check out all our delicious, pastry chef-created recipes for Cupcakes, or switch gears but keep it festive with my funfetti cookies!
Hi Lisa, can I leave the cupcakes out for like 10 hours or should I refrigerate them? Will the frosting last in room temperature?
Hi Marilu! If the environment you’re storing them in is cool (say a room with AC), they should be okay for about 10 hours outside of a fridge. The frosting has butter and cream, so if it’s very warm or humid where you are, I’d recommend refrigerating to be safe. Just take them out about an hour before serving so the frosting softens back up. Happy baking!
I made these for a birthday party and I was chatting with a friend while making this recipe. When I stuck them in the oven, I realized I added THREE STICKS of butter instead of 3/4 cup of butter. They were still delicious and came out amazing, so now I feel like I should always double the butter for some butter cake! Haha thank you for this recipe–I’ve made it using the regular amount of butter and it is always a hit.
Hi Kelly! I’m so happy to hear they were amazing even with double the butter and that they’re your go-to hit! Thank you for coming back to let me know, it makes me smile that these cupcakes have become a part of your celebrations. Happy baking!
When you say “cream” for ingredients, do you mean heavy whipping cream?
Hi Mma! I usually full fat heavy cream, sometimes called heavy whipping cream. Happy baking!
I made these as a practice for making cupcakes for my daughter’s wedding and they were a huge hit! Storage question…..I plan on making icing day before, then making the cupcakes. Cupcakes will be transferred to a jar and iced then sealed with jar lid. they won’t be needed for about 30 hours later. Refrigerate? Don’t refrigerate? Jars should keep them “protected”. Thoughts?
Hi Suzanne! I’m so happy to hear they were a huge hit, that’s what we’re about!
The jars sound like a lovely idea for storage and for presentation! If the environment you’re storing them is cool (say a room with AC), they should be okay for 30 hours outside of a fridge, but if you’re unsure I think it would be better to refrigerate them, especially for frostings with butter and cream. Take them out of the fridge about an hour before serving and they’ll be perfection! Sending so many congratulations to your daughter, and hope the wedding is as beautiful as it sounds!