If you like fluffy white cupcakes that taste a bit like a mix between angel food cake and wedding cake, this is the recipe for you. They are semi-homemade, starting with a cake mix, but you add a lot of goodies to make them extra delicious.
These cupcakes start with a box mix, but with a lot of twists turn into something magical. I dare say they are the best white cupcakes out there and that’s really saying something coming from me!
They are soft and spongy and oh so tasty. You will have to make a batch to see for yourself!
You know I am usually a big fan of homemade cakes. I have a ton of great cake recipes here on the blog.
Honestly most of them are almost as easy to make as a mix, they just have a few more ingredients to measure.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t understand the allure of a boxed cake mix. They instill a sense of confidence and give you something to build from.
In fact the chocolate cherry fudge bundt cake that my family absolutely loves starts with a mix (and a can of cherry pie filling!) Sometimes easy recipes like that are exactly what you need.
So, lately I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect ways to doctor up cake mixes for cupcakes. I’ve been having the best time decorating them and want to make fun cupcakes every weekend!
I love cakes with plenty of sour cream or yogurt mixed in and it turns out you need to add more flour and sugar to get the texture I was after.
In fact there are enough goodies mixed in that you get 50% more cupcakes. That’s right, 36 cupcakes instead of 24!
Luckily extra cupcakes are not a problem in my neck of the woods. In fact, I purchased some bakery style plastic cupcake holders which make them easy to give away and transport.
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I’ve also frozen them fully decorated in the containers and they have defrosted beautifully! I just pulled them out a week or two later and let them sit on the counter for an hour or so to defrost. Everyone was amazed how good they still were.
I’ve piped the perfect summer buttercream (pictured above with wafer paper flowers) on them and Italian meringue buttercream (the ones with the frosting and sprinkle flower design) and both were amazing. I tell you the texture of these cupcakes is perfect and any frosting is just the literal icing on the cake!
Think part angel food cake and part white cake and super soft and moist and you have these lovelies. You simply have to make them for your next party!
What makes these cupcakes perfect?
So many things!
The texture is so soft and spongy. It is the perfect mix and they are so light and yummy.
They stay so bright and white. So the tops that are showing under the frosting are pearly.
Using egg whites and a bit of oil rather than whole eggs and butter help to keep the batter bright white. Egg yolks and butter both bring a yellow tint that makes for a great vanilla cupcake, but that’s not all we are after here.
They taste like wedding cake. Top them with delicious buttercream and it will transport your tastebuds to a reception hall.
In fact I’ve made these for a wedding reception, a cute display of white wedding cupcakes makes serving the cake extra easy. I’ve made them for birthday parties and BBQs too.
If you like filled cakes, they are work for that as well. Put a little lemon curd or blackberry compote in the center and your mind will be blown.
Semi-Homemade White Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 white cake mix
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1⅓ cups water
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or other flavorings, see notes
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup egg whites from about 4 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and place cupcake liners in 36 cupcake wells.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 white cake mix, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon baking powder until well mixed and lump free.
- Add the 1⅓ cups water, 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 cup sour cream, and ½ cup egg whites ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and beat on low until the ingredients combine. Then beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for two minutes. (A hand mixer works great for this, but so does a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.)
- Scoop the batter into lined cupcake tins, a large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop helps to keep them evenly sized and reduces the mess. Each well should get about 3 Tablespoons of batter and be about ⅔ full.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly touched with a finger. (They shouldn't take on much color.)
- Cool in the cupcake tin for about 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Video
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Can this batter be used for a sheet cake as well do you think, or would the consistency be different?
I think it would work as a sheet cake if you have a large enough pan. It’s a relatively large amount of batter. I haven’t tried it, so I am not sure what size pan would work best.
@Carlee, I used about half the batter for cupcakes and used the remaining batter in a 9″ round pan. The layer cake was a little think but baked up really nice.
That’s a great idea!
These cupcakes are AMAZING!!
I have tried so many white cake recipes and this is by far the best! I used Walmart’s Great Value white box cake mix(b/c I read an article about how it won a taste test of several top brands of store bought white cake mixes,) and it did not disappoint…for less than $1!!! My daughter, who is the toughest cupcake critic, thought they were from a bakery! Thanks for sharing!
If they won over your daughter, that is high praise! Thank you so much for letting me know about the Great Value cake mix too, I’ll have to give it a try.
What brand cake mix do you use?
I have used several with good luck, everything from store brands to Betty Crocker.
@Brandi, I’m not sure that you will you see my comment, but I used Walmart’s Great Value white cake mix( less than a dollar!) b/c I read where it was very good. It was so yummy!! Just wanted to share.
Omg I finally found a white cupcake recipe that has the flavor and the texture I was looking for. I’ve tried from scratch and doctoring box mixes up and none hit the mark. This one hit it. They are amazing. One of the things I hate about eating a cupcake is when it falls apart like crumbs all over. This one holds together and is so moist and spongey. I will be deleting all my other recipes and this will be my ONLY one I use from now on. Try this recipe you won’t be disappointed.
Oh my goodness, that makes me so happy! I am glad you like it so much, we like this recipe for the same reason!
I made this recipe exactly as written. My cupcakes came out perfectly! Tender and fluffy, melt in your mouth delicious! This recipe is going in my card file! Thank you!
Yay! I am so glad you liked them!
I made this recipe (greek yogurt instead of sour cream) and turned them into tri-colored space birthday cupcakes with some food coloring. They turned out wonderful! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Yay! I am so glad and greek yogurt is a great option!
This recipe sounds great. My oven is not big enough to bake the full batch at once. Would it be ok to leave the excess batter out while the cupcakes are in the oven? Or refrigerate it. Thankyou.
You can cover and refrigerate it until the first batch is done. I hope you enjoy them!
@Carlee,
Thankyou for getting back with me so quickly. I did what you suggested. These cupcakes turned out great. It yielded 32 for me but that was fine. I paired them with your sweetened condensed milk buttercream. I decorated them for Mother’s Day and everyone liked them. I will be making these again.
YAY! I am so glad everyone enjoyed them!
They look super yum! My sweet tooth is calling.
xoxo
Lovely
I remember when I called you cupcake Carlee with these. Soooo good my friend and they truly are beautiful!
baking powder or baking soda?
Honestly either would work because of the sour cream. I usually use baking powder though.