marilynpeight
These vanilla or white sheet cake cupcakes are my go-to recipe for baby showers, church events and more. These sour cream, sheet cake cupcakes are nice and moist, always getting great reviews from others who try them! The cream cheese frosting is both simple and elegant making a delicious cupcake combination that is a great go-to recipe for any event where you need a dessert you can trust will turn out good. If you love cakes and cupcakes, you may also enjoy my Amish Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting, Strawberry Filled Cupcakes or Smore’s Personal Cheesecakes.
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Vanilla Sheet Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- muffin tins (linked below)
- Mixing bowl (linked below)
- Saucepan (linked below)
- measuring cups (linked below)
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup water
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons whole milk *see note
- 3-4 cups confectioner's sugar sifted
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter with one cup of water over medium heat. Once the butter has melted stir to combine with the water, then remove from heat and allow to cool *see note below. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, salt and baking soda together.
- Stir in beaten eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients, then add the warm (not hot) butter and water mixture and then stir gently to combine until there are no lumps remaining in the cupcake batter.
- Transfer the batter to a measuring cup or dish with a pour spout (you will need to work in batches unless you happen to have a large measuring cup that can hold all of the batter). Line two dozen muffin tins with paper liners and fill each liner 1/2- 2/3 full with the cupcake batter.
- Bake in the center of the oven (I usually bake each pan on a separate rack and then I like to switch them half way through baking). Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes or until the cupcakes are golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Place the cream cheese and butter in a medium sized mixing bowl, then mix until well combined. Mix in vanilla extract, then add sifted confectioner's sugar (one cup at a time) and a little milk as needed until the frosting is stiff enough to pipe.
- Place the frosting into a frosting bag fitted with a cupcake tip (suggestions below) and pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Enjoy!
Notes
Equipment needed for these Vanilla Sheet Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Muffin tins You will need two muffin tins fitted with cupcake liners to bake these cupcakes in.
- Mixing bowls I prefer to use one of each, a large and a medium sized stainless steel bowl for mixing up the cupcake batter and the cream cheese frosting.
- Saucepan A small saucepan is needed for melting the butter and water mixture.
- Measuring cups My personal preference is to use my stainless steel measuring cups (they are dish washer friendly) for measuring out the ingredients needed for these cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.
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Ingredients needed for the Vanilla Sheet Cake Cupcakes: Sugar, butter, eggs, water, vanilla extract, baking soda, salt, flour and sour cream. For the Cream Cheese Frosting: Cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, milk and confectioner’s sugar.
Wish to switch it up with these cupcakes? Try strawberry filled cupcakes, or try frosting these vanilla cupcakes with strawberry buttercream, or salted caramel frosting.
Step 1: In a small saucepan, melt butter with one cup of water over medium heat. Once the butter has melted stir to combine with the water, then remove from heat and allow to cool. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, salt and baking soda together.
Step 2: Stir in beaten eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients, then add the warm (not hot) butter and water mixture and then stir gently to combine until there are no lumps remaining in the cupcake batter.
What happens if the butter mixture is added while hot?
I made this mistake recently, I was baking a batch of cupcakes for a baby shower and added the butter mixture to the cupcake batter while it was still hot. To my dismay the eggs scrambled and I had to strain them out. Unfortunately, I realized too late that the cupcakes also turned out dense from the absence of the egg I strained. So, moral of the story is be sure to allow the butter mixture to cool before adding it to the cupcake batter!
Step 4: Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes or until the cupcakes are golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
Cream cheese frosting: Place the cream cheese and butter in a medium sized mixing bowl, then mix until well combined. Mix in vanilla extract, then add sifted confectioner’s sugar (one cup at a time) and a little milk as needed until the frosting is stiff enough to pipe. Frost the cooled cupcakes and enjoy!
What are some great piping tips to use for cupcakes?
My preferences for simple cupcake rosettes are to use a Wilton 2D piping tip or a Wilton 1M piping tip which gives more definition to the frosting with height as shown in the photos. If you wish to make a simple, yet elegant swirl on your cupcakes without adding much height, then I recommend going for a 2D piping tip.
Storage for these vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting:
Because the frosting is made with cream cheese, you will need to keep the cupcakes refrigerated. The cupcakes do become a bit stiff when chilled, so if you wish to have them keep their soft texture for a special event, you can prep the cupcakes and cream cheese frosting ahead of time, then wait to frost them until right before your event. Keep the cream cheese frosting chilled, then allow to come back to room temperature, or until it is soft enough to pipe, before frosting the cupcakes.
Feel free to pin this recipe for later and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram with a photo of your own creation. Thank you for your support!
