Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream
Golden, tender vanilla cupcakes crowned with a swirl of fluffy cream cheese buttercream. Birthday-party ready, with about 3 g net carbs each.
Nutrition per serving
1 frosted cupcake- Net carbs
- 3g
- Calories
- 316kcal
- Protein
- 7g
- Fat
- 30g
- Total carbs
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 2.3 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Chocolate buttercream: The same vanilla cupcakes topped with a rich chocolate buttercream — the classic birthday combination.
- Beat the cocoa into the buttercream with the powdered erythritol, then add the extra tablespoon of cream so it stays light and pipeable.
Lemon: Fresh lemon zest and juice in both the cake and the frosting for bright, sunny lemon cupcakes.
- Beat 1 tablespoon of the zest into the butter with the sweetener, and add 1 tablespoon of the juice with the almond milk.
- Beat the remaining zest and juice into the finished buttercream.
Strawberry buttercream: Fresh strawberries cooked down to a thick purée and beaten into the frosting for a pretty pink, real-fruit buttercream.
- Simmer the strawberries and lemon juice in a small saucepan for 10–12 minutes, mashing as they soften, until reduced to about ⅓ cup of thick, jammy purée. Cool it completely in the fridge.
- Beat the cold purée into the finished buttercream a tablespoon at a time. Warm purée melts the frosting, so be patient.
Nut-free (coconut flour): Coconut flour, two extra eggs and cream instead of almond milk make nut-free cupcakes with a soft, springy crumb.
- Use ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of coconut flour in total and beat in all six eggs. Let the batter stand 5 minutes to thicken before filling the liners.
- Bake 20–24 minutes, until golden and springy.
- Cupcakes
- Vanilla buttercream
- Cupcakes
- Vanilla buttercream
- Also add
- Cupcakes
- Vanilla buttercream
- Also add
- Cupcakes
- Vanilla buttercream
- Also add
- Cupcakes
- Vanilla buttercream
- Also add
Estimated cost $14.91 for 12 servings ($1.24 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
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Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
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Whisk the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
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In a large bowl, beat the ½ cup butter and granulated erythritol with a mixer for 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla (the batter may look a little curdled — that is fine).
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On low speed, mix in half the dry ingredients, then the almond milk, then the rest of the dry ingredients, just until smooth.
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Divide among the liners, about three-quarters full (a heaping ¼ cup each). Bake 18–22 minutes, until domed and golden, the tops spring back when pressed and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
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Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift onto a rack and cool completely, at least 45 minutes — warm cupcakes melt the frosting.
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For the buttercream, beat the second ½ cup butter with the cream cheese for 2 minutes, until smooth. Beat in the powdered erythritol on low, then add the cream, vanilla and salt and whip on medium-high for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Pipe or spread over the cupcakes.
Tips for success
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Room-temperature butter, eggs and sour cream blend into a smooth, airy batter; cold ingredients make dense, greasy cupcakes. - Use powdered erythritol for the frosting — granulated stays gritty. If that is all you have, blitz it in a blender for 30 seconds.
- The cream cheese in the buttercream means frosted cupcakes belong in the fridge; let them sit out for 20 minutes before serving so the frosting softens.
Nice to have, not needed
- A piping bag with a large star tip gives bakery-style swirls — an offset spatula or butter knife works for a rustic finish.
- Sugar-free sprinkles make them party-ready.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 5 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Let chilled cupcakes stand 20 minutes at room temperature so the frosting softens.
Prep tip: Freeze unfrosted cupcakes in a zip-top bag; thaw at room temperature and frost them on the day you serve them.
Refrigerate frosted cupcakes in an airtight container up to 5 days; freeze unfrosted cupcakes up to 3 months.
Variations
4 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosChocolate buttercream
FlavorThe same vanilla cupcakes topped with a rich chocolate buttercream — the classic birthday combination.
- + ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- + 1 tbsp extra heavy cream
3.5 g net · 326 kcal · 7.5 g protein · 31 g fat · ≈$1.30 per serving (+0.5 g net carbs vs the original)
Lemon
FlavorFresh lemon zest and juice in both the cake and the frosting for bright, sunny lemon cupcakes.
- + 4 tsp lemon zest
- + 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3.2 g net · 317 kcal · 7 g protein · 30 g fat · ≈$1.31 per serving (+0.2 g net carbs vs the original)
Strawberry buttercream
FlavorFresh strawberries cooked down to a thick purée and beaten into the frosting for a pretty pink, real-fruit buttercream.
- + 1 cup strawberries
- + 1 tsp lemon juice
3.7 g net · 320 kcal · 7.1 g protein · 30 g fat · ≈$1.34 per serving (+0.7 g net carbs vs the original)
Nut-free (coconut flour)
DietCoconut flour, two extra eggs and cream instead of almond milk make nut-free cupcakes with a soft, springy crumb.
- blanched almond flour → extra coconut flour
- unsweetened almond milk → heavy cream
- + 2 large extra eggs
2.5 g net · 254 kcal · 5 g protein · 24 g fat · ≈$0.99 per serving (−0.5 g net carbs vs the original)
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