Vanilla Yogurt Cupcakes

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These Vanilla Yogurt Cupcakes are cupcake perfection! They are moist, light and fluffy. Our secret ingredient is yogurt. Topped with strawberry frosting, these cupcakes would make a wonderful Valentine’s treat or Mother’s Day dessert. But don’t wait for a special occasion – they’re so delicious you will want to make them right away.

Vanilla yogurt cupcakes on wire rack.

Cupcakes are a huge favorite around here. Perfectly sized, they’re just the right treat on a holiday or to add sweetness to any regular day of the week.

This yogurt cupcake recipe doesn’t use milk or buttermilk – the moistness comes from rich, creamy yogurt. The frosting recipe is a sweet American buttercream with real strawberries blended into it. So delicious!

These Vanilla Yogurt Cupcakes were inspired by my moist Vanilla Cupcakes. The Frosting was inspired by my Homemade Strawberry Frosting with Real Strawberries.

If you love strawberry desserts, like I do, be sure to also try my Strawberry Shortcake Cake and my Fresh Strawberry Cake.

Vanilla Yogurt Cupcake Recipe Details

  • Taste – The cupcakes are light and buttery with sweet vanilla flavor. The frosting is remeniscent of biting into a fresh summer ripened strawberry.
  • Texture – You’ll find the cupcakes to be moist with a open an airy crumb.
  • Ease – While there are two components, the hardes part is waiting for the cupcakes to cool so you can frost and eat them!
  • Time – The cupcakes take about 10 minutes of prep and 20 minutes to cook. The frosing also takes around 10 minutes to prep. The berries for the frosting requires cooking and cooling. Overall time is about 1 hour.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

  • All Purpose Flour: No need for cake flour here, all purpose flour will give you the results you want!
  • Butter: Unsalted sweet cream butter is what I tested the recipe with and it’s fantastic.
  • Sugar: Regular granulated sugar for sweetness.
  • Eggs: The eggs help hold the cupcakes together as well as add richness.
  • Vanilla: I used homemade vanilla extract but any high-quality pure vanilla will work. Vanilla bean paste is also a great option if you want more flavor.
  • Leavening: Baking powder is used in the recipe so the cupcakes rise tall and fluffy.
  • Salt: Just a little salt is added to balance the flavors.
  • Yogurt: This is key! Use whole-milk yogurt here. Greek will be too thick, and low fat or fat free yogurt won’t give you quite the same consistency.

For the Frosting:

  • Strawberry puree: Make your own with fresh or frozen strawberries and a food processor.
  • Butter: Once again, use unsalted sweet cream butter here too.
  • Salt: Just a pinch is all you need.
  • Confectioners’ sugar: For the perfect consistency.

Recommended tools

To make these Vanilla Yogurt Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting you will need:

  • Muffin Pan: This recipe yields 12 cupcakes so you’ll need a regular muffin pan (affiliate link) lined with cupcake liners.
  • Mixing Bowl: These Pyrex glass bowls are my favorite.
  • Mixer: A stand mixer (affiliate link) is what I use most but a handheld electric mixer (affiliate link) will also work just fine.
  • Food Processor: I have this food processor (affiliate link), but you can also use a high powered blender.

How to Make Vanilla Yogurt Cupcakes

It’s very easy to make these homemade vanilla yogurt cupcakes from scratch. It takes just a few minutes to whip up the batter and they bake in about 20- 25 minutes. It’s a little longer cooking time than other cupcakes because of the extra liquid from the yogurt.

  1. Get ready to bake – turn on the oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper liners.
  2. Whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then add in the vanilla.
  5. Add half the flour mixture and beat until just combined, then add the yogurt and mix until almost combined before adding the rest of the flour mixture.
  6. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups and bake. Let cool before frosting.

To make the frosting

The frosting is a simple American buttercream with a few small adjustments so it’s creamy and fruity. The butter should be at room temperature but not too soft – take it out of the refrigerator when you are cooking the puree.

  1. Make strawberry puree by blending fresh or frozen and thawed berries in a food processor.
  2. Cook strawberry puree over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 2-3 tablespoons. Cool the puree.
  3. Blend the butter until creamy and pale in color, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the salt and the confectioners’ sugar in two increments until fully incorporated and fluffy.
  5. Add the cooled puree and beat until fully mixed.
  6. When the cupcakes are fully cooled, frost them using a pastry bag with a frosting tip and garnish with fresh strawberry slices.
Vanilla yogurt cupcakes with strawberry frosting.

Tips For Success

  • Make sure to properly measure the flour. Using weighted measurements helps with consistency in baking.
  • The yogurt should be regular whole-milk yogurt for the best consistency results. Greek yogurt is too thick and low -fat is too thin.
  • The butter used for the frosting should be just at room temperature but not too soft. If it is too soft (it should be cool to the touch but not oily) it will be far too soft when the puree is added, and hard to frost with.
  • Set the eggs and butter for the cupcakes out at room temperature about an hour before you start cooking. These ingredients will combine better if they are at room temperature.

Recipe FAQs

How do I make strawberry puree?

You can make this using about 8 ounces of fresh or frozen/ thawed strawberries. Pulse in a food processor or high-powered blender until mostly pureed while some specks of berries are still visible. If you don’t have strawberries, you can use strawberry jam as a substitute, but fresh strawberries are preferable.

How do I tell when the cupcakes are done?

Check them after 20 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with only a few crumbs attached. This is how you know the cupcakes are perfectly baked. Remember to adjust your baking time if you use a convection oven.

Vanilla cupcake with a bite taken out.

Storage & Freezing

  1. Cupcakes will keep for up to 5 days stored in the refrigerator.
  2. Unfrosted cupcakes can be made one day in advance, then covered and stored at room temperature.
  3. The frosting can be made 1 day in advance. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.
  4. Frosted and unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Vanilla yogurt cupcakes on wire rack.
4.58 from 92 votes

Vanilla Yogurt Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

These vanilla yogurt cupcakes are made with yogurt and topped with strawberry frosting. They are fluffy, moist, and perfectly light!
Prep Time :25 minutes
Cook Time :35 minutes
Total Time :1 hour
Servings :12
Author :Jen Sobjack

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 1 ½ cups (195 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened & cut into pieces
  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • cup (151 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature

For the frosting

  • ½ cup (120 ml) strawberry puree
  • ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • pinch salt
  • 3 cups (360 g) confectioners' sugar

Instructions
 

Make the cupcakes

  • Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and set it aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together until well combined.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  • Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stop to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
  • Add half the flour mixture and mix at low speed until almost combined. Add the yogurt and continue to mix until almost combined. Finally, add the remaining flour mixture and mix just until combined.
  • Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes. While cupcakes are baking, begin preparing the strawberries for the frosting – see instructions below.
  • Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting

  • Add strawberry puree to a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the puree has reduced to 2-3 tablespoons.
  • Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Allow the puree to cool completely, stirring every so often.
  • Once the puree has cooled, add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or to a large bowl using an electric hand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until creamy and pale in color, about 5 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Add the salt and half the confectioners' sugar and beat on low speed just until the sugar has fully moistened, then turn the speed up to medium-high and beat until well incorporated, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the remaining confectioners' sugar and beat on low speed just until the sugar has fully moistened, then turn the speed up to medium-high and beat until well incorporated, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the puree and beat at medium-low speed until fully mixed in.

Video

Notes

  • Flour: Properly measure the flour. I highly recommend using weight measurements.
  • Yogurt: Be sure to use regular yogurt and not Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is too thick for this recipe. For added vanilla flavor, use vanilla yogurt. Choose whole-milk yogurt as nonfat yogurt will not yield the best results.
  • Strawberry puree: This can be made with fresh or frozen and thawed strawberries. Pulse a handful in a food processor until mostly pureed while some specks of strawberry are still visible. I used about 8-ounces of whole strawberries.
  • Butter for frosting: Use room temperature but not oily butter. If the butter sits at room temperature too long it will become too soft and oily. This will cause the frosting to be too soft once the puree is added. Set the butter out as the puree in cooling in step 2. Then once the puree has cooled completely, the butter should be soft but still cool to the touch and not oily. This is the perfect time to begin making the buttercream.
Make ahead tip
  1. Cupcakes will keep for up to 5 days stored in the refrigerator.
  2. The plain cupcake can be made 1 day in advance. Cover and store at room temperature.
  3. The frosting can be made 1 day in advance. Cover and store in the refrigerator. When ready to use, bring to room temperature.
  4. Both frosted and unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcakeCalories: 417kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 3gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 118mgPotassium: 121mgFiber: 1gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 645IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 1mg
*Nutrition Disclaimer
Course :Dessert
Cuisine :American
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Recipe Rating




78 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    It was true to it’s words and was moist and fluffy, it tasted great and lasted quite well. Overall it was wonderful.

  2. Your recipes are just perfection! Easy, delicious, balanced and so enjoyable to make! Thank you!
    Over the years, I’ve developed a worsening gluten intolerance. I would love to try your cupcake, brownie, cake and cookie recipes with 1:1 substituted gluten free flour. Could you possible help with adjustments that might need to be made?
    I’d be happy if you could even just help get the ball rolling with this delicious cupcake recipe!

    1. Typically Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free flour is a great alternative and usually doesn’t require any changes to the recipe. I’ve not tested this recipe with anything other than what’s listed in the ingredients/notes so I can’t say for sure if it will work or if anything needs to be adjusted.

  3. The cupcakes were sooooo delicious. The frosting melted a lot and was pretty sweet. But still really good. I definitely recommend this recipe without the frosting and eat it fresh.

  4. Greek yogurt has less water content than regular yogurt. Using regular yogurt in the recipe can affect how the cupcakes will turn out.

  5. I made it with my daughters and it’s absolutely delicious!
    We made our own chocolate frosting but your strawberry recipe looks like heaven.

  6. How thin is the batter supposed to be?

  7. Delicious. The cake was soft and light. I used good quality whole milk yogurt. I used raspberry jam and topped with fresh raspberries. This recipe is a keeper.

  8. Hey… I tries your recipe today but my cakes didn’t rise ? any tips?

    1. Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are good. And double check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer.

  9. 5 stars
    looks great, very simple to follow