(This post was originally published March 28, 2013 but has been updated with new photos, tweaked recipe, and instructions.)
These white wedding cupcakes turn a boxed cake mix into the most amazing vanilla cupcakes you've ever had. They're a close replica to a delicious bakery cake that you would find at a wedding (with the perfect texture!) and are so easy to make! It's become my family's favorite go-to vanilla cake recipe anytime cupcakes are in order.
Being a chocolate fanatic, it's a rare occasion that I would choose anything vanilla over chocolate. But these white wedding cupcakes are THAT good, that even I would choose these over a chocolate cupcake 100% of the time. They are so moist, so easy to make, and of course...so very scrumptious.
Having a cake mix base, this recipe is kick-started for you so you don't have to worry about leavening agents. I prefer to use an "extra-moist cake mix" to ensure they come out as perfect as possible. Because dry cupcakes = no bueno.
What You Need to Make White Wedding Cupcakes
- White Boxed Cake Mix
- Flour
- Sugar
- Sour Cream
- Egg Whites
- Water
How to Make White Wedding Cupcakes
Step 1: Mix Batter
Start by mixing the dry ingredients with a whisk. Once combined, mix in the egg whites, sour cream, and water and continue mixing until combined. You can use a electric mixer, but whisking by hand works well for this recipe.
Step 2: Scoop into Baking Cups
Use a 3-tablespoon sized cookie scoop to scoop the batter into the baking cups.
Step 3: Bake
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out dry. You do not want the tops to turn brown, as that will mean you overbaked them. The tops will still look a little moist, but the goal is to cut into them and see this beautiful, perfect, bakery texture.
Step 4: Cool & Frost
My personal favorite frosting for these is a delectable cream cheese frosting. It's not too sweet and is the perfect pairing with these vanilla cupcakes. If you want a more pipeable frosting, try out a buttercream frosting like I use on sugar cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What brand of cake mix do you recommend?
I used and prefer Pillsbury White (Moist Supreme) but I've tried it with several other mixes and it works fine.
What's the difference between this recipe and a cake mix straight-out-of-the-box?
You might be thinking, "what's so different about this recipe if you are still using a boxed cake mix?" Well, I will tell you. The secret is sour cream and egg whites. Yes, sour cream ain't just for baked potatoes anymore. It is used to moisten many types of cakes/batters and any time I've used it, the result has always been amazing. And the egg whites? Since you are removing fat content (by taking out the yolk), you need to use the sour cream to balance that back out to produce a soft & moist cake.
Tip: Save the egg yolks in a plastic bowl (covered with saran wrap) and toss into a big batch of scrambled eggs in the morning. Or use the liquid egg whites you can buy in a carton to avoid having leftover egg yolks.
Where did you get those adorable scalloped cupcake liners?
These are from The Sweet Tooth Fairy's adorable baking line! They're grease-proof and make the cupcakes come out of the wrappers SO smoothly.
How Many Cupcakes Does This Recipe Make?
Assuming you fill each baking cup with 3 tablespoons of batter, this recipe makes 24 cupcakes.
Can I use this recipe as a cake?
Yes! Bake in a 9x13 pan for 28-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
White Wedding Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 ounce box white cake mix
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 4 large egg whites (equal to ½ cup, if you want to use liquid carton egg whites)
- 1 Buttercream Frosting
Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together white cake mix (1 - 15.25 oz. box), all-purpose flour (1 cup), granulated sugar (½ cup), and salt (½ teaspoon).
- Once incorporated, add in the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), water (1 ½ cups), sour cream (¾ cup), and egg whites (4 large, or ½ cup) one at a time until combined.
- Place cupcake liners into cupcake tin and scoop 3 tablespoons of batter into each baking cup.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick or fork come out clean.
- Allow to cool and then frost with Buttercream Frosting.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
I made these for my mother in-laws 94 birthday. White cupcakes with butter crème frosting are her favorite. A new recipe to add to my collection. So good!
Thanks so much for adding the white wedding cupcakes to your collection, Mary! I'm glad you enjoyed them. Thank you for taking time to leave a review!
I Really like these. It doesn't seem like they raised as much as usual. Does the sour cream cause that? They really taste like from scratch though! Very good.
Hi Mary! The sour cream does make them more of a dense texture vs. super domed & puffy!
I just came across this recipe. Question what don’t you use any oil in this recipe? Just curious.
I don't find it needs the added moisture with the sour cream!
Hello,
I'm planning to make this recipe soon and I don't need it to be white white so if I want to use whole eggs would I just use 2 whole large eggs instead of the 4 egg whites? Thanks!
Hi! I haven’t tested it this way but 2 whole eggs sounds like it will work.