(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
⭐️ Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor afterwards 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 1 15.25 ounce box white cake mix, 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Once incorporated, add in the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 ½ cups water, ¾ cup sour cream, and 4 large egg whites 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.
Notes from Melissa
Did you make this?
I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts! Leave a review & photo of your creation and be sure to mention @DesignEatRepeat or tag #DesignEatRepeat on Instagram!Save this recipe!
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Hello, could I use lemon cake mix and lemon extract instead of white cake mix to make lemon cupcakes? Thanks
I haven't tried this recipe with lemon but I think it would work just fine!
attempting this recipe now ! no oil ?
Nope!
Like you, I was looking at adapting the Recipe Girl White Wedding Cupcake recipe, since I found it too sweet and wanted it to be a little less like sponge cake. I found your version and didn't have to! Good job! The only thing I do different is I'm using 1/4 cup pure cane sugar & 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 whole egg with 3 egg whites. Seems to give it a little more body and richness and it's white enough for me. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Lori!
Funny, I thought the recipe this was adapted from was too sweet, with the 1 cup of sugar so glad to see your recipe working with 1/2 the sugar and adjustments to some of the other ingredients. Thanks for posting!
Instead of cupcakes, I made it into a sheet cake for a birthday, and used almond buttercream frosting, I got rave reviews! It was delicious and the frosting was delicious too and easy to whip up, I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out since it was late at night, and my kids were asleep,
So I made it by hand with a whisk, it worked. I will pin this a definitely make it again
Yay, so glad it ended up turning out for you, Cindy! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it!
I want to make these soon. Can you replace the water with milk for more
Flavor? Or is it not necessary?
I haven't tried it but I don't think it's necessary. Milk typically adds even more moisture and this recipe is already very moist!
Delicious! Light moist flavorful ! Thank you
So glad that you enjoyed this recipe Tammy!
Everyone loved these !!! So delicious and moist..best recipe ever!!!
So glad to hear that Diane, thank you for leaving a review!
Hi there. Do you know if these can be made, frosted and then frozen ahead of time? Thanks
I would wait to frost them until after freezing!
They came out perfectly! I actually got 26 cupcakes, each with 3 tablespoons of batter.
So glad you loved them, Beth! A few extra "test" cupcakes are never a bad thing, haha! ;)
Thank you for taking the time to leave me a review - it helps my small biz so much & I really appreciate it!
Hi Melissa,
I have been searching for YEARS to find a recipe for an authentic wedding cake & frosting recipe so thanks for the cake!
...now about this frosting...are the cakes at weddings frosted with buttercream or something else? I've never made a buttercream that replicates what I've had at weddings & I absolutely adore it! I really would love a reply & in the meantime I'll see how your buttercream recipe compares to the others I have made. Thanks so much!
Hi Amy! I think most wedding cakes are made with a vanilla almond buttercream or a swiss meringue (which is more work to make but is lighter and less sweet). I wouldn't say mine is spot-on to the ones you get a wedding, it's not as lightweight as most bakery frostings but if you whipped it pretty long & used heavy cream instead of milk I think you could get a fluffier texture!
I plan to experiment more with frostings this year but I'd definitely encourage you to try finding a recipe for swiss meringue buttercream if you're wanting to experiment with getting a lighter texture!
Best vanilla cupcakes I’ve ever made! I made them for my daughters bridal shower and everyone loved them.
I'm so glad you all loved them, Carol! I always get asked if they came from a bakery when I make them for crowds...then I have to tell them my little secret ;)
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review - I appreciate it so much!
These taste SO good. However, the last 2 times I’ve made them, the texture is very dense and sponge like. Almost too dense/spongey instead of fluffy. Any thought or tips?
Hi Allie! What brand of cake mix are you using?
If using the same as me, how long are you mixing the batter? This cake is a dense cake but could get overly dense if you overmix the batter. That’s typically the culprit of dense and rubbery cakes.
Let me know if either of those might be or & if not, we can brainstorm from there!
Made these cupcakes but colored the batter different colors to make marbled “mermaid” cupcakes for a birthday! Delicious and a hit at the party!! Thanks!
I ALWAYS have a box of that Pillsbury cake mix in my pantry. It is a must-have because I can make so many things with it!!! :)
It's so good, right?! I've definitely realized different brands taste different and this one is currently my front runner!
Hi! Would this recipe work for a 10 inch bundt cake + a 4 inch small cake? Or would you double it? Thanks!
Hi Meredith! I think the single recipe would be enough for a 10 & 4 inch, although I never tried it so I can't say for 100% certainty. Definitely report back if you try it!
I need to modify to exclude eggs due to allergy. So do you recommend 1/2 cup applesauce to replace the 4 egg whites? This is going to be my grandson's 1st birthday cake.
Hi Melissa! I've only used applesauce in cake once, so I can't guarantee the outcome but it would be worth a shot. My concern would be that because this recipe only calls for egg WHITES, the typical 1/2 cup applesauce per 1 egg would get tricky. Sorry I'm not much help on this one!