Classic Vanilla Cupcakes with Jaca Vanilla Buttercream
These are the perfect everyday vanilla cupcakes — soft, tender, and buttery, with a fine, moist crumb from cake flour and a touch of sour cream, all crowned with a swirl of silky vanilla buttercream. They are the cupcake you reach for at every birthday, bake sale, and summer get-together, and they take real vanilla flavor seriously in both the cake and the frosting. Our version swaps every bit of the conventional sugar for Jaca (100% pure allulose) at double the amount: 1 1/2 cups of granular Jaca in place of the original 3/4 cup of sugar in the batter, and 5 cups of powdered Jaca in place of the 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar in the frosting — so you get the same light, sweet, bakery-style cupcake with no added sugar and no aftertaste. Because allulose browns a bit faster than sugar, keep an eye on the cupcakes near the end of the bake; they should be just set and barely golden. Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker. This is a Jaca-adjusted healthier version.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour (about 168 g, spooned and leveled)
- 1 1/2 cups Jaca (allulose), granular (replaces 3/4 cup of granulated sugar at the 2x ratio, with no added sugar and no aftertaste)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (cubed, at room temperature)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (for the cupcakes)
- 1/2 cup whole milk (room temperature, divided)
- 3 tablespoons sour cream (room temperature)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 large egg white (room temperature)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature, for the frosting)
- 5 cups Jaca (allulose), powdered (replaces 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar at the 2x ratio; blend granular Jaca to a fine powder if needed)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (for the frosting)
Sweetener Used
1 1/2 cups granular Jaca (cupcakes) + 5 cups powdered Jaca (frosting) Allulose
Replaces: 3/4 cup granulated sugar (cupcakes) + 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (frosting)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- 2
Sift the cake flour, granular Jaca, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large mixing bowl.
- 3
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the milk, the sour cream, the whole egg, and the egg white; set aside.
- 4
Beat the dry ingredients on low speed for about 15 seconds to combine. Add the cubed butter, the 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, and the remaining 1/4 cup milk. Mix on medium speed until the dry ingredients are moistened, about 1 minute, then scrape down the bowl.
- 5
Add the wet ingredient mixture in 3 additions on medium speed, beating about 15 seconds after each. Scrape the sides and beat 15 seconds more, just until smooth — do not overmix.
- 6
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 liners. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Because Jaca browns a little faster than sugar, start checking at 18 minutes; the tops should be just set and barely golden.
- 7
Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- 8
Make the frosting: using the whisk attachment, whip the 1 cup butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice, until pale and fluffy.
- 9
Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered Jaca. Once it is incorporated, add the 1 tablespoon vanilla, then increase to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
- 10
Frost the fully cooled cupcakes as desired with a piping bag or an offset spatula, and serve.
Pro Tips
- Room-temperature butter, milk, sour cream, and eggs are key — they emulsify into a smoother batter and a finer, more even crumb.
- Cake flour gives these cupcakes their signature soft, tender texture. If you only have all-purpose flour, substitute 1 1/2 cups minus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour plus 3 tablespoons cornstarch.
- For the silkiest buttercream, use powdered Jaca; if you only have granular, blitz it in a blender until it is a fine powder so the frosting is not gritty.
- Jaca is about 70% as sweet as sugar, which is exactly why we double it — you get full bakery-style sweetness with no added sugar and no aftertaste.
- Do not overmix the batter once the wet ingredients go in; overmixing develops gluten and makes the cupcakes dense instead of light.