Cotton Cupcakes

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Cotton Cupcakes is a Japanese cupcake recipe which is a vanilla super soft and fluffy sponge cupcake that is easy to make and feel just like cotton. The texture is moist and bouncy with a mild lemon flavor along with a splash of vanilla flavors. Therefore, these cupcakes are a must try if you looking for a super fluffy airy cupcake recipe with simple flavors 

Cotton Cupcakes also known as Japanese Cupcakes is a super fluffy and light cupcake recipe. Vanilla sponge cupcake recipe is soft so we call it Cotton Cake
Cotton Cupcakes

ABOUT THESE COTTON CUPCAKES – JAPANESE CUPCAKE RECIPE

Firstly, this is an easy to make, hassle-free fluffy cotton cake recipe

Light and fluffy easy sponge cupcake recipe. Also, feels just like cotton 

Vanilla cupcakes with a mild lemon flavor in every bite

However, you can come up with your own variations like fluffy almond cupcakes (throw in some roasted almonds in the batter), fluffy banana cupcakes (throw in chunks of chopped ripe banana’s), etc by using this cotton soft sponge cake recipe

Cotton Cupcakes also known as Japanese Cupcakes is a super fluffy and light cupcake recipe. Vanilla sponge cupcake recipe is soft so we call it Cotton Cake
Cotton Cupcakes

How To Make Japanese Cake ??

Firstly, cakes and cupcakes to me are meant to be tasty with a great texture. The more fluffy and light they are, the more love I have for the recipe. Secondly, textures play a major role while baking. It’s rare to find fluffy homemade super soft cupcake recipes that are so light and airy. 

LET’S TALK INGREDIENTS TO MAKE THESE EXTRA FLUFFY CUPCAKES

EGGS 

Extra fluffy cupcakes without eggs ?? Not possible if you looking for textures this light and airy. The beaten stiff egg whites are what gives us this texture. So I’m not going to give you any egg substitute for this recipe. In case you know of a substitute which would make your cupcakes this light and airy please share it with the world

LEMON ZEST

These are vanilla cupcakes but the added lemon zest just enhances the flavor of these cupcakes. You could even add orange zest or maybe just skip the zest. I like both, orange and lemon !! 

CREAM OF TARTAR 

Cream of tartar helps to increase the volume of the egg whites while beating it. It makes the egg whites stiff which then yields a good fluffy cake batter. In case you do not have cream of tartar substitute it with 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice 

Cotton Cupcakes also known as Japanese Cupcakes is a super fluffy and light cupcake recipe. Vanilla sponge cupcake recipe is soft so we call it Cotton Cake
Cotton Cupcakes

Cotton Cupcakes Recipe | Japanese Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients 

1st Part
  • 1 cup (110 grams) Self-raising flour
  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) Castor sugar 
  • 1/4 cup (70 grams/ml) Milk 
  • 6 Egg yolks 
  • 1/4 cup (60 grams) salted butter
  • 1 teaspoon (5 grams/ml) vanilla essence 
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
2nd Part 
  • 6 egg whites
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 
  • 1/2 cup (115 grams) castor sugar

Instructions 

1st Part
  • In a pan on medium heat, add the butter and melt completely. Once melted add the milk and sugar. Stir and cook until all the sugar has melted. Switch off the gas and let this mixture cool a bit (you want this mixture to be warm, not hot)
  • Combine the milk & butter mixture with the flour. Mix well. Add the egg yolks, vanilla essence, and lemon zest. This mixture should turn smooth 
2nd Part 
  • Using a beater, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed. Add the castor sugar to it and beat gradually until you form stiff peaks 
  • Combine both the mixtures together (egg yolk mixture + egg whites mixture)
  • Make sure to fold the egg whites mixture carefully. You do not want to be rough while doing so.
  • Once both the mixtures are well combined pour the batter in mini cupcake liners and fill each up to 3/4 part of the liner with the cupcake batter. Once all the liners are filled tap the baking tray to remove any excess air bubbles from the batter and smoothen the top of each cupcake batter using the back of a spoon
  • Bake the cupcakes immediately in a preheated oven at 160 degrees C for 20-30 mins on top and bottom mode. The cupcakes should feel bouncy but firm on the top when touched (do not insert a toothpick as this would deflate the cupcakes)
  • Once out of the oven let the cupcakes sit untouched for 10-15 mins and then consume
Cotton Cupcakes also known as Japanese Cupcakes is a super fluffy and light cupcake recipe. Vanilla sponge cupcake recipe is soft so we call it Cotton Cake
Cotton Cupcakes

(Recipe Card) Cotton Cupcakes | Cotton Cake

Cotton Cupcakes

Author: Alisha R
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Cakes, cupcake, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cotton cupcakes, cupcakes recipe, super soft cupcakes, vanilla cupcake recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Calories: 120kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 20 cupcakes
Cotton Cupcakes are simple vanilla super soft and fluffy cupcakes that are easy to make and feel just like cotton. The texture is moist and bouncy with a mild lemon flavor along with a splash of vanilla flavors. These cupcakes are a must try if you looking for super fluffy airy cupcakes recipes with simple flavors

Ingredients

1st Part

  • 1 cup Self-raising flour 110 grams
  • 2 tbsp castor sugar 30 grams
  • ¼ cup milk 70 ml
  • 6 Egg yolks
  • ¼ cup salted butter 60 grams
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence 5 ml
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest

2nd Part

  • 6 egg whites
  • ½ tsp cream of tartar
  • ½ cup castor sugar 115 grams

Instructions

1st Part

  • In a pan on medium heat, add the butter and melt completely. Once melted add the milk and sugar. Stir and cook until all the sugar has melted. Switch off the gas and let this mixture cool a bit (you want this mixture to be warm, not hot)
  • Combine the milk & butter mixture with the flour. Mix well. Add the egg yolks, vanilla essence, and lemon zest. This mixture should turn smooth

2nd Part 

  • Using a beater, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed. Add the castor sugar to it and beat gradually until you form stiff peaks
  • Combine both the mixtures together (egg yolk mixture + egg whites mixture)
  • Make sure to fold the egg whites mixture carefully. You do not want to be rough while doing so
  • Once both the mixtures are well combined pour the batter in mini cupcake liners and fill each up to ¾ part of the liner with the cupcake batter. Once all the liners are filled tap the baking tray to remove any excess air bubbles from the batter and smoothen the top of each cupcake batter using the back of a spoon
  • Bake the cupcakes immediately in a preheated oven at 160 degrees C for 20-30 mins on top and bottom mode. The cupcakes should feel bouncy but firm on the top when touched (do not insert a toothpick as this would deflate the cupcakes)
  • Once out of the oven let the cupcakes sit untouched for 10-15 mins and then consume

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Nutrition Information
Serving: 50g | Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.39g | Protein: 4.24g | Fat: 2.408g | Saturated Fat: 2.408g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.72g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 174mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 6.49g

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

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Cotton Cupcakes also known as Japanese Cupcakes is a super fluffy and light cupcake recipe. Vanilla sponge cupcake recipe is soft so we call it Cotton Cake
Cotton Cupcakes

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Chocolate Chip Cotton Cake

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62 Comments

  1. My flour mixture is very gooey – almost like the outside of mochi ice cream. Is this normal? I’m having a hard time combining it into the egg whites – just put them in the over. Fingers crossed.

  2. Hi Alisha. I tried your recipe and it’s so super soft and nice. Really loved the texture. Tried the chocolate flavor and it’s nice too. I’m very curious why the cupcakes shrinked at the sides. What could be the problem?

    1. Hi Vince .. Thankyou for leaving a message out here. Glad you liked the cupcakes. could be two reasons – Either over beating of the egg whites or high baking temperature

  3. Can you tell me if I could make these lovely recipe savory instead of sweet? Would I get the same results if I cut down a bit on the sugar? I have been trying a few recipes for savory muffins and I still get soggy and sensed results. I’m wondering if I could adapt this recipe to a salty version adding carrots and cheese and still get these babies spongy, light and airy.

    1. Hi Jose.. I’ve personally not tried doing that. Altering a recipe like this one may not yield cotton-like cupcakes, considering cheese and carrots as heavy ingredients. But in case you do give it a shot, I’d like to know how it turned out for you

  4. Hi, I made this batch twice and they both came out terrible. I bake often, so maybe there’s some info you can add to this recipe to help those who are trying it out so there is not such a waste of ingredients?

    1. Hi Evette ,,
      I’m sorry to hear this, but there must have been something you did wrong. I make this recipe often and it always turns out well
      Tips – Make sure the oven temperature is right and thus invest in an oven thermometer, this shows you the exact temperature inside the oven
      Make sure the baking mold your using is not greased but just dry without any fat like oil or butter added to the walls of the dish or liner.
      Do not overmix the batter and be gentle, once the egg whites lose their fluffiness, they tend to yield flat cupcakes
      And lastly, read the post completely cos I’ve stuffed in alot of tips & tricks in there

      Hope this helps

      Regards,
      Alisha !!

  5. Great recipe, found they needed a few minutes longer in my oven though.
    The first batch shrunk away from the sides and became kinda deformed (i used traditional cupcake cases)
    I baked the next batch longer and they were practically perfect.
    Also the recipe yielded 25 cupcakes for me.

    I made Victoria sandwich cakes with them and they went down a treat!

    1. Hi Mollie .. So happy this worked for you !! Yes, cotton cupcakes need practice and thus your 2nd batch turned out good as compared to the first. Every oven is different and thus baking time changes for each one .. But I’m glad you’d played around with it and managed to get an amazing batch of these cotton beauties

  6. Hi, thanks for this cake recipe. Tried and cake is soft and nice. Can you advise if i can add cocoa powder for a chocolate sponge cup cake? Any reduced in flour needed if i add 30g of cocoa powder? Thank you.

    1. Hi Cloe..
      So happy the cake turned out good
      Cocoa powder makes the cake heavier so it wouldn’t be as light as this one
      However, you can try adding 15grams of cocoa powder (reduce 15 grams of flour from this recipe)

      Regards,
      Alisha !!

  7. Hi,
    I baked the cotton cup cakes exactly as per the recipe.
    They looked beautiful when I took them out of the oven however went flat And sunk within a minute. Can you please suggest what I may have done wrong?

  8. These look amazing! I wasn’t to make a cop he cupcake with flambé pineapples baked in the cupcake. Would flambé pineapples or any fruit I generally work well with this recipe?

    1. Well, this cupcake batter is really light and airy, adding pineapples would make the batter heavy and won’t rise like a cupcake but will be more like pudding. I won’t recommend baking fruit with these cupcakes. However, feel free to add fruit frostings or frostings topped with fruits once these cupcakes are baked

  9. I tried this recipe exactly as said n baked it in loaf tin for 25mins. But the top surface cracked open n it looked uncooked. Can u say where I went wrong.

    1. You need to adjust your oven temperature. Every oven heats up differently so the best thing to do is invest in an oven thermometer, you will then know the exact temperature inside the oven. According to me, your oven temperature was high !!

  10. H, These look incredible. How long would they last if not eaten right away? Say you bake them on a Friday, can they remain as moist and light by the next day?

  11. hello! i was exited about making these but they didnt turned out okay. I baked them at 325F (160C) FOR 25-30 minutes and when I took them out of the oven they deflated. They also tasted “eggie” … I substitued the 1/4 cup of milk for coconut milk (full fat). But I dont think that would have been the reason for it to sink in the middle… What do you think happened?

    1. Hi Yashira
      I’m so sorry to know that this recipe didn’t work for you
      In my opinion, the reason this happened is because of the coconut milk. The main ingredient in this cake batter is the egg whites, due to which the whole mixture is super light and airy. Coconut milk is heavy, due to which when added to the batter, it makes the whole batter heavy and the egg whites loose control. This leads to a change in the texture of the batter and therefore it led to deflated cupcakes

  12. These cotton cupcakes are so light and fluffy they almost look like soft bread! I think these would be great with fresh strawberries!

  13. I love the idea of using orange zest in these cupcakes, too, but I love the combination of lemon and vanilla. I didnt realize that you could substitute vinegar or lemon juice for cream of tartar when whipping egg whites.

  14. These cupcakes sound incredible! I’m usually not a fan of cupcakes because most are so super sweet and I just can’t handle all of that. I love how simple and tasty these sound. Definitely my kind of cupcake!

  15. This looks yummy! Pls can I multiply the recipes and bake in a regular cake pan? Secondly, which type of frost will compliment this?

    1. Heya …
      Yes !! You can bake this one in a regular cake pan as well.
      This recipe makes a great sponge so any frosting goes well with it. I personally like whipping cream as a frosting with this one. Or maybe some whipped chocolate ganache.
      Do not go for very heavy frosting recipes as this sponge is really light and fluffy.
      Hope this helps !!

  16. I absolutely adore the name of these cupcakes – who wouldn’t want to just face plant into COTTON cupcakes!?!? Such a terrific post – lovely photos and terrific tips (like using cream of tartar for fluffiness, and even what to substitute for it)!

  17. These look AMAZING! I have never seen a cotton cupcake before but it reminds me a bit of Japanese Cotton Cheesecakes! I need to try this one! They looks so light and fluffy!

    1. Hi, can I bake the whole mixture in a cake pan instead of having cupcakes?

      Also, does it affect the texture if I remove the sugar in part 1? Thanks!

      1. Hi .. Yes !! you can bake the batter in a cake pan as well. Just put a baking paper for the base of the pan (not sides) and do not grease the pan with any fat like butter or oil.

        Secondly, removing the sugar in part 1 would not affect the texture but definitely affect the cake taste due to less sugar

  18. Oh my word, these look incredible. I’ve never heard of cotton cupcakes before but that texture looks amaaazing. Will have to give this recipe a go some time! 🙂

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