#Recipes #Food #Drink : Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream
Vanilla Cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
- 2½ cups flour
- 1 cup cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup plus 3 Tablespoons half-and-half
- 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 2¾ cups sugar
- 3 eggs
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl sift together flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a pitcher, whisk together milk, half-and-half, and vanilla. Set aside.
- Cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs one at time, mixing well and scraping the bowl after you add each egg.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture. Add ½ of the milk. You add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, and the liquid in 2.
- When everything has been added scrape the bowl one more time. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two muffin tins with paper liners. Fill the paper liners three quarters of the way full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The cupcakes will be pale in color. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature
- 3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until the butter is pale, very smooth, and makes a slapping sound as it hits the sides of the bowl. This takes about 30 seconds if you butter is really soft, a bit longer if the butter is cooler.
- Add the sugar one cup at a time. Mix until it is incorporated before you add the next cup.
- When all of the sugar has been added, scrape the paddle and the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and salt, beat on low speed for 15 seconds.
- Increase the speed to high (or just high enough so that it doesn’t make a mess). Beat until whipped, light, and perfectly smooth, about 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl once or twice. The frosting will look like it is getting really soft, but it will stiffen and increase in volume.
- You can use this right away, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.