Vanilla Cupcakes
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy12
servings20
minutes22
minutesI love this recipe I found on The Kitchen site. I make this every Easter but have also made it for baby showers and for the teacher’s at my children’s school as they love lemon desserts. I love this cupcake because it caters to children but with the light lemon buttercream it makes it for adults. I do use the vanilla cupcake as a base for most cupcakes as it is a wonderfully moist cupcake with great vanilla flavor. It works beautifully with a chocolate, mocha, caramel or vanilla frosting. The frosting is wonderful on cakes as well or pound cake. It is light, refreshing and the citrus adds complexity and doesn’t make it to sweet.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and room temperature
2 lg eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla or (Penzeys Double vanilla extract)
- Lemon Buttercream
2 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature about 1 hour
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature about 1 hour
Pinch of Salt
4 to 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1-2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
Cupcake
- Preheat oven to 325. Line a 12 muffin pan with 12 muffin liners.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and mix on medium speed for 1 minute, or until the flour has coated the butter.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the wet ingredients in two additions, scraping the bowl in-between each addition. Beat for 2 minutes or until the ingredients are all incorporated.
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups and bake for 20-24 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until cake tester comes out clean.
- Allow cupcakes to cool in pan for 5 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once cooled completely, frost the cupcakes. ****CUPCAKES (NOT FROSTED) CAN BE MADE 1 HDAY AHEAD)
- FROSTING
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and blended well. Add the salt and then 1 cup of the powdered sugar at a time, scraping the bowl in between additions. Add the milk, adjusting the consistency if necessary. Beat in the extracts and continue beating at high speed at high speed for 3-5 minutes or until whipped and creamy.
- Frost the cupcakes with a knife or fill a pastry bag with a decorative tip and pipe the frosting on.
