Perfect One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes With Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Food

SIMPLY PERFECT VANILLA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 liners-this recipe makes about 14 cupcakes. Set aside.
• Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg whites, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and combined, at least 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed and then beat in the sour cream. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk until combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
• Pour/spoon the batter into the liners-fill only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. Bake for 19-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For around 30-36 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11-13 minutes, same oven temperature. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
• Frost cooled cupcakes with vanilla buttercream. You can swipe the frosting on with an icing knife or use a piping tip such as Wilton 1M. Leftover cupcakes keep well covered tightly in the refrigerator for 3 days.

VANILLA CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
• In a large mixing bowl whisk the sugar and melted butter until smooth (mixture will be gritty). Whisk in eggs, then sour cream, milk and vanilla extract until combined.
• Slowly add in dry ingredients and stir until completely incorporated. Batter will be thick.
• Fill cupcake lines ⅔ of the way full (about ¼ cup of batter). Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool completely before frosting.
• Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer), beat butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy; 2-3 minutes.
• Add confectioners sugar, vanilla and milk. Turn mixer up to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. If mixture is too thick, add more milk, a teaspoon at a time. If too thin, add more confectioners sugar, a little at a time.
• Frost cooled cupcakes using a spreader or a piping bag. Depending on how much frosting you use on each cupcake, there may be some leftover.

BAKERY STYLE VANILLA CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Cupcakes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line muffin tins with cupcake papers.
• In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.
• Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla.
• With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat.
• Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.
• Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
• Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
• Icing.
• Beat softened butter for a couple minutes in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until smooth and creamy.
• Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar and blend well with the butter.
• Add more sugar, if needed, to adjust for taste. (I find that 2.5 cups is perfect).
• Add vanilla extract, salt, and 1 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for for a few minutes on high, until light a fluffy. Make sure you really beat it for a few minutes (at least 3) so you get that super smooth and fluffy frosting texture.
• If your frosting is too thin, add more sugar.
• If your frosting is too thick, add milk/cream 1 Tbsp at a time.
• I like to use 2 Tbsp milk for a thicker frosting to pipe on cupcakes, and 3 Tbsp milk for a slightly smoother frosting to frost a cake.