Rachels Vanilla Cupcakes Food

BASIC VANILLA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat until creamy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk. Beat until just combined.
• Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake until the tops spring back when pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to the rack to cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Beat the butter, confectioners' sugar and salt in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until just combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium high, add the vanilla and beat until creamy, 3 minutes. Beat in the milk until fluffy, about 1 minute.
• Spread the frosting on the cupcakes. Decorate as desired.

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

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low; beat in half of the flour mixture, then all of the milk, then the remaining flour mixture until just combined.
• Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to the rack to cool completely. Top with Frosting.
• Whisk the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) until the mixture is warm and the sugar dissolves. Remove the bowl from the pan; let cool slightly.
• Beat the egg white mixture in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or with a hand mixer) on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 12 to 15 minutes. Beat in the butter a few pieces at a time, then continue beating until smooth. (Don't worry if the mixture looks separated at first-it will come together as you keep beating.)

QUICKIE COCONUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12 portion) muffin tins with paper cupcake liners and set aside.
• In a bowl, using an electric mixer, mix the cake mix, water, oil, eggs, and coconut extract on medium speed until moistened and smooth. Stir in the chopped coconut. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins. The batter will nearly fill each liner to the top. Bake until the muffins spring back when lightly touched, or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
• When cool, put the icing out with spoons or small spatulas along with bowls of the cupcake toppings for the kids to decorate their own cupcakes.
• In the bowl of a large electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high speed until very soft. Meanwhile, place a large sheet of parchment paper on a work surface. Using a large sifter, sift a pound of confectioners' sugar onto the parchment. This helps prevent clumping, and makes the mixing easier. Lower the speed of the mixer, and, using the parchment as a funnel, pour the sugar into the bowl and mix slowly until combined. Add the milk and mix until combined. Sift the second pound of sugar onto the parchment sheet. Again at low speed, add the sugar and mix well. Once combined, sift the remaining sugar and add it with the vanilla and mix. Once it is combined, turn the mixer speed up and beat the icing until very light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• If desired, divide the icing into smaller batches and color with food coloring.
• Spread the icing on cooled cupcakes while at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftover icing, but be sure to let it come back to room temperature before using. Re-whip the icing to make it fluffy again.
• Yield: about 8 cups, enough for at least 6 dozen cupcakes
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Ease of preparation: easy

QUICK DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two 12-cup standard muffin tins with paper cupcake liners and set aside.
• In a bowl, using an electric mixer, mix the cake mix, 1 1/3 cups water, oil and eggs on medium speed until moistened and smooth. Stir in 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, stirring it occasionally to redistribute the chocolate chips. The batter will nearly fill each liner to the top. Evenly sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the tops of the cupcakes. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched, or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
• When cool, put the White Faux Buttercream out with spoons or small spatulas along with bowls of the cupcake toppings for the kids to decorate their own cupcakes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high speed until very soft. Meanwhile, place a large sheet of parchment paper on a work surface. Using a large sifter, sift the confectioners' sugar onto the parchment. This helps prevent clumping and makes the mixing easier. Lower the speed of the mixer and, using the parchment as a funnel, pour half the sugar into the bowl and mix slowly until combined. Add the milk and mix until combined. Once combined, add the remaining sugar with the vanilla and mix. Once it is combined, turn the mixer speed up and beat the icing until very light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. If desired, divide the icing into smaller batches and color with food coloring.
• Spread the icing on cooled cupcakes while at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftover icing, but be sure to let it come back to room temperature before using. Re-whip the icing to make it fluffy again. Makes 4 cups (enough for 24 cupcakes).
• Yield: about 8 cups, enough for at least 6 dozen cupcakes
• Prep Time: 10 minutes Ease of preparation: easy

GO-TO VANILLA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the middle of the oven. Line one 12-cup standard muffin tin or two 24-cup mini-muffin tins with cupcake liners.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
• In another medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. While beating, gradually pour in the melted butter and then the vanilla.
• While mixing slowly, add half of the flour mixture. Then add all the milk, followed by the remaining flour mixture; take care not to overmix the batter. Divide the batter evenly in the prepared muffin tin.
• Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean, rotating the tin about halfway through baking time, 18 to 20 minutes for standard cupcakes or 10 to 12 minutes for minis. Cool the cupcakes in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on the rack completely. Frost and decorate as desired.

RACHEL'S VANILLA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Cream the butter, applesauce, and sugar together with an electric mixer. (Note that you can still use a whole stick of butter for a richer flavor and lighter texture but I find that the batter is less manageable that way.).
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat in the vanilla.
• Beat in the flour and baking powder at the same time.
• If the batter is really thick and you're unable to get it into the muffin papers, loosen it with just a little milk, no more than a tablespoon or two. I just eyeball it. Any kind of milk works, 1% is just what I usually have in my house.
• Pour this batter into lined muffin tins, filling the cups about halfway; same with the baking pans-- no more than halfway! Or else there'll be spillage. If making cakes with the round or rectangular pans, be sure to grease them with cooking spray first and lightly dust with flour for easy extraction.
• For cupcakes, bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes. For round cakes, about 20-25 minutes. Rectangle cake-- 25 minutes. This is what works in my convection oven. Just bake them until lightly golden brown on top.
• Let cool for about 15-20 minutes prior to frosting.
• FOR RAINBOW CUPCAKES: Divide the batter into separate bowls depending on how many colors you want. Add the food coloring to each bowl, according to the box instructions or your own method. Carefully spoon the different colored batters into the muffin tins, but don't mix. Fill the muffin tins about halfway. They should bake in pretty rainbow colors!
• FROSTING: put the butter, salt (if necessary), vanilla, and about 1 cup of confectioners sugar into a deep mixing bowl. Beat them all together with an electric beater or food processor.
• Note about the butter- for best results without lumpiness, soften it for at least 1 hour prior to making the frosting.
• Add the milk and more confectioners sugar alternately, mix until creamy and spreadable. I just eyeball the two, but 3 cups sounds about right.
• If you want to add food coloring to the frosting, follow the directions on the box or use your own method that works. Separate the plain white frosting into different bowls/containers to dye them different colors.