Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
- 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Butter Cream
- 2 cups (230 grams) confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk or light cream
Method
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 325°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined.
- Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.
- In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla.
- With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat.
- Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about two-thirds full.
- Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost top of each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Serve at room temperature.
Frosting
- In an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter until smooth and well blended. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add a little more milk or sugar, if needed. Tint the frosting with desired food color (I use the paste food coloring that is available at cake decorating stores and
- party stores).
Good to Know
This recipe calls for 325, but I cooked two batches, the first at 325 and they took almost 30 minutes. I upped the temp to 350 and they baked in 20 minutes.
**BUTTER NOTES: If the butter seems too warm, after you add it to the flour, put the mixing bowl in the freezer for a few minute to cool it down before adding the milk/egg mixture.