Fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes
To begin put your unsalted butter in a bowl and beat it up with granulated sugar using a stand mixer. Once the mixture becomes fluffy begin adding in your eggs one at a time as you mix well after each addition scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to make everything nice= and smooth. Next prepare your dry ingredients. In your sieve add your cake and pastry flour, baking powder, and salt.
Sift the ingredients on to a parchment paper. In a cup add milk and vanilla together. Next to the butter mixture add the flour mixture at lower speed and then the milk vanilla mixture and mix it well until everything is well incorporated. Use an ice cream scoop and add the batter to a lined cupcake tray.
Bake the cupcakes in a preheated oven of 350F. As they bake they rise to fill the paper cups and turn a light golden on top. Check the doneness by inserting a skewer to the centre and if it comes out clean they are done. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, begin by adding butter in a bowl and beat it to make it nice and fluffy. Sift icing sugar and add it to the butter on low speed. Add milk and vanilla to the butter and icing sugar. Mix until it is at the needed consistency. Get a piping bag fitted with a large plain tip and scoop the frosting in. guide with your hand over the tip and frost your cupcakes. For a little finish add plain white or coloured sugar.
Instructions;
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 ½ cupcake and pastry flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup 2% milk, at room temperature
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Fluffy Frosting;
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- cup 4-6 cups of icing sugar, sifted
- 6 Tbsp 2% milk
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- decorating sugar, for garnish (optional)
Instructions;
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line 2 muffin tins with large cupcake liners.
- Beat the butter and sugar until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir the milk and vanilla together.
- Add the flour and the milk alternately to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour and beating well after each addition. Spoon the batter (using an ice cream scoop is best) into the cupcake cups so they are two thirds full and bake for about 18 minutes until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the tins.
- For the frosting, use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or electric beaters, beat the butter until it is fluffy.
- Add 2 cups of the icing sugar and first beat on low speed to incorporate, then increase the speed to high, until fluffy. Add the milk and vanilla and beat in.
- Add the remaining 2 cups of icing sugar and beat in, adding further up to 6 cups until a fluffy and spreadable consistency is achieved (the softness of your butter when you begin is the reason you may have to make this adjustment).
- Add a little colouring paste if you wish, or separate the white frosting into a few bowls and stir a different colour into each bowl.
- Pipe or spread the frosting on each cupcake and sprinkle with decorating sugar if you wish. Allow the cupcakes to set for an hour before serving.
- The cupcakes should be stored at room temperature and will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.