Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream

The other day I decided I wanted to make cupcakes and they turned out to be a complete fail. A delicious fail, but I had this perfect image in my mind of what they would turn out like and it was quite the opposite. They all stuck to the pan and so I ended up just throwing them in a bowl and making cake balls (just one more reason to love cake balls, they turn even a botched cake into a good thing). Other than the cake balls, though, one other good thing came out of this cupcake failure, I found the most delicious plain buttercream icing. So ever since then I've been meaning to make more cupcakes so I can put the buttercream to good use. Today, I was procrastinating writing a paper by making chocolate cookies and cupcakes. The cupcakes were good. They were very simple, by no means the best cupcakes I've ever had but the goal was simplicity so I was happy. I might try experimenting in the future by putting cinnamon or cocoa powder in the buttercream or changing up the cupcake type. There are so many different ways you can go with cupcakes, that's why I love them.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Magnolia Buttercream

Makes 24+

Vanilla Cupcakes

Recipe from Martha Stewart

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

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 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 overbeat.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 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.

Buttercream

Recipe from Magnolia Bakery

2 sticks of butter,  soft

6-8 cups of confectioners sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream  butter and 4 cups of sugar. 

Add in the vanilla and milk. Beat 3-5 minutes. 

Add 1 cup of remaining confectioners sugar at a time, till you achieve required consistency and sweetness. 

 (I used a little over 6 cups)