- 1
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vanilla Buttercream, recipe follows
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.
In small bowl, combine flours. Set aside.
In large bowl, on medium speed of electric mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using rubber spatula, scrape down batter in bowl to make sure ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean.
Cool cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from tins and cool completely on wire rack before icing.
The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners' sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat icing for amount of time called for in recipe to achieve desired creamy texture.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Place butter in large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups sugar and then milk and vanilla. On medium speed of electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Yield: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake