Old-Fashioned Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing

By cindygwest

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 T. baking powder
• 3/4 t. fine sea salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, softened
• 4 large eggs, room temp
• Buttercream Icing
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 6 to 7 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 t. vanilla extract
• Gel food coloring

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

1. Position rack in the lower third of oven, and preheat to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, stir together milk and vanilla; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt at low speed with a mixerr for 2 - 3 minutes or until thoroughly combined. With mixer on low, add butter, a few cubes at a time, mixing until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
4. Increase speed to medium. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce mixer speed to low, and gradually add milk mixture. Beat 1 to 2 minutes more or until batter is smooth. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
5. Bake for 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 20 minutes. Remove fro, pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
6. Spread buttercream frosting over cupcakes. Using a pastry bag, pipe tinted frosting into a rose and leaf on each cupcake.

Buttercream Frosting

1. In a large bowl, beat butter a medium speed with a mixer for 2 - 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add 4 cups confectioners sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat for 2 - 3 minutes on low speed or until smooth and creamy. Gradually add enough of remaining sugar, mixing at low speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
2. If decorating cupcakes with flowers and leaves, add gel food coloring to small portions of frosting, one drop at a time, beating until well blended and desired color is reached.