My Favorite Vanilla Cupcakes

  • 24

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cup cake flour
  • 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • Vanilla Buttercream (recipe follows)

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°.

Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

In bowl of stand mixer add the first 5 ingredients and stir together using paddle attachment for about a minute. Enough to get them nice and combined.

With mixer on low, drop in butter, a few cubes at a time continuing until all butter is in and mixer resembles coarse sand.

Add eggs one at a time on low speed.

With mixer still on low slowly pour in milk and vanilla. Turn mixer to medium and beat for 2 minutes until batter is smooth, scraping sides of bowl as needed.

Fill liners 2/3 full (about 1/4 cup batter) and bake for 15-20 minutes until centers are set and toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream:
1 1/2 cups room temp salted butter (3 sticks)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
7-8 cups sifted powdered sugar (2 lb)
1/2 cup milk

Cream butter and shortening together until smooth, approx 3 minutes using a paddle attachment.

Slowly add sugar, once all added crank up speed on mixer to med- high and whip it up for approx 1 min.

Add milk, depending on your liking: stiffer~ less milk, creamier ~ more. If you add too much, no worries, just sift in a little more sugar.

Notes:
I only add vanilla extract if I am coloring the frosting, otherwise, it is just as tasty without and the extract tends to make it a little tan, unless you use clear vanilla. This will frost 24 cupcakes (piped on) or cover 9" round cake.