Cupcakes & Frosting
Vanilla Cupcakes
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick/8 tablespoons) butter, softened*
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick/8 tablespoons) butter, softened*
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything mixes together well. On medium speed, beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla, and beat until combined. Turn mixer down to low, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, and mix until combined. Add half of the milk and mix. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix again. Add rest of milk; mix in. Add final 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Divide batter evenly between muffin tins - an ice cream scoop helps! - filling to about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a middle cupcake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack if you have one. Take out of pan and let cool all the way before frosting.
Cupcakes freeze really well! You can frost them, decorate them, then place on a cookie sheet or tray in the freezer. They will be frozen solid in a couple of hours, and then you can carefully place them in an airtight container or even a freezer ziploc bag to store in the freezer for about a month. Defrost them in the fridge (that allows all the moisture to absorb back into the cake), and enjoy!
Buttercream Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks, 16 tablespoons) butter, softened*
5 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons milk or cream
Food coloring, optional
Sprinkles or other decorations if you want!
5 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons milk or cream
Food coloring, optional
Sprinkles or other decorations if you want!
Beat butter in mixer until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing very well between additions. Add vanilla and salt, mix well. Beat in 2 tablespoons of milk or cream until frosting is fluffy - if too stiff, beat in the extra 2 tablespoons. Mix in a few drops of food coloring, if using. Scrape down bowl so color gets evenly mixed. Food coloring darkens over time so don’t worry about adding too much at once!
How To Soften Butter
When a recipe calls for softened butter, you should be able to press it with one finger and easily make a soft indent. If you want to be SUPER particular about it - you are looking for butter about 65 degrees. When it comes out of the fridge, it’s closer to 36 degrees.
Option #1: I’m a Planner!
If you have planned ahead to bake, just take the sticks of butter out of the fridge the night before and let soften on counter.
If you have a couple hours before you plan to bake, cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes and let soften on the counter. The increased surface area of the cubes of butter will help it soften faster.
If you have a couple hours before you plan to bake, cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes and let soften on the counter. The increased surface area of the cubes of butter will help it soften faster.
Option #2: I’m a Spontaneous Baker!
If you have just decided to bake right this minute, this is the method for you (and me. I always do this.)
Place butter on a plate in microwave for 5-10 seconds and then turn sticks over and microwave again for 5 seconds. Check between each burst in the microwave that butter isn’t melting. If butter does melt a little bit, just toss it in fridge for 5 minutes to firm back up a bit or start over with new sticks of butter if you have it.
This method takes a little trial and error because each microwave is different; once you figure out just about how many seconds yours needs to soften butter, do that each time!
Place butter on a plate in microwave for 5-10 seconds and then turn sticks over and microwave again for 5 seconds. Check between each burst in the microwave that butter isn’t melting. If butter does melt a little bit, just toss it in fridge for 5 minutes to firm back up a bit or start over with new sticks of butter if you have it.
This method takes a little trial and error because each microwave is different; once you figure out just about how many seconds yours needs to soften butter, do that each time!