The Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake Recipes

VANILLA CUPCAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. On medium speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Add milk and beat until combined. Add the other half of the dry ingredients and beat slowly or fold by hand only until combined. Do not over mix - the less you mix, the lighter the cake will be.
• Divide batter evenly between the cups, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes (or 8-10 minutes if making mini cupcakes) until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Allow cupcakes to sit for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Unfrosted cupcakes can be kept tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw, still covered, on the counter or overnight in the fridge.

VANILLA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low; beat in half of the flour mixture, then all of the milk, then the remaining flour mixture until just combined.
• Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to the rack to cool completely. Top with Frosting.
• Whisk the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) until the mixture is warm and the sugar dissolves. Remove the bowl from the pan; let cool slightly.
• Beat the egg white mixture in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or with a hand mixer) on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 12 to 15 minutes. Beat in the butter a few pieces at a time, then continue beating until smooth. (Don't worry if the mixture looks separated at first-it will come together as you keep beating.)

THE BEST VANILLA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Position two racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with 18 cupcake liners.
• Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl until combined. Add the butter, sugar, oil and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, until completely combined and smooth. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
• Divide the batter evenly in the prepared muffin tins. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean, rotating the tins halfway through baking time, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Cool the cupcakes in the tins on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the tins and cool on the rack completely.
• For the frosting: Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar until completely smooth. With the motor running, add the heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag or large resealable plastic bag fitted with a large star tip. Decoratively pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.