Vanilla cupcakes are the most basic cupcakes and one of the easiest to make. Try and use pure vanilla extract for the best vanilla flavor. Here I've used plain buttercream but you can team them up with any frosting like swiss meringue, chocolate frosting....anything you like. In fact, you can even pipe or spread them with sweetened soft-peaked whipped cream and top it with small chunks of fresh fruit or a dollop of your favorite jam. Yummy!!!
Note: As you can see in the photographs below, the cupcakes had puffed up more than I wanted them to. I've therefore tweaked the recipe slightly so that the cupcakes rise lesser(the more risen a cupcake is, more difficult it becomes to frost it). If you also want your cupcakes to rise lesser than the ones shown below, use the recipe as it is and then see how it goes.
Makes 12 Vanilla cupcakes
Ingredients
For Cupcakes:
100 gm soft unsalted butter
130 gm caster sugar
2 medium eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
zest of 3 lemons
170 gm all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
90 ml milk
For Buttercream Frosting:
240 gm icing sugar(SIFTED)
120 gm soft unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoon milk
Method
For Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line a muffin tray with 12 cupcake liners.
Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together. Whisk to thoroughly mix all these ingredients.
With the mixer on medium to medium-high speed with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and the sugar till light, creamy and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Keep scraping the bowl with a spatula as and when required.
Beat in the vanilla extract and the lemon zest. Reduce the speed of the mixer to minimum. Alternately add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour.
Evenly fill the cupcake liners with the batter and bake for 12-15 mins till a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the muffin tray stand on a wire rack for 5 mins. Remove the cupcakes and place them on the cooling rack to cool completely.
Buttercream Frosting:
With the mixer on medium speed, cream the butter until smooth. Add the vanilla extract.
Reduce the speed to low and add the icing sugar in 3 additions. After each addition once the sugar is blended, increase the mixer speed to high and beat for about 10 secs to incorporate air. Reduce the speed to low and continue until all the sugar is used up.
Check the consistency of the icing. It should not be too thick or thin. You should be able to pipe the icing and it should hold it's shape. If you feel that the icing is thin, add a little more icing sugar. If it is too thick, add a little milk 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
At this stage, add color(use a gel color) if you want to. Put the icing in a piping bag and pipe on the cupcakes in whatever way you like.
Note: Many people have warm hands. So if the icing starts to thin out while piping, pop the icing bag in the refrigerator for few minutes. Enjoy your Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting.
Happy Baking!!!
Hey read most of your recipie and I liked it so much. I would like to get some help from you. How do you get the flower shape using pipe.thank you in advance
ReplyDeleteHey Zumon, I'm glad you liked my recipes. For most of my flower shapes, I either use a Wilton 1M or 2D tip. Though I'm not very sure since it's been more than a year that I had shared this recipe, but I think I used the 1M tip for the flower here. To make it, you position your piping bag on a 90 degrees angle to the edge of the cupcake and applying even pressure, swirl in a clockwise or anti clockwise direction. Once you reach the point where you had started, continue applying pressure and swirling on top of the earlier swirl, finally coming to the center and pressing the bag to make a small flower. Hope this helps. You can also go to Youtube and check some videos on how to make flowers on cupcakes.
DeleteCould you please tell me which butter (brand) is the best for butter cream frosting? Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteAnd your recipes are amazing. Keep them coming. :)
Could you please tell me which butter (brand) is the best for butter cream frosting? Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteYou post really amazing recipes. Keep them coming.