I know I've started off a little cupcake crazy and I promise to share other desserts with you soon. But first, let me introduce you to the only vanilla cupcake recipe you will ever need. Please believe me when I tell you that these vanilla bean cupcakes are the most delicious cupcakes I have ever had!
Usually I will adapt a recipe to suit my taste. This is the very first recipe that I will keep exactly as it is. (Thank you to Jamie at My Baking Addiction for coming up with this winner!) The cupcake is extremely light and fluffy with a delicate crumb and just the right amount of vanilla flavor. I love how you can see the little flecks of vanilla bean all throughout. Topped off with vanilla bean buttercream, it's perfection!
Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
makes 20+ cupcakes
Printer-Friendly Version
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups cake flour (spooned & leveled to measure)
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups cake flour (spooned & leveled to measure)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean (split lengthwise & seeds scraped out)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with liners.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and egg whites. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla bean seeds at medium-high until lightened in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the wet ingredients in two batches and mixing just until incorporated.
Scrape down the bowl, then increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes to ensure proper aeration.
Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frost with vanilla bean buttercream (recipe below) and decorate as desired.
Vanilla Bean Buttercream
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened but cool
1 vanilla bean (split lengthwise & seeds scraped out)
5 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract (to help maintain bright white color)
3-5 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and vanilla beans on medium-high until fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Add in vanilla and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk, blending until moistened. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat frosting for 2-3 minutes until smooth and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add additional heavy cream or milk 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is to thin, add powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time until it thickens.
Frost cupcakes as desired.
Source: My Baking Addiction
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean (split lengthwise & seeds scraped out)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with liners.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and egg whites. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla bean seeds at medium-high until lightened in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the wet ingredients in two batches and mixing just until incorporated.
Scrape down the bowl, then increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes to ensure proper aeration.
Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frost with vanilla bean buttercream (recipe below) and decorate as desired.
Vanilla Bean Buttercream
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened but cool
1 vanilla bean (split lengthwise & seeds scraped out)
5 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract (to help maintain bright white color)
3-5 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and vanilla beans on medium-high until fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Add in vanilla and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk, blending until moistened. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat frosting for 2-3 minutes until smooth and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add additional heavy cream or milk 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is to thin, add powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time until it thickens.
Frost cupcakes as desired.
Source: My Baking Addiction
These look perfect! What do you do if you don't have any vanilla beans?
ReplyDelete@bsweetdreaming- Thank you! You can substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for the vanilla bean :)
ReplyDeleteThese do look tasty-sometimes just a vanilla treat like this hits the spot. Love the eye catching colors you used. Great post.
ReplyDelete@Tina- Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteThis is going to sound like a silly question but where do you get the bright colored cupcake liners? Love that the color stands out on them :)
ReplyDelete@Michelle- not silly at all! The greens ones came in a jewel colored pack by Wilton that I found at Target. The blue ones are from Michaels, which has a surprisingly large selection of cupcake supplies. Some of my favorite online stores are Bake It Pretty, Fancy Flours, Sweet Baking & Candy Making Supply and Global Sugar Art. Hope you find some cute liners! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the directions and the beautiful photos!!
ReplyDelete@Μαζί... KaPa- Thank you, thank you!
ReplyDelete