Vanilla Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
Rated 3.8 stars by 9 users
Category
Cupcakes
Author:
Thin Neu
Servings
26-30
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
17-21 minutes
Our Vanilla Vanilla cupcakes are delicate, fluffy and a little bit crumbly, with a delicious and buttery melt-in-your-mouth feel.
Cupcakes really need their own recipe, as opposed to using a cake recipe to be scooped into cupcake pans. This is because the nature of the cupcake is quite delicate and it really only has a shelf life of a day or two before it dries out.
This recipe also has a lot less sugar than the traditional American cupcake recipes, as I often found them to be too sweet for many of my friends and family. The recipe has been adjusted multiple times to get to the perfect sweetness and fluffiness. The method used for this recipe is the one-bowl technique, which I swear by, as it consistently creates perfect cupcakes each time. It also eliminates the chance of over-beating the mixture, which will create dense and heavy cupcakes that also dry out quicker.
This is a great base to use with other flavour combinations, which you can do by adding fruit purees or chunks after you have scooped them into the cupcake pans. You can also add essences at the final stages of mixing the batter prior to scooping them into pans.
FROSTING TIPS
Soft icing sugar mixture will create a fluffier buttercream, pure icing mixture can create a heavier, sweeter buttercream.
Use pure vanilla extract rather than essence as extracts use flavour from the vanilla bean.
A pinch of salt will give another dimension to the buttercream and added flavour.
Store unused frosting in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen for up to one month.
Before using, bring to room temperature and beat on low-medium speed until smooth and fluffy again.
NOTES
Makes 26 - 30 cupcakes
163°C fan-forced (FF) (low fan setting)
173°C no fan
Ingredients
Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
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Butter - 250g
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Soft Icing Sugar Mixture - 6-8 cups
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Milk - ½ cup
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Vanilla Extract - 2 tsp
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Salt - pinch
Vanilla Cupcake
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Cake Flour - 235g
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Plain Flour - 205g
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Caster Sugar - 320g
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Baking Powder - 30g
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Butter - 225g
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Eggs - 240g
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Milk - 1 cup
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Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
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Salt 1 + ½ tsp
Directions
Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Using paddle attachment on your stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat butter until pale white and creamy (approximately 3-5 minutes).
Meanwhile, sift soft icing sugar mixture into another bowl.
Add 5 cups of sifted icing sugar, turn the mixer on low and gradually increase to med-high speed.
Add salt, vanilla extract and milk. Beat until combined.
Continue to add icing sugar 1/2 cup at a time until desired consistency and sweetness is reached. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure thorough mixing and no lumps form.
Beat for another 2 minutes. Frosting will be very pale, light and fluffy.
Add a few drops of food colouring of your choice if desired, beat until thoroughly combined.
Vanilla Cupcake
Preheat oven. Line your cupcake pans with cupcake papers.
Weigh and sift all dry ingredients directly into one mixing bowl.
Measure all wet ingredients and ensure that they are all at room temperature.
Using the paddle attachment on the mixer, place the bowl with the dry ingredients on the mixer.
Turn mixer speed on low and start to add butter one chunk (2cm cubes) at a time until incorporated.
With the mixer speed still on low, add one egg at a time.
Stop the mixer. Add vanilla extract to the milk. Resume mixer on low speed and add the milk slowly until incorporated.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle. Resume mixing on med-high speed for 30 seconds.
Ensure batter is smooth, if necessary scrape down the bowl and beat extra 10 seconds.
Fill cupcake papers 2/3 full.
Bake for 17-21 minutes.
Cupcake Construction
Using a French tip nozzle in a piping bag, fill with Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and pipe a dome on the cupcake and another directly on top.
