How sweet are these cupcakes?? I first saw them on Loves To Eat and thought they were adorable! I couldn’t wait to try them…so, I decided to make them up for my Grandfather’s 81st birthday lunch this weekend.
A few people in my family don’t like chocolate (unbelievable, I know), so I decided to make the cupcake base vanilla instead of a matching chocolate (if you are looking for a great chocolate cake/cupcake recipe – click here – this one is awesome). These vanilla cakes were very tasty, nice and light. The frosting wasn’t too sweet and super simple to make.
Cupcake and frosting recipes from Annie’s Eats.
INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes
3C. Cake flour
1T. Baking powder
1/2t. Salt
1 Vanilla bean, split lengthwise
16 T. Unsalted butter, at room temperature
2C. Sugar
5 Large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4C. Buttermilk, at room temperature
1T. Vanilla extract
For the easy vanilla buttercream
20T. (2 1/2 sticks) Unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2C. Confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/8t. Salt
2t. Vanilla extract
2T. Heavy cream
To complete cupcakes
24 Mini Reese’s peanut butter cups
Sprinkles
DIRECTIONS
For the cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and set aside. Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the bowl of the mixer with the butter and discard the pod (or reserve for another use.) Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and creamy in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for one more minute.
Add the sugar to the butter mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Mix in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Combine the buttermilk and the vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.
Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full (you will likely have batter left over after filling 24 wells.) Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the buttercream
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds. Scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.
Husband Rating – 4.5 out of 5 – “One of my favorite cupcakes yet, the frosting was sweet but not too sweet.”
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