Cupcakes? Vanilla for me please!
Out of all the cupcakes variations you can make, the vanilla ones firmly stay everyone’s favorite. I quite like slapping on the frosting instead of piping it on with a piping bag. It sort of looks like a rustic iceberg that way. And it also saves time! I do not like to use artificial food coloring. I love natures colors and it makes me happy to use things like macha green tea to get a beautiful pastel green frosting if I feel like it. Same goes for the flavoring: only natural vanilla for these true vanilla cupcakes! I also use some lemon and orange zest in the cake batter so the vanilla has something tangy to play with. I also use less butter (but always from a fresh packet) in my frosting than a lot of recipes I’ve seen. Try it! I get quite a lot of compliments for my frosting…
Ingredients for the Cupcakes
makes 12
150 g self raising flour (or all purpose flour with 7 grams (1.5 tsps of baking powder)
125 g fresh butter
125 g fine sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
lemon zest of 1 lemon or a combination of lemon and orange zest (optional)
a good pinch of salt
70 g milk or buttermilk
Ingredients for the Buttercream Frosting
250 g icing sugar
60 g fresh butter
30 g milk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (maybe more, depending on taste)
Making the Vanilla Cupcakes
Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before you start.
Preheat your oven to 170ºC = 340ºF (depending on your oven). Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for another minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract (and optional zest).
In a separate bowl sift the flour together with the baking powder, and salt. Now fold inn the flour mixture and the milk, in stages, and combine very gently and stop as soon as combined. Do not over-mix or it will produce too much gluten. Too much gluten causes a cracked and domed top. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until they are half full (never more then 2/3).
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, you can add the frosting.
For the Frosting: cream the butter until smooth. I do this by hand so I can really see and feel what the consistency is, you can also use a mixer. Add the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the icing sugar. Add the milk and beat until frosting is shiny and fluffy. Add a little more milk or sugar, if needed.
Storing Cupcakes
You can store unfrosted cupcakes and icing separately in the freezer for up to 2 months. Most experts say that cupcakes with whipped cream, buttercream, cream cheese, or ganache frostings should be kept in the fridge for short term storage. My personal recommendation would be: If you’re not going to eat them the same day, put them in the freezer.
Janneke says
Deze overheerlijke cupcakes heb ik inmiddels al heel vaak gemaakt. Het gaat steeds sneller en tussen de bedrijven door 🙂 Mijn kinderen vinden ze heerlijk, en ook uit de vriezer zijn ze super lekker.
Nu wil ik voor mijn zoons verjaardag a.s. vrijdag een hele lading (36 stuks) bakken voor de buurtkinderen. Maar ik kan er slechts 12 tegelijk afbakken. Wat adviseer je: 3x het recept opnieuw maken, of de hoeveelheid driedubbel en dan het beslag maar even zijn beurt laten afwachten…
Weekend Bakers says
Hallo Janneke,
Wat leuk je bericht te lezen. Wij adviseren, hoewel het iets meer werk is, toch 3 x het recept te maken. Het ligt ook een beetje aan het type bakpoeder dat je gebruikt, maar het is het beste om het beslag snel in de oven te krijgen want de reactie met het bakpoeder begint al zodra je het vocht aan een beslag toevoegt. Omdat het altijd zo goed lukt op de manier waarop je het nu doet, lijkt het ons ook het fijnste het drie keer precies zo te herhalen. Meeste kans op succes en minste stress!
Hopelijk wordt het één groot feest voor de buurt, ook al is alles anders, maar aan de cupcakes zal het niet liggen want die lijken wel favoriet bij alle kinderen 🙂
Geniet ervan,
Marieke
Janneke says
Ga ik doen! 3 times fun zal ik maar denken 🙂 Hartelijk bedankt voor je reactie en jullie geweldige website. Heb er veel plezier van.
Groetjes Janneke
Weekend Bakers says
Daar worden we blij van :))
hafsa says
thanku soo much for your true vanilla cupcakes, it came out just perfect,thanyou soo much . few months ago i just gave up making cupcakes cuz it never came out so soft and yummy but i just thought to try one last time for my mama’s bithday and it was just awsome.once again thanyou soo much.i wud like to see your other recipes as well.
Celine says
Thank you for this authentic vanilla cupcake recipe! Mine turned out ugly but they were very tasty indeed :)!
Weekend Bakers says
Thank you for liking the recipe Celine! As you can see in the picture I applied the topping with a knife myself…my piping bag skills are not very impressive at all! But in the end it is much more about taste and good ingredients.
Enjoy!
Marieke
Nazia says
Hello,
This is the first time I baked cupcakes (for my son’s mini Halloween party) which came out just perfect!! I have tried making vanilla cakes before but did not come out as it should. I think what helped me this time was the tip that one should fold the flour into the butter-sugar-egg mix and not whisk/use the machine to blend the flour into the mix. Thank you so much. I would like to try your other recipes too.
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Nazia,
Thank you so much for sharing this fine result with us. In all its simplicity I find that this recipe still yields the cupcake everybody loves best.
Let us know how our other recipes turn out for you.
Another big family favorite here are these brownies: www.weekendbakery.com/posts…e-glazing/
Happy Baking!
Marieke