Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

By Laurie

Ingredients

• Cupcakes:
• 12 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• Real Vanilla Buttercream:
• 1 lb (2 cups) unsalted butter, soft and cut into one inch pieces
• 3/4 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 5 large egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 vanilla bean

Details

Servings 20
Adapted from bakingbites.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cupcakes:
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F.
Place 20 muffin wrappers (if using the stiff kind pictured above) on a baking sheet, or line 20 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. When light and fluffy, beat in the eggs one at a time.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
With the mixer on low speed (or by hand), stir one third of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Blend in half of the buttermilk, followed by another third of the flour mixture. Stir in remaining buttermilk/vanilla and the rest of the flour, mixing only until no streaks of flour remain. Divide evenly into prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
Bake for 22-24 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed. Cool in pan for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, place egg whites, with cream of tartar and 1/4 cup sugar nearby.
Heat 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium high heat until sugar is dissolved. When sugar reaches 230F on a candy thermometer, turn mixer on medium high. When egg whites are frothy, add cream of tartar. Gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar. When egg whites begin to form soft peaks, turn the mixer down to medium low and begin to drizzle in the boiling sugar mixture (which should be at approximately 245-250F, firm ball stage). When all of the hot sugar is added, turn the mixer up to medium high and beat until the bowl is no longer warm to the touch. Add the butter one lump at a time and continue beating until mixture is smooth and fluffy, approximately 12-20 minutes. It will look rather like ricotta cheese for a while - just keep beating!
Once it is smooth, scrape vanilla bean and mix in the vanilla specks (or use 1-2 tsp vanilla extract).
Keep at room temperature - do not refrigerate before it has been spread on a cake or cupcakes.