Back to Basics: Vanilla Cupcakes

Hello!

For my first set of blog posts I thought that I would start at the beginning and do a series of "Back to Basics" recipes. I always think it's the simplest recipes that work the best, and you can customise the cakes with different flavours and decorations to suit whatever type of occasion or taste you are baking for. Feel free to colour the buttercream any shade you want, although the little girl in me does tend to stick to candy colours.

At the moment I am using silicone cases as I am still in the process of buying a good affordable bun tray. I know that some people don't like using these but I have found them to be more than fine. You can buy them from most cookery shops (I picked up a pack recently from Wilkinsons for £2.47 for 12 in the prettiest pastel colours that compliment the shades of frosting I like to use. You can find them here). They are eco friendly as you just wash them up and re-use them and you don't need a bun tray. However I would say that if you are baking for someone else or an event I would stick to paper cases as you don't want to be nagging people to return your silicone ones after they have finished eating them!

My vanilla cupcake recipe is from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook and my vanilla buttercream frosting recipe is adapted from The Primrose Bakery Cookbook. I have tried and tested them on loved ones and judging from the reactions I would say they work fine.

A note: I bake all my cupcakes by hand. In the original recipes, a food processor or electric hand mixer is used. As i'm definitely not the richest girl in England (and money tends to go more on trying to get the best ingredients I can) I just stick with a good old fashioned wooden spoon. If you are more technologically advanced than me in the kitchen please feel free to use whatever equipment you have that will save aching arms. Although a wooden spoon is great for bingo wings!!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Makes 12 

For Cupcakes:

120g plain flour

140g caster sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

40g unsalted butter, at room temperature

120ml whole milk

1 egg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For Frosting:

90g unsalted butter

50ml whole milk

Just under 1 tsp vanilla extract

400g icing sugar (this should be the MAXIMUM amount you want to aim to use. I always add a bit at the time and taste to test it's not overly sweet)

food colouring of your choice

decorations of your choice: sprinkles, stars, hearts, sugar flowers, get creative!

1. Preheat your oven to 150C (Fan)/170C (Conventional)

2. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter into a bowl and slowly beat until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Make sure the butter is evenly distributed. Gradually pour in half the milk and beat again until milk is just incorporated.

3. Whisk the egg, vanilla extract and remaining milk together in a separate bowl for a few seconds, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated. Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix. 

4. Spoon the mixture into cases until two thirds full and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes (I always tend to stick to the lower number just to make sure the cupcakes are lovely and moist)

5. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling tray to cool completely (I tend to stick mine by an open window just to help things along a bit)

6. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the vanilla buttercream frosting on top and decorate

For Frosting: 

1. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, milk, vanilla extract and half the icing sugar until smooth. Gradually add the remaining icing sugar a bit at a time to the mix tasting as you add to make sure the frosting isn't overly sweet (as the original recipe tends to be). Beat again until the buttercream is smooth and creamy.

2. If you wanted to colour your frosting and a drop of your colour of choice and beat thoroughly. Repeat until the frosting turns your preferred shade.

3. Ice cupcakes and decorate (the fun bit)

Eat and enjoy!

You can find the original recipe books here and here

I am aiming to put up a chocolate cupcake with chocolate buttercream frosting recipe guide soon. These vanilla cupcakes can be combined with any frosting you would like; chocolate, rose, coffee, orange, caramel, amaretto.....any!

Lots of l.o.v.e

Megan xoxo