Vanilla Cupcakes; perfectly light and fluffy vanilla cupcakes, simply swirled with soft whipped vanilla buttercream roses.
[recipe and name updated 03/2020]
In a world full of garish Unicorn Frappuccinos, towering peanut butter freakshakes, giant stuffed-crust pizzas topped with multiple meats, and burgers that ejaculate molten cheese sauce, sometimes it’s nice to go back to basics.
Some days you just want to drop all the Instagram dress-up, lose all the ridiculously decadent additions, and just enjoy a treat in its purest form.
These angelic Vanilla Cupcakes are just what you need.
Wonderfully light and fluffy vanilla cupcakes, swirled with incredibly soft whipped vanilla buttercream. These cupcakes are plain, simple, and perfect. So innocent, that you’ll be happy to devour at least two in one sitting.
Obviously, if you like your cupcakes with a bit more fuss and faff, feel free to fill them, top them or drizzle them with something to make them a little more exciting! On this occasion, these Vanilla Cupcakes were just too nice to faff about with.
To make them even more simple, these are made using the all-in-one method; just whizzing all the cake ingredients together. No mucking about with creaming, folding and multiple measuring bowls!
Also, these aren’t your usual cloyingly sweet bakery cupcakes. These are just sweet enough, letting the natural vanilla flavour shine through as it should.
To make these Vanilla Cupcakes, you’ll need to start by preheating your oven and placing 12 cupcakes or muffin cases into a 12-hole muffin tin.
Place all your cupcake ingredients in a large bowl, and use a stand mixer, electric whisk or wooden spoon to beat everything together thoroughly until smooth and combined.
Use an ice cream scoop or big spoon to evenly distribute the mixture between the 12 cupcake cases.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden, risen and firm to the touch.
Allow to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes before removing and allowing to cool completely on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, you can make your buttercream frosting.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and half the sugar using a stand mixer, electric whisk or wooden spoon, until smooth and combined.
Add the remaining sugar and the vanilla extract, and beat the frosting vigorously for several minutes until noticeably lighter and fluffier. This is definitely easier with an electric mixer/whisk but some good old elbow grease can do the trick!
At this stage you can either spread or pipe your frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
To pipe, scoop the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle.
Hold the bag vertically over the centre of a cupcake, piping a circular swirl outwards until you reach the edges. It should resemble a rose shape. Even if it doesn’t, don’t worry, it will still taste good!
Decorate the cakes however you like, or just leave them plain and simple.
Scroll down to find the full recipe for these Vanilla Cupcakes!
Thank you as always for stopping by, hope you can slide on by again soon!
Vanilla Cupcakes
Vanilla Cupcakes; perfectly light and fluffy vanilla cupcakes, simply swirled with soft whipped vanilla buttercream roses.
Notes
BE A MAVERICK: make this recipe even better by using the seeds from a vanilla pod in place of the extract!
These Vanilla Cupcakes will keep well in an airtight container or on a covered cake stand for up to 4 days.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 200g (13 tbsp) soft butter or margarine
- 180g (1 cup) caster sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 200g (1 ½ cups) self-raising flour
- Pinch of salt
For the frosting:
- 200g (13 tbsp) soft butter
- 350g (1 ¾ cups) icing sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven – 180 C / 160 C fan / 350 F / gas mark 4 – and place 12 cupcakes or muffin cases into a 12-hole muffin tin.
- Place all your cupcake ingredients in a large bowl, and use a stand mixer, electric whisk or wooden spoon to beat everything together thoroughly until smooth and combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop or big spoon to evenly distribute the mixture between the 12 cupcake cases.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until lightly golden, risen and firm to the touch.
- Allow to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes before removing and allowing to cool completely on a wire rack.
For the frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and half the sugar using a stand mixer, electric whisk or wooden spoon, until smooth and combined.
- Add the remaining sugar and the vanilla extract, and beat the frosting vigorously for several minutes until noticeably lighter and fluffier.
- At this stage you can either spread or pipe your frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
- To pipe, scoop the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle.
- Hold the bag vertically over the centre of a cupcake, piping a circular swirl outwards until you reach the edges. It should resemble a rose shape. Even if it doesn’t, don’t worry, it will still taste good!
- Decorate the cakes however you like, or just leave them plain and simple.
- Enjoy!
