Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups (180g) All-Purpose Flour, sifted
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ cup (113g) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
  • ¾ cup (150g) Granulated Sugar
  • 2 large Eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup (120ml) Whole Milk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste (or seeds from 1 pod)
  • 1 cup (227g) Unsalted Butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 3-4 cups (360-480g) Icing/Confectioners' Sugar, sifted (for frosting)
  • 2-3 tablespoons Heavy Cream or Milk (for frosting)
  • 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract (for frosting)
  • Pinch of Salt (for frosting)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin/cupcake tin with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this dry mixture aside.
  3. In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until the mixture is noticeably light, pale, and fluffy (approximately 3-4 minutes).
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  5. Mix in the 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and the vanilla bean paste until just combined.
  6. Alternate adding the dry ingredients mixture and the whole milk into the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (e.g., 1/3 dry, 1/2 wet, 1/3 dry, remaining wet, remaining dry).
  7. Mix only until just combined. Stop the mixer immediately when you see no streaks of flour remaining to avoid overmixing.
  8. Distribute the batter evenly among the 12 liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
  9. Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean.
  10. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
  11. To make the buttercream: Beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the sifted icing sugar, alternating with splashes of cream/milk until the desired consistency is reached. Beat in the final teaspoon of vanilla and salt until light and fluffy.
  12. Once the cakes are completely cool, pipe or spread the buttercream onto the Very Vanilla Cupcakes.