You don't need a reason to celebrate to make cupcakes. These come together in a couple of hours, frosting and all - perfect for a party or just for having fun.
Vanilla Cupcakes with American Buttercream
Chef Stephanie Banyas
24 cupcakes
30 minutes
American
Dessert
Even if you already have a buttercream recipe you like, this one is worth trying. Using corn syrup keeps it stable, and whipping in heavy cream gives it a fluffy, cloud-like consistency.
Ingredients
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2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
½ cup butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup full fat sour cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- 2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract (or ¼ teaspoon almond extract or 2 teaspoons finely grated orange/lemon/lime zest)
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1 ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened slightly
4 tbsp full fat cream cheese, slightly softened
2/3 cups (208g) light corn syrup
1 ½ cups (141g) powdered sugar, sifted
1/8 tsp fine salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional add: ¼ tsp almond extract or citrus zest)
1-6 tbsp of heavy cream, cold
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Muffin Pan
Mixing Bowl
Standing Mixer
Spatula
Wire Cooling Rack
Hand Mixer
Piping Bag
Piping Attachments
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two standard muffin pans with liners and lightly grease each liner with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and beat for 1 minute.
Scrape bottom and side of bowl. Whisk together the vanilla, sour cream, milk, and canola oil in a bowl until smooth.
Add dry ingredients, alternating with the wet ingredients, starting, and finishing with the dry and mix until the batter is smooth.
Fill each cupcake liner with ¼ cup batter or enough batter to come ¾ of the way up the liner.
Bake in the preheated oven for 14-17 minutes, or until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
Place the baking pans on a wire cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
While they cool, make the frosting: Combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beating on high speed until light and fluffy, scraping bottom and sides of bowl.
Add the corn syrup and salt and beat on high for 10 seconds.
Add the sugar and starting on lowest speed, begin to beat until incorporated. Increase the speed and beat on high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Stop and scrape, adding a tablespoon of cream and vanilla and continue beating for several more minutes. Test the consistency and add more cream or sugar if needed.
If you’re going to color your frosting, separate it into bowls and color accordingly. Finally, pipe or frost with offset spatula. Serve immediately.