VANILLA CUPCAKES
​makes about 12
  • 1 ¼ cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 6 oz butter
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • ½ cup buttermilk

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-sized muffin pan (1/2 cup capacity) with baking-cup liners.
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
  3. Beat butter with an electric mixer on high for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until light. Turn to low and add the eggs one at a time being sure to fully incorporate before adding the next. Add vanilla.
  4. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Then add 1/3 of the milk. Mix on low. Continue alternating like this until all of the milk and flour mixture have been added. Don’t over mix or the cupcakes will be tough. 
  5. Pour into cupcake pans, filling to about two-thirds.
  6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and springy. Cool before frosting.


VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING 
  • 4 ounces room temperature butter 
  • 1 cup APPROX. powdered confectioners sugar
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract 
  1. cream butter until smooth (no lumps)
  2. add powdered sugar one cup at a time, more may be needed
  3. add vanilla, combine until fluffy and stiff. 
  4. pipe onto cooled cakes


CHOCOLATE FROSTING
  • 4 ounces butter
  • 3/4 cups cocoa powder
  • 2 ½  cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup milk 
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it is smooth, about 1 minute.
  2. Mix the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add to the bowl and beat until combined (start on slow so you don’t make a mess). 
  3. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the milk and vanilla extract and continue beating until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat the frosting for an additional 2 minutes. 
  4. Use the frosting immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge. (If you refrigerate the frosting, you may want to re-blend it for a few seconds in the stand mixer before using it.)
DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES 
12 cupcakes
  • 8 tablespoons (4 oz) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz) Dutch-processed cocoa
  • 3/4 cup (3 3/4 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup (5 1/4 oz) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/2 cup (4 oz) sour cream or buttermilk
  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-sized muffin pan (1/2 cup capacity) with baking-cup liners.
  2. Combine butter, chocolate and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and fully combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to touch.
  3. Whisk flour, baking soda and baking powder in small bowl to combine
  4. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined; then sift in remaining flour mixture and whisk batter until it is homogenous and thick.
  5. Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.
  6. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.