PERFECT VANILLA BEAN CUPCAKES

My favorite gourmet vanilla bean cupcakes that are easy as putting a few ingredients into a mixer! Skip the box mix – make these instead!

I like cupcakes.

No but I really like cupcakes. Unlike my husband, I like cupcakes that come in all flavors. I don’t discriminate. Give me a cupcake in any flavor and i’ll be glad to have it. Especially gourmet flavors like vanilla bean. Not just plain old vanilla! Today, i’m bringing you something so simple with just a little ‘va va va vooooom’. That’s a technical term right there. Like my confetti funfetti cupcake recipe, today’s cupcake recipes comes from a really simple homemade batter. I used vanilla bean paste in todays recipe to achieve that gourmet – Magnolia bakery flavor. If you don’t have vanilla bean paste on hand, you can scrape out that the seeds from a vanilla bean and use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract along with it.

Today’s easy cupcakes are sweetened with granulated sugar and are moist and soft from unsalted butter. The vanilla bean paste leaves these cupcakes with the perfect vanilla flavor. These vanilla bean cupcakes take 5 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of baking for 24 perfect cupcakes is anything but sacrifice. After the cupcakes cool, top with fresh vanilla meringue frosting. You can also top these cupcakes with chocolate buttercream, or even strawberry buttercream! The frosting possibilities for a vanilla cupcake are endless!

All it takes is some softened butter, powdered sugar, meringue powder, a small splash of milk, vanilla extract, and vanilla extract. I pipe my frosting with a Wilton 1M piping tip. These cupcakes were tested on over 50 people. And let me tell you, I heard no complains! Recipe approved.

Perfect Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

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My favorite gourmet vanilla bean cupcakes that are easy as putting a few ingredients into a mixer! Skip the box mix - make these instead!

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Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Author: Little Spice Jar

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Ingredients 

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For the vanilla bean cupcakes:

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 2 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 4 large eggs at room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup buttermilk
• ▢ 2 tablespoon sour cream
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

For the vanilla meringue frosting:

• ▢ 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 4 cups 1 lb. confectioners (powdered) sugar
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 tablespoon meringue powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon milk or add 2 if it's still too thick

Instructions 

For the vanilla bean cupcakes:

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake baking pans with 12 paper linings each (24 paper linings in total)
• In a small bowl, combine both off the flours and give it 1 good whisk. Do not overmix.
• In another small bowl, combine the buttermilk and sour cream and whisk until combined.
• In the bowl on an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla bean paste, and let it mix into the batter. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the buttermilk-sour cream mixture. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to complete cooling.

For vanilla meringue frosting:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 3 -4 minutes until it's fluffy add the confectioners sugar, vanilla extract, and meringue powder. Let the ingredients mix for 2 - 3 minutes. Add the tablespoon of milk, if the frosting is too thick add an additional tablespoon. Pipe the frosting using a 1M piping tip or use a knife to spread frosting on cupcakes.

Notes

• cupcake recipe slightly adapted from: Magnolias Bakery

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