Vanilla Cupcakes ~ Sweet & Simple Bakes Monthly Baking Event!

Vanilla Cupcakes

Its springtime and this is my favourite time of the year in England. As I glance out of my window, colours of exploding beautiful blossoms are on view, showing light pinks from my ornamental plum trees, to a deeper pink on my large shrub bush, then white from my pear tree, who could wish for more I ask myself? Another season of awaking brings new life to us once again.

To mark this event of springtime for this month’s bake at ‘Sweet and Simple Bakes Monthly Baking Event’ I selected a recipe to hopefully reflect this in colourful Vanilla Cupcakes. This is an easy bake it’s an all-in-one- method for the sponge. The trick here is to ensure your butter is soft enough to blend in quickly with all the other ingredients. These cupcakes taste wonderful with a buttery vanilla sponge, following a creamy delightful vanilla buttercream topping - just like momma used to make!

Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes 12

Ingredients
175g (6 oz) self-raising flour
1½ level tsp baking powder
175g (6 oz) butter, softened
175g (6 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
3 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Buttercream Icing
150g (5 oz) butter, softened
300g (11 oz) icing (confectioners) sugar, sifted
1 tbsp milk
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Edible food colouring(s) of choice, optional
Sprinkle(s) for decoration of choice

You will also require a 12 holed muffin tin lined with 12 paper muffin cases

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan oven 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder into a large bowl, and then add the butter, caster sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Beat together until mixed, trying not to over mix the mixture. Spoon the mixture equally into the prepared paper cases and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out to completely cool on a wire rack.

To make the buttercream, beat the butter until soft. Add the icing sugar and stir until it’s just mixed in, then add the milk and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Divide into as many bowls as you want different colour(s) and add edible food colouring (you only require a few drops). This is purely optional should you wish to leave out the edible food colouring(s) and keep the buttercream natural. Spread the icing on thickly with a palette knife on top of each cupcake or put the icing into a piping back and make a large swirl on top of each cupcake. Decorate each cupcake with your chosen sprinkle(s).

Top tip for this bake; ensure your butter is soft enough for mixing as this is an all-in-one-method for the sponge mixture. To ensure a feather light sponge, do not over mix the sponge mixture too much.

Lastly, sit back, relax and arm yourself with a cupcake and take a tongue tingling lick of this velvet soft vanilla buttercream, savour, then nibble your way through to the moist vanilla sponge underneath.... mmmmmm....my suggestion of how to eat a good cupcake!

Please do call by Sweet and Simple Bakes and view the round-up of our other bakers. If you fancy joining in our next monthly bake, we would be most delighted to have you bake with us – everyone is welcome!