Anyway, I love cupcakes. Actually, let me rephrase that. I love good quality cupcakes. I'm always on a mission to taste-test cupcakes made with fine ingredients and authentic frostings. Please don't get me a grocery store cupcake, especially not the kind with 5 inches of brightly colored sugar infested frosting, topped with a plastic figurine. I'd rather eat a twinkie. And I've never even tried a twinkie, so that's a bold statement. Ok, so back to cupcakes. The easiest way for anyone to get me to bake for them is by them saying "I was considering buying cupcakes for tonight's event, unless..." yes, I'll do it. I'm a homemade cupcake advocate. I originally used Martha Stewart's vanilla cupcake recipe. The cakes were dense and not too sweet - a refreshing approach. However, sorry Martha, but recently I found another cupcake recipe that stole my heart. Actually, it was thanks to my sis, Inga, I was united with this amazing cupcake recipe. She bought me the book titled...wait for it... "Cupcakes" by Shelly Kaldunski...and this is where I found the recipe that made me who I am today.
Vanilla Cupcakes
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1. Do the usual cupcake drill: preheat oven 350 degrees, line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
2. Whisk together flower, baking powder, salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter together until fluffy! 2 minutes should do the trick. Add the egg + egg white. Keep beating! Add vanilla.
4. Now, here's the fancy part... incorporate the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with milk in 2 parts...so, that means, flour mixture, milk, flour mixture, milk, flour mixture. Good job. Beat just until incorporated, don't over beat (it)!
5. Divide batter evenly into lined muffin pan.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes! Stick a t-pick in the middle for reassurance.
7. Let them cool before frosting. Duh!
As for frosting...let's talk about that. I don't mind if you buy it from the baking aisle of the grocery store, but take a peek at the ingredients, notice all the preservatives and artificial crap and I bet you'll change your mind. I suggest one of two recipes. Vanilla buttercream frosting or a delightfully fluffy cream cheese frosting. Besides, what sounds better? "Oh, this frosting is...unique, is it from the baking aisle of a grocery store?" or "Wow, this frosting is mind-boggling, is it homemade?" (recipes at the bottom)
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| blueberry vanilla sigicakes - to the simple vanilla batter I added blueberry jam, topped with cream cheese frosting and a blueberry :) |
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| sigicakes with cream cheese frosting, sprinkled with sparkling sanding sugar and edible glitter (for my friend Megan's birthday dinner party) |
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| sigicakes for a lithuanian bachelorette party :) |
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| sigicakes topped with pink tinted cream cheese frosting and colorful sprinkles (sprinklage props to Birute and Darija) |
Cream Cheese Frosting (adapted from the SPRINKLES recipe)
(* feel free to play around with amounts...start by adding a bit of powdered sugar and add more to taste, depending on how tart you prefer it!)
8 oz cream cheese, very soft
3 oz butter, very soft
3 oz butter, very soft
1/8 tsp. salt
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
Mix cream cheese and butter - whip until soft. Add the remaining ingredients. Easy. Peasy.
siggy! I LOVE this blog! So sweet and cute. You know I love your treats!
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