Celebrate any occasion with my all natural cupcake recipe. Use the very best quality ingredients to ensure the best tasting outcome. Be sure to use good vanilla, like Madagascar Vanilla. Then top with either my delicious chocolate or vanilla icings.
Vanilla Cupcakes by George Hirsch
Makes about 2 dozen
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line muffin pans with cupcake papers.
In a small bowl, combine flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter on medium speed until smooth. Scrape bowl, add the sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs in three stages one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three stages, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over mix. Scrape down the bowl after each addition to make sure the ingredients are well blended.
Fill cupcake liners approximately three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes in the muffin pans for 5 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
Ice the cupcakes with either Vanilla Icing or Chocolate Icing.
image: David Smith