Vanilla on Vanilla

For quite some time now, I have been obsessing about cupcake baking.  The truth is, I took basic cake baking classes with the end goal of learning how to make these cute little cuppies with pretty frosting on top! :)  Weeks ago, I tried making some but the icing was a failure. I tried again last weekend, and I finally did it! These are vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting.  Sweet!♥

If you're interested about what recipe I used, this was it:

FOR THE CUPCAKES:

Source: http://www.glorioustreats.com

Ingredients:
1 & 1/4 cups cake flour
1 & 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 & 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup oil (I used canola oil)
1/2 cup buttermilk

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, add cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together with whisk, and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs and beat 10-20 seconds. Add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed about 30 seconds. Add vanilla and oil, beat.
4. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture. Add half of the milk, then the rest of the flour and the rest of the milk. Beat until just combined. Scrap down the side of the bowl.
5.  The batter will be thin. Pour batter into a muffin pan prepared with paper liners. Fill liners about 2/3 full.
6.  Bake cupcakes in the pre-heated oven for 12-14 minutes.
7.  Cool in pan for 1-2 minutes, then remove cupcakes from pan (carefully) and finish cooling on a wire rack.


FOR THE FROSTING:
Source: http://www.browneyedbaker.com

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Procedure:
1.  Using the mixer's wire whisk attachment, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.
2.  Reduce speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar.  Once all sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated.  Whip until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Then it's done! :)  When the cupcakes are completely cool, frost away using your favorite decorating tip (I used a big French piping tip here.) :)

*******

Baking these vanilla on vanilla cupcakes is actually pretty easy, you just to have the right tools and the right attitude (read: PATIENCE). I am no expert yet and I'm sure I'm gonna fail again in some other recipe I would try next time, but that's fine.  As C.S. Lewis said, failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.  And as long as I'm on this road, I'll keep on going. ;)

Up next: chocolate cuppies!♥



Cheers,