The Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake, really...?



A sinful affair - The Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake + Heavenly Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I was so in the mood to bake something today. I peeked at my mini pantry, I knew the ingredients are suffice for either cupcakes or brownies. Hhmm, cupcakes would be great I think but it's more tedious compared to brownies. Anyway, if I do cupcakes, this will be my second cupcake attempt. The very first was Red Velvet Cupcakes. Yes, I was always ambitious to try something pro duuhhh... Hey, it turned out great but the creamcheese frosting was way too sweet... Very unfortunate also, I've forgotten to capture some picture to share! It's Red Velvet Cupcakes, and it's my cupcake debut, and it didn't make sense right? Nevermind, there's always NEXT TIME... Hopefully "soon enough" as I really wanted to try the Sour Cream Frosting to match the Heavenly Red Velvet. Do wait for the "soon enough" time yea?

Oh yea, I have a jar of Vanilla pods which was bought way back in Bali early last year (grin, grin..). Inspired by the Vanilla pods, I went through several yummy Vanilla Cupcake recipes on the net. I stumbled upon this Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake recipe. Sounds so exagerrating, my eyes were rolling fast on the recipe and not long after, I was in the kitchen gathering the ingredients.

Now, I'm thinking of the garnishing. Chocolate Buttercream Frosting would be great! Thinking of it makes me drool. It's truly a sinful combination, if you drool of it too, here's the recipe:





THE ULTIMATE VANILLA CUPCAKES
(adopted from www.cupcakeproject.com)
Yield: 18 Cupcakes



Yum, Yum...

OBEDIENT INGREDIENTS
1 cup (225gm) Caster Sugar
1 Vanilla Bean
1 3/4 Cup (175gm) All Purpose Flour (the original recipe uses Cake Flour)
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
2 Large Eggs (room temperature)
1/3 Cup Sour Cream
1/3 Cup Corn Oil (original recipe uses Canola/Vegetable Oil)
1 T Vanilla Extract
2/3 Cup (160ml) Full Cream Milk

METHOD:
In a bowl, mix sugar and vanilla beans. Apply pressure by using back of the spoon, the de-clump the vanilla beans into the sugar. It releases more flavour to the sugar.
In mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Add on the vanilla infused sugar into the mixing bowl as well.
Then, add on butter into the mixing bowl and mix on slow to medium speed until the ingredients mix well and become fine crumbs.
On other bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream, oil and vanilla extract together.
Add the egg mixture into the mixing bowl and mix at medium speed until it combines together.
Lastly, add the milk into the mixture and mix it again. Now you're ready to scoop your mixture into the cupcake liners.
Bake for about 14 minutes at 170oC. Check upon your cupcake and do toothpick test. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cupcake is ready to be transferred to cooling rack. Wait for it to cool before your apply your favourite frosting. Easy, right?

HEAVENLY CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
250gm Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
1 1/2 Cup Icing Sugar
1 Cocoa Powder (I use Van Houten)

METHOD:
Mix all the ingredients from slow-medium speed until it smooths and creamy. The frosting is ready to garnish the cupcakes.

Good luck folks!