Week 1 - Vanilla Frosted Cupcakes

I've always had a dream of opening a bakery.  My father is a baker but, he works for larger bakeries that mass produce their products. It was funny how he could never bake in small quantities and would always burn the Christmas cookies.

As a kid, my favorite toy was my play kitchen....and eventually when I got older, my EZ-Bake oven.  Now that I am married and have a husband that travels a lot, I need something to fill my time.  I started baking for holidays and parties, and now have decided that I am going to bake a different kind of cupcake a week.

The first one I made was a plain cake with a vanilla buttercream frosting.  The cake part was delicious.  A little overcooked.  Plain and buttery.  The downfall was the frosting.  It was waaayyy too sweet and very dense.  I did love the vanilla flavoring that was in them.

I brought the extras to work and...they loved them.  I have a co-worker that loves frosting...especially sweet frosting...she ate hers and someone else's left over frosting.  I guess if you like sweet things than this one is for you.

I will most likely revisit this cupcake sometime in the future to tweak it but for now, I will let it be what it was.  A very sweet little cupcake.  Next week....a basic red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting.

Recipe:

Makes 12 (It made 6 big ones)

• 4 ounces butter
• 4 ounces superfine sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 ounces self-rising flour
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon hundreds and thousands

for the frosting

• 6 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 10 ounces confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350˚.  Put 12 (or 6) paper cases in a muffin pan.

Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in the eggs.  Sift over the flour and, using a metal spoon, fold into mixture with the milk.  Spoon the mixture into paper cases.

Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch.  Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

To make the frosting, put the butter and vanilla extract in a bowl and, using an electric handheld whisk, beat until the butter is pale and very soft.  Gradually sift in the confectioner's sugar, whisking well after each addition.  Spoon the frosting into a large piping bag fitted with a medium star-shaped nozzle and pipe large swirls of frosting on top of each cupcake.

Sprinkle with hundreds and thousands.

**Got this recipe from:  Easy Cupcakes