Cupcake Friday! Double Vanilla Cupcakes

It’s a late Cupcake Friday here at Dishing-It-Up! Columbus. Sorry guys. I was just too darn tired last night to even bake. That’s tired! At least for me it is. I love to bake.

So I had planned to make these cupcakes since I saw them last week on Simply Recipes blog. They just sounded divine. I’m a big fan of vanilla and these cupcakes really caught my eye.

These are really good cupcakes. The flavor is not as intense as I thought it was going to be. And I jacked up the vanilla quotient on the icing big time! I would certainly make them again. But darn! I was looking forward to a vanilla slap in the face.

Double Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/double_vanilla_cupcakes/

Ingredients
Cupcake
· 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
· 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
· 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
· 1 cup sugar
· 1 egg plus 2 egg whites
· 1/2 cup whole milk
· 1/4 cup sour cream
· 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
· 1/2 vanilla bean (or one whole bean if you can spare it)
Frosting
· 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
· 1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar
· 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While the oven preheats cut open and scrape out the seeds of a vanilla bean. Place the seeds, empty bean, and the milk into a small saucepan. Heat to just under a simmer for a few minutes being careful not to scald the milk. Remove from heat and allow the milk to steep and cool. (Be sure to remove the bean after it cools. Wash it and then place it out to dry so it can be used again.)

2. Beat the butter for about 3 minutes on medium speed, then add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat for 30 seconds. Add the egg whites, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds each.

3. In one bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another whisk together the vanilla steeped milk, vanilla extract, and sour cream.

4. Add the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the butter sugar egg mixture in alternating additions (dry-wet-dry method), starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined being sure to not overbeat.

5. Divide the batter into cupcake papers in a muffin tin and bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Be sure to rotate the cupcakes after the first 15 minutes to ensure even baking. Be sure to keep a close eye as these can get overbaked quickly. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Frost when cooled.

Frosting:

Beat the butter and slowly add in the powdered sugar. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean (or vanilla extract if using) and beat in.

Makes about one dozen cupcakes.