White Cupcakes

This recipe comes from Joy of Baking. The flavor is mild, not as strongly vanilla as the similar Vanilla Cupcakes. The cake flour makes these cupcakes eceptionally moist, and they get better after a day. I halved the quantities to make 6 cupcakes, which I topped with a half-recipe of Joy of Baking’s Chocolate Frosting. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups (180 grams) cake flour sifted
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (120 ml) milk at room temperature

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
  2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
  3. In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder and salt.
  4. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture (in three additions) and milk (in two additions), beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  5. Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18 - 20 minutes or just until set and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Always check a few minutes before the stated baking time. Mine are done in 16-18 minutes.)
  6. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing.