Billy's Vanilla, Vanilla Cupcakes

MAKES 72 MINI CUPCAKES OR 48 CUPCAKES


This is Billy Reece's of Billy's Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes recipe that I got from RecipeZaar and also Martha Stewart Living website. It produces nice, dense and moist cupcakes with a slight, just slightly round top. I filled the paper cups as per per recipe ie. 2/3 cups fulled. I made this same day as I made the Magnolia Traditional Vanilla Cupcakes so that I can compare the two. When I read the instructions, I thought, hmm is this a cake or pastry recipe? Billy uses a combining method called "One Bowl Method". Billy's recipe uses cake flour. I never really like cake that uses cake flour as it always turns out tasting like our Asian paus. However, it also calls for two different flours to be mixed together. Cake and the All Purpose flour. The results of mixing the two flours together produces what I think is the one of the best Vanilla Cupcakes I have tried! :)I frosted mine in multicolored pastel. Martha said Billy's icing is known for its creamy non grainy buttercream. Ingredients wise, same as Magnolia's.

1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Billy's Vanilla Buttercream Icing
1 cup butter at room temperature
6-8 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar to reach desired consistency.

Photos of Billy's Vanilla Cupcakes






Note: If you go to Martha Stewart site for Billy's recipe, you will see that it stated 1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder. In the video, Billy's says 2 Tablespoons. So it really is a typo. I followed Billy's Vanilla Vanilla Cupcakes recipe on Recipezaar which ingredients and instructions is as per Billy's instruction in the Martha Stewart show. 2 Tablespoons of Baking Powder.