Spring Cupcakes

MAKES 72 MINI CUPCAKES OR 50 STANDARD CUPCAKES


I am calling this night baking project as Spring Cupcakes project. I decorated the cupcakes with pastel colored icing. I tried two Vanilla Cupcakes recipes from two very famous bakeries in New York City for this project. They are Magnolia Bakery and Billy's Bakery. I have never been to these bakeries but always wanted to go. Maybe one day I get to.

The first recipe I tried was the Magnolia Vanilla Cupcakes. I have tried this recipe before by following those on Chokylit's site. This time I went out to buy the Self Raising Flour. The results were the same delicious moist and semi dense vanilla cupcakes. Not so sweet and works well with butter icing. I scooped the batter 2/3 full into my Size 2 (My Mini) and Size 8(My Standard Size) cupcake papers; and I got consistent results of equal amount of cupcakes for each size.

The second recipe I tried was from Billy Reece of Billy's Bakery. I searched the website for his recipe and found first, on Recipezaar and then later a video of him making these cupcakes on Martha Stewart Show. It was wonderful to watch the show. I posted my experience making Billy's cupcake in the previous blog but will post his recipe again in this one. I scooped the batter 2/3 full into my Size 2 (My Mini) and Size 8(My Standard Size) cupcake papers; and I consistent results of equal amount of cupcakes for each size. But , in total makes slightly less cupcakes than Magnolias.

Photos: Magnolia's (Left) vs. Billy's (Right) Vanilla Cupcakes


My Pick: It's hard to pick as the ingredients are almost similar, only different was the method of making the cupcakes. On first try, there is only slight, very slight difference in taste. After tasting the cupcakes; hot from the oven and cooled to room temperature; I pick Billy's Vanilla Vannila for the taste and the texture. Here are the recipes and some photos.

Magnolia Vanilla Cupcakes
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup self raising flour
1 1/4 cup flour
2 cups sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
1 cup milk at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk

Line cup cakes/muffin tin with cupcake papers. Preheat the oven to 175 C/350 F. Cream the butter for a couple of minutes alone first, just to make sure it's adequately soft. Add the sugar in three additions, beating well after each addition. Add the eggs, one by one, again beating well after each one has been added.

Mix the two types of flour together. Then add the flour in four additions, alternating with the milk and vanilla extract in three additions. Divide the batter between the 12 waiting muffins cups, then bake for 20-25 minutes.

Leave to cool completely, before frosting.

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

Sift confectioners sugar. Beat butter till soft. Mix in 4 cups of confectioners sugar, vanilla and milk till mixture is smooth. Add in sugar till you get the consistency that you want.

Photos of Magnolia Vanilla Cupcakes





Billy's Vanilla Cupcakes
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






More Photos: Magnolia's vs. Billy's

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.

Easy Vanilla Cupcakes

MAKES 26 CUPCAKES OR 52 MINI CUPCAKES


I love, love this recipe. Another one from Elinor Klivans. It produces light, moist delicious vanilla cupcakes. It is quicker to make than the other recipes. So if you are pressed for time, this is the one to use. If you prefer the taste of butter, melt butter, then cool it before mixing to the batter. If you are using oil, I recommend canola oil.

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup oil
2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Place the eggs and sugar in electric mixture and beat till cream in colour. Stop the mixture and scrap the side of the bowl. On low speed, beat in the oil or melted butter. Beat till well combined. Mix in vanilla till combined. Mix in buttermilk till it is well combined with the mixture. Fold in flour till mixture is smooth in texture. Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Frost with Vanilla Buttercream icing/frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing
1 cup butter at room temperature
3-4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoon milk

Sift confectioners sugar. Beat butter till soft. Mix in 2 cups of confectioners sugar, vanilla and milk till mixture is smooth. Add in sugar till you get the consistency that you want.

Vanilla Cupcakes

MAKES 42 CUPCAKES OR 84 MINI CUPCAKES


I tried this recipe by Sara Neumeier and the result was cupcakes with texture like pancakes! I now know I prefer the traditional method of making cake ie. beating the butter and sugar, add in the eggs, then flour alternating with liquid. I find the method advised in the original recipe of One Bowl Vanilla to be a suspect mainly because I have not tried it before and after trying; I was little bit dissapointed. Otherwise, I would keep this recipe which when used using the 'traditional' method, to be a dense-fine textured cupcakes. :)

1.5 cups unsalted butter
1.5 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1.25 cups milk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon baking powder
0.5 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 350.F. Line cupcake tins with baking papers. Place the butter in a medium heatproof bowl placed over a pot of gently simmering water. When the butter is melted, whisk in the sugar. Let cool to lukewarm temperature, about 4 minutes. Whisk the eggs into the mixture. Add milk, vanilla, baking powder and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk in the flour until evenly combined. Fill each baking paper two third full. Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

REVISED METHOD - 'TRADITIONAL' METHOD: Preheat the oven to 350.F. Line cupcake tins with baking papers. Beat butter till soft and add sugar. Beat till mixture is light and creamy. Scrape side of the bowl. Add in the egg one at a time, beating well after each addition. About 30 seconds in between. Add the vanilla, mix well. Mix in 1/3 of flour till it is evenly combined, then mix in 1/3 of the milk till combined. Continue alternating flour and milk mix ending with mixing the flour into the mixture. Fill each baking paper two third full. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes.