Miss Confection

Sweet things from every corner of the world

🇺🇸 United States Kid-friendly

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Silky Buttercream

Fluffy, vanilla-flecked cupcakes with a cloud of whipped buttercream

Prep
30 min
Cook
20 min
Total
1 hr 50 min
Yield
12 cupcakes
Level
Easy
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The story

Cupcakes have been an American favorite for more than two centuries. Amelia Simmons's American Cookery, published in 1796 and often called the first American cookbook, describes a light cake baked in small cups, and the term cup cake appears in Eliza Leslie's recipes in the 1820s. The name may refer to the cups the cakes were baked in or to the habit of measuring ingredients by the cup instead of weighing them.

Vanilla cupcakes are the little black dress of baking: simple, elegant and endlessly adaptable. Using a real vanilla bean, with its thousands of tiny seeds, gives them a deeper, floral flavor and those beautiful dark flecks. The buttercream is whipped long enough to turn pale, silky and light, so it pipes like a dream.

In the Miss Confection kitchen this is the recipe we reach for when someone is baking for the very first time. It teaches the basics, creaming butter, measuring carefully, folding gently and piping, and it is a perfect first recipe to bake with kids. The reward is a dozen cupcakes worth celebrating.

Tips for success

  • Room-temperature butter, eggs and milk blend smoothly and give the fluffiest cupcakes.
  • No vanilla bean? Use 1 tsp vanilla bean paste in place of the seeds in each component.
  • An ice cream scoop makes it easy for little bakers to fill the liners evenly.
  • Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Silky Buttercream

These vanilla bean cupcakes are soft, fluffy and flecked with real vanilla, topped with silky whipped buttercream. An easy vanilla cupcake recipe and a perfect first bake for kids.

Prep
30 min
Cook
20 min
Total
1 hr 50 min
Yield
12 cupcakes
Calories
~390/serving

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

For the vanilla bean buttercream

Instructions

Bake the cupcakes

  1. Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
  3. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla bean seeds on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in the vanilla extract.
  5. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
  6. Divide the batter among the liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
  7. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely.

Make the buttercream

  1. Beat the butter on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until very pale. Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time on low speed, then add the vanilla seeds, extract and salt.
  2. Add the cream a tablespoon at a time and whip on medium-high for 4 to 5 minutes, until silky, light and smooth.

Decorate

  1. Pipe or swirl the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes and finish with sprinkles if you like.

Tools we use

Recipe from Miss Confection · https://missconfection.com/recipe/vanilla-bean-cupcakes-with-silky-buttercream

Questions, answered

Why are my cupcakes dense?

Usually from overmixing or cold ingredients. Use room-temperature ingredients and mix only until the flour disappears.

How do you make buttercream silky smooth?

Beat the butter until pale before adding sugar, sift the powdered sugar, and whip for several minutes with a splash of cream.

Can I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean?

Yes. Use an extra teaspoon of extract or vanilla bean paste; you will just miss the dark specks.

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