Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream

These cupcakes are light, perfectly sweet and delicious.

I did a taste test with this recipe and cupcakes from a fancy cake shop near my house and these were a million times better!

Adapted from http://www.cupcakeproject.com/

Yield: about 20 cupcakes

For the cupcake:

• 1 cup (225g) grams of granulated sugar

• 1 3/4 cups (175g) cake flour (not self rising)*

• 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder

• 1/2 tsp of baking soda

• 1/2 tsp of coarse salt*

• 1/4 cup (57) grams of unsalted butter, room temp

• 2 large eggs at room temp.

• 1/3 cup (75 grams) sour cream.*

• 1/4 cup (60ml) veg oil (neutral flavored)

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract or paste

• 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk

For the buttercream:

• 6oz (170g) container of raspberries

• 1-3 tbsp milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.

2. Prepare muffin tins. Line with cupcake liners or grease enough for 20 cupcakes.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.

4. Whisk in softened butter and mix until butter is in very small pieces. You might want to mix the butter in with a fork or something stiffer than a whisk to get it going.

5. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Beat until combined.

6. Whisk the egg mixture into the dry.

7. Pour in the milk and whisk until smooth. The batter should be quite thin.

8. Fill cupcake liners about halfway up.

9. Bake for 15 mins, or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed.

10. Cool on a wire rack in the tin for 15 mins, and then take the cupcakes out and cool completely on the rack.

11. Purée half of the raspberries in a food processor or blender. You can choose whether or not to strain the purée to remove the seeds.

12. Follow the After School Bakery Basics procedure for American Buttercream. At step 4, add in the pureed raspberries.

13. Frost cupcakes with a piping bag, knife or offset spatula.

*I like to use king arthur because it’s unbleached, but any brand will do and you can always use all purpose. The benefit of cake flour is that it has less gluten in it which means you can mix the batter more without messing up the texture of the cake.

*I use kosher salt because I think it results in a more even flavor

*I use full fat because it has better flavor and tends the have the fewest artificial ingredients