Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake Recipe - Part 2

Mmm... I know you want that cake, cake, cake, cake ...

After Mum and I got the Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste I have been itching to try the Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake recipe which I found when I first started this blog. The recipe for the cupcake is adapted from the Cupcake Project website and is as follows:-

Ingredients 
(yields 16)

• 225 grams granulated sugar 
• 1 vanilla bean 
• 175 grams cake flour a.k.a superfine flour 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 57 grams unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 2 large eggs, room temperature 
• 75 grams full-fat sour cream 
• 60 ml canola oil or vegetable oil 
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 
• 160 ml whole milk

If you have been following my blog, there is an earlier post about Mum trying out the Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake recipe but using ordinary vanilla extract instead of a good vanilla bean paste. I wanted to find out how the cupcake with vanilla bean paste would compare to the cupcake with ordinary vanilla extract.

Some alterations I made to the recipe:-

• I used salted butter instead of unsalted and adding salt 
• I don't have vanilla pods so I did not mix the sugar with the vanilla beans
• Used caster sugar instead of granulated sugar. I am surprised this recipe uses granulated sugar because (I stand corrected) granulated sugar is rarely used in baking. 
• Sunflower oil instead of canola or vegetable oil
• 150ml milk as I was worried that the cake will come out too wet

Method (this method is according to how I did it): 

1. Whisk the butter using an electric mixer until soft. (If you are a regular baker just get Kitchen Aid coz you can do other things while your batter beat there for hours and hours... :) Erm not for hours... just exaggeration on my part)
2.  Add in the sugar and continue mixing on slow-medium speed.
3. In another bowl whisk the 2 eggs and add in the sour cream, vanilla bean paste and oil. Mix until smooth.
4. Add in the egg mixture into the butter mixture and continue mixing on slow-medium speed for about 20 minutes (this will be referred to as "the batter").  **TIP: Mum taught me to mix on slow to medium speed but for longer in order to achieve a cake with soft and light texture.
5. In another bowl add in the flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix well. 
6. Sift the flour mixture into the batter in about 3 parts and mix together. Add in the milk slowly while mixing.
7. When the batter is smooth, scoop the batter into 16 cupcake liners and fill the liners about 1/2 full.
8. Bake in oven for about 25 minutes at 175 degrees celcius.  

 ~ Happy Baking ~

16 cupcakes all lined up before they go into the oven

Keep the cupcakes in a container in the fridge. It will last you the whole week. Snacks for work.

Had the cupcakes the next morning for breakfast. I know it's not the healthiest breakfast choice but in I had a bit of it only... really! Not two of them.

This the the vanilla bean paste I used for baking. Definitely better than ordinary vanilla extract. Try it!

Verdict: I think my baking skills have improved. Although still not as good as Mum's I think the cakes are delicious. The vanilla bean paste really gives the cake a full vanilla flavour. I think if vanilla pods are infused into the sugar, as per the recipe, the cakes would definitely be the Ultimate Vanilla Cupcakes! (^.^)