Classic Vanilla Cupcakes

Oh heavenly vanilla.  

These cupcakes are so delicate, so moist, so delicious.

I had to see if these were really 'the best' vanilla cupcake, as The Cupcake Project claims them to be.

Umm..  they are pretty perfect.  They rise beautifully, are so soft and moist, with a strong (but not overpowering) vanilla flavor.  I usually find vanilla cupcakes don't really have a 'big' vanilla flavor.  The vanilla seeds in this recipe are really what does it, as well as the whopping 1 tbsp of pure vanilla extract.

I frosted them with a quick vanilla buttercream frosting- I won't post recipe as I just threw in the mixing bowl some heavy cream, butter, confectioners sugar, and a few drops of vanilla.  Whipped it up and voila! 

I usually use more heavy cream than most frosting recipes call for- I like my frosting a little lighter and airier (closer to a whipped cream than a true frosting).

Classic Vanilla Cupcakes

Recipe from the Cupcake Project

Makes 16 cupcakes

1 3/4 cups cake flour (not self rising)

1 vanilla bean

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temp

2 large eggs at room temp

1/3 cup full-fat sour cream

1/4 cup vegetable oil )or canola oil

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (not imitation vanilla!)

2/3 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper liners in cupcake pans.

In a small bowl, combine the vanilla bean seeds and the sugar.  Use your hands or the back of a spoon to break up the clumps of vanilla seeds and disperse them throughout the sugar.

In your mixing bowl, add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla bean sugar.  Mix until combined (on low speed or it will fly everywhere!)  Add the butter, and mix about 3 minutes until combined.  It will be crumbly, not a wet batter at this point.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract.  Slowly add this to the flour mixture and mix until combined.  Slowly add the milk in, letting the dough absorb the milk and mix it in a little at a time.  The batter will be very wet, don't be alarmed- it's supposed to be. 

Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full.  Bake 12-14 minutes, until batter is no longer 'jiggly' and a toothpick comes out clean..  Do not wait for them to turn golden brown (that means they are overcooked).  When done, remove cupcakes from muffin pan and let cool on wire rack.

Frost cupcakes only after they are completely cool.  

Double Orange Goat Cheese Cupcakes!

A little tart, a little tang...

I've been nuts for cupcakes lately.  Looking through my pantry, I didn't see many good cupcake ingredients.

I did see oranges in the fridge that will never get eaten.
I saw goat cheese leftover from failed appetizers this past weekend.
And of course my favorite ingredient that must go in everything I create lately (including the failed goat cheese appetizer- Jasmine Blossom Honey!

Hmmm.

It all worked out!

These little mini cupcakes are delish!

The frosting is not too sweet, it's light and fluffy. 

The goat cheese center complements the orange honey cupcake- this is not an overly sweet cupcake. Good for breakfast?  Why the heck not?!

Double Orange Goat Cheese Cupcakes

Recipe modified from Half Baked- the Cake Blog

You will need:

Cake:
1/2 cup butter, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice

Goat Cheese Topping:
6 ounces goat cheese, room temp
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg

Frosting recipe follows.

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line 2, 24 muffin pans with cupcake liners
2. In a medium bowl, mix together all dry ingredients- flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a small bowl mix together the wet ingredients- buttermilk, honey, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla.  Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until combined.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Gradually alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
7. Using a tablespoon fill the cupcake liners a little over halfway full, not quite 2/3 full.
8. Now make the goat cheese topping.
9. In a mixing bowl, mix the goat cheese and sugar until well combined.  Mix in the egg.
10. Using a teaspoon (or the same tablespoon, but I found a teaspoon easier to use) top the already filled muffin liners with a dollop of the goat cheese topping. Use the tsp to press the dollop down into the batter a bit, but not so much that it reaches the bottom.
11. Bake both sheets 8-10 minutes, switching the position of the two baking sheets halfway through.
12. Let cupcakes cool in pan for 5 minutes, and then remove them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
13. Once completely cooled, frost with the frosting.

Frosting:

8 ounces goat cheese, room temp

1/4 cup butter, room temp

3 cups powdered sugar

1 cup whipping cream

2 tsp orange extract (or if you don't have, substitute 1 tbsp orange zext and 2 tsp orange juice)

1. Cream goat cheese and butter in large mixing bowl.
2. Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing to combine.
3. Add whipping cream and orange extract.  Whip on high speed for several minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.

I must admit my measurements on the frosting are approximate- I added and tasted, until I got the consistency and taste I was looking for.  

Yes, there is a large amount of whipping cream in this frosting, (who doesn't love whipped cream?!)  I was looking for a really light, airy frosting, as a typical buttercream frosting sounded too heavy for these little bites of bliss. 

Enjoy!

A couple other favorite recipes:

Red Chili Honey Butter Shrimp

Mango-Chorizo Stuffed Pork Chops