November
8, 2009
The Go-To Vanilla Cupcake
Obviously you all loved the go-to chocolate cupcake recipe I posted a few weeks back, and I’ve gotten numerous requests to do a similar base-recipe for vanilla. Thing is, I don’t very often do plain vanilla. When I get sugar cravings, chances are whatever I bake needs to involve chocolate, or my craving will not be satisfied.
However, a vanilla cake base is a necessity, and something I’ve used repeatedly for such creations as the Cookie Dough Cupcakes and Fruit-filled Lemon Cupcakes.
My first attempt at making plain-old vanilla cupcakes wasn’t the best. I felt the resulting cupcake was just a bit… blah? And bit too dense. So I tried again. And so what if I used almond meal – while some might claim the resulting cake is more of an almond vanilla cupcake than just a vanilla cupcake, I feel the almond meal gives it a unique taste and depth of flavor that one cannot achieve with vanilla alone. And I love almond. So sue me. If you don’t want to use the almond meal, substitute regular or whole wheat flour, or even some variety of nut flour (I’ve heard of hazelnut flour, which might be good?) in its place.
Anticipating that there will be questions, yes, you can substitute milk for soy milk (I’m usually making substitutions for cow milk, so it always cracks me up when people ask if the opposite is true, and while I’ve never done it, it should produce a perfectly palatable cupcake). Or use coconut milk. Or almond milk. Or any milky-liquid, really. Again, this is a base cupcake recipe for a reason. It’s your call as to how you might want to change it up for a particular flavor.
Despite what the picture might make you think, these cupcakes are different from the Vanilla Almond Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream. Who would have thought I could have so precisely recreated the color of natural blackberry puree in a buttercream with only liquid food coloring (I was simply trying to match the plum pink on the wrappers, nothing more).
So take this recipe, my dear readers, and go forth and create. Use it as a basis for a myriad of delightful cupcake flavors – the sky’s the limit!
Very Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream
Makes 12 cupcakes.
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oil
1/2 vanilla bean (seeds only)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extractVanilla Buttercream:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, room temperature
3-3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 vanilla bean (seeds only)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
food coloring (optional)Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Combine soymilk and vinegar and stir to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes. Mixture will curdle.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Whisk sugar, oil, vanilla bean, and extract into curdled soymilk mixture. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until relatively smooth. Fill cupcake liners with a scant 3 Tablespoons of batter (cups should be just under 2/3 of the way full). Bake for 20-22 minutes or until lightly golden, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
For frosting, cream butter in electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Slowly add 1 cup sugar and beat until smooth. Add soy creamer and mix until combined. Add remaining confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Add vanilla seeds, extract, and food coloring, and mix at medium-high speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add more cream or sugar as necessary to achieve proper consistency. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.
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I love that you provide a “base” recipe. As with your go-to chocolate cupcake recipe, it really is a tremendous incentive to experiment a little on my own. I bake a lot, but not cake. Since my daughter and granddaughter are both huge cupcake fans, it’s an area I need to work on. Thanks, Lindsay.
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I have a go-to vanilla recipe too but I’m always on the look out for new “go-to” recipes! Thanks for sharing. Definitely will star to try soon. PS- Where did you get those ADORABLE cupcake pedestals? Tweet or email me? TIA!
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OMG, haha, it IS almost a twin in appearance to your other ones! Too cute, as always!
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Oh yay! I can’t wait to try these out!
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amazingggg! your cupcakes are freakin gorgeous, as always. :)
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I thought I had found my go-to vanilla recipe but the last time I baked them I realised they were a little too dry for my liking. I might have to try these – I need to find the perfect vanilla recipe!
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Those look wonderful! I think the addition of the apple cider vinegar is so interesting. The stands your cupcakes are displayed on are so cute! Where did you get those?
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The adorable cupcake stands were a wedding gift from Taylor’s grandmother. I’ve just sent her an email and maybe she’ll be so kind as to share where she found such a gem. :) Will be sure to report back if I find out!
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In the directions for the frosting you mention adding the soy creamer — i don’t see that in the list of ingredients for the frosting — might this be a typo? I’d love to make these, so please let me know as soon as you can — thanks!
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Wow, these look fabulous. Your icing always looks so perfect – what piping nozzle do you use?
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I’ve been looking for a good oil based vanilla cupcake. I really like the magnolia vanilla recipe but I hate waiting around for my butter to soften!
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How do you get it to look so fantastic?
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These look so good. Beautiful presentation and photography.
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I can’t find almond meal in my Country, can you recommend something else I can substitute for almond meal? My family LOVED your pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes, so I can’t wait to try some of the rest of the ones posted on this site!
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Shira – you could use almond flour, if available, or simply very finely ground almonds (if you have a blender or food processor). Good luck!
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Love the recipe, Lindsay. I’m curious to see what a difference in taste/texture the almond meal makes. I compared your recipe to the VCTOTW one and you use more vinegar but less baking soda. Does this make the cupcake taste tangy at all? Like everyone else, I find those cupcake stands ah-dorable. Not sure they’re the exact same, but I think these may be it http://www.victoriantradingco.com/store/catalogimages/1a/i15408.html
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These are so cute! I love the addition of the almond meal, changing the consistency and the flavor oh so subtly, and of course adding those beautiful flecks to the cupcake.
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that is such a beautiful picture, love that pink!
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So cute and so girly! I really like this :) I’m happy I found you on twitter… I will follow your posts now.
Have a nice day!
Ema
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I absolutely love the photograph. Love the depth of field and the sharpness of the picture. The light is just appropriate. Wondering would it be better if the exposure was a just tiny bit more? What do you think?
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If you discover where Taylor’s grandmother purchased those cupcake stands, can you also let me know? Thanks!
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Alice – see the link above, posted by Xiaolu. Just got confirmation from gma that this is where she got them. :) http://www.victoriantradingco.com/store/catalogimages/1a/i15408.html
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so beautiful! vanilla is a classic flavour :) i love your buttercream. it’s a real pretty colour!
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Your cupcakes are beautiful. I even love the wrappers.
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The cupcakes are so beautiful- especially the icing!
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Beautiful pic!
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delicious! i’ve been searching for a long time for a recipe as good as this. the cupcakes are perfect! lovely flavor, lovely texture. thank you :)
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I quickly look at the ingredient lists and notice that you have soy milk. Do you use soy milk for any specific reason? Can I replace soy milk with regular milk, perhaps?
Love your site!!!
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Soymilk because the base cupcake is technically dairy-free and vegan. You can definitely substitute regular milk, I don’t believe it will have any negative effect on the cake, but can’t say definitively as I’ve never tried it! If you do, let me know how it turns out. :)
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Mine came out poorly- for some reason the milk didnt curdle at all with the vineager. i used apple cider vineager- is this the wrong kind?