Vanilla Cupcake with Blueberry Buttercream Frosting

I have been dying to try out a simple cupcake or cake recipe. It's been my dream to make a perfect vanilla / white cupcake or cake. I believe that if I have a perfect simple vanilla recipe then every other cake or cupcake that I would bake in the future would be a snap (just indulge me on this hehehe).

So I have been on a mission and was scouring the web for the longest when I accidentally clicked on this blog. What got me intrigued on her recipe is the fact that she posted pictures of the results of her experimental cupcakes. Just reading her post makes me feel she did all the baking tests for me hehehe. Plus, she uses oil instead of butter as shortening in her recipe. I have watched in one cupcake reality show (I don't recall if it was in Georgetown DC Cupcake episode or other reality show) that their secret to moist cupcakes is using vegetable oil.

Unfortunately, I had some difficulty in baking the cupcakes. But it ain't the recipe's fault, it's me who erred. The first batch I made was so under cooked because I was afraid of over baking them. When I saw the top of the cakes a little brown I immediately pulled them out of the oven. Only after I touched them that I found out that it was still very very soft and liquid in the middle. The second batch was perfect. This time, I waited for exactly 14 minutes and made sure the oven stayed at 180 ̊ Celsius the entire time. And Glory was right, I ended with perfectly domed cupcakes! Yehey!

As for the frosting, since I have 250g of frozen blueberries, I used that using a simple buttercream frosting.

Next mission is to look for a butter based vanilla cake recipe.

Perfect Vanilla Cupcake
recipe from Glorious Treats

• 1 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
•  2 eggs
•  3/4 cup sugar
•  1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
• 1/2 cup oil (vegetable, canola or extra light olive oil) 
• 1/2 cup buttermilk 
• (or 1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice- add acid to the milk then set aside for 5 minutes before using)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 ̊ Celsius.
2. In a medium bowl, add cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir together with whisk, and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs and beat 10-20 seconds.  Add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed about 30 seconds.  Add vanilla and oil, beat.
4. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture.  Add half of the milk, then the rest of the flour and the rest of the milk.  Beat until just combined.  Scrap down the side of the bowl.
5. The batter will be thin.   Pour batter into a muffin pan prepared with paper liners.  Fill liners about 2/3 full.
6. Bake cupcakes in pre-heated oven for 12-14 minutes.
7. Cool in pan 1-2 minutes, then remove cupcakes from pan (carefully) and finish cooling on a wire rack.
8. Frost as desired when fully cool.

Blueberry Buttercream Frosting

adapted from Baking with Basil

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup blueberry puree
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 5-6 cups confectioner’s sugar

Instructions

1. With a mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until smooth.
2. Add blueberry puree, vanilla, and salt, and mix on medium-low until well-combined.
3. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, beating on low speed until combined. Then beat for 3-5 minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.