Ratchetesque

RECIPE: Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

This just may be my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe. I changed it up just a bit, and I’m extremely happy with the results. The frosting is fucking amazeballs. If you’re a fan of vanilla bean everything, and you do this right, you’re going to love these. The vanilla flavor is incredible and very intense.

Adapted from BrownEyedBaker

makes about a dozen cupcakes — depending on the size of your cupcake tins/holders.  I had enough batter for about 6 additional cupcakes.

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• 2 large egg yolks (room temperature)
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean

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Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin/cupcake tin with paper or foil liners.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Quickly and on the lowest speed, mix around to make sure everything is evenly distributed.

Add softened butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolks, vanilla and vanilla bean caviar (split the vanilla bean down the middle with a sharp knife, use the back of the knife to scrape the yummy beans out); on medium speed (start w/ the slowest first or the flour will fly) beat for about 30 seconds or until mixed together. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and mix by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain. I quickly placed my finished batter in the fridge for about 5 minutes before the next step, just to firm the butter up slightly.

Remove from the fridge and divide the batter evenly in the little paper or tin cupcake thingies. Bake for about 20 minutes (no longer than 24) or until lightly golden or toothpick comes out clean.

Remove the cupcakes from tin and cool at room temperature before you frost them. I let mine chill for a good hour before I frosted them — it’s cold as fuck in my apartment lol.

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting:

• 1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 2½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp heavy cream or milk (optional)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean

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In a food processor, pulse the butter until creamy and smoothed out — about 5 quick pulses. Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and pulse for about 5-10 seconds. Add the remaining sugar, pulsing for another 5-10 seconds. Add vanilla extract. If mixture starts to crumble up (like mine did), SLOWLY drizzle in about 2 tbsp of heavy cream (or milk) until it smooths out. You don’t want it runny, you just want it smooth. Finally, add the delicious scrapings from 1 vanilla bean and pulse until evenly distributed — about 10 seconds.

I made the buttercream first and kept it in the fridge while preparing the cupcakes. Remove from the fridge about 10 minutes before you frost your cupcakes so that it’s a little softer to work with.

Frost your cupcakes.

Eat that shit.