Georgetown Cupcakes Vanilla Cupcakes

https://www.thebakerchick.com/perfect-vanilla-cupcakes/

Yield: 20-24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 2½ cups flour
• 2½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 stick of butter, at room temperature
• 1¾ cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2½ tsp. vanilla
• 1¼ cups whole milk, at room temperature

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and smooth. Mix in the eggs, one at a time.
4. Stir the vanilla into the milk.
5. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
6. Fill liners about ⅔ of the way. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick interred into one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool on a wire rack. Always cool 100% before frosting.

HALF-RECIPE: 12 cupcakes

• 1.25 cups flour
• 1.25 tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/2 stick of butter (4 tbsp), at room temperature
• .9 cup (almost a whole cup) sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1.25 tsp. vanilla
• .6 cups (almost 2/3 cup) whole milk, at room temperature

Chocolate Frosting:

• 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar sifted
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 ½ Tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips melted and then cooled

Melt and cool chocolate chips

Add butter to bowl of stand mixer and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. 

Turn mixer off and add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. 

Pulse mixer on lowest setting until combined, about 1 minute. 

Increase speed to high and beat until light and airy, about 4-5 minutes. 

Turn mixer to low and slowly drizzle in melted and cooled chocolate, and then increase speed to medium-high and mix until buttercream comes together about 2-4 minutes.

Vanilla Frosting:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick - 4 TBSP) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or seeds from one vanilla bean pod
• 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer; beat until well combined. Continue mixing until frosting is light and fluffy, about 1 minute more.