Easy Vanilla Cupcakes

If you're a beginner baker and want to learn the fundamentals of baking, then there's no place better to start than with easy vanilla cupcakes. Using as little as butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, self-raising flour and milk you can make the best, fluffy vanilla cupcakes ever! And once you know and understand the basics, you can start to add new things and change it up slightly to create something new. And that's where it gets exciting! But, I'm getting ahead of myself! Let's look at the basics.

We're going to use the equal measurement method. My go to measurement is 160g. You can convert this to cups if you prefer, however, cups aren't as accurate as kitchen scales, so if you don't have any, I would advise you to get some asap! You could do any measurement based on how many cupcakes you want to make. I've found this is the perfect amount for 12 cupcakes.

Start by creaming together the butter and sugar. I would highly recommend using butter, rather than a spread, even if it's a baking spread. Butter has a higher fat content which adds massively to the flavour of the cupcake. As well as this, the butter will help to make the cake moist, whereas you're more likely to get a drier cake with a spread.

For the sugar, caster sugar would be best for this cupcake as it's a finer sugar than granulated and this means it will absorb into the butter in the creaming process better. This helps to blend the flavours better without crunchy bits of sugar hanging around.

Next we add the eggs. Try and keep them at room temperature. Want me to let you in on a secret? Eggs don't need to be kept in the fridge! ...I know right!! But really, eggs at room temperature mix more evenly into the batter and help the cakes to rise more evenly. So this is an important thing.

Then we add the vanilla. I usually just use normal vanilla extract or essence as this doesn't effect the colour of the batter and doesn’t have any of the vanilla bean seeds in it. And don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with the seeds, but it's not really the look we're going for!

Because we are using self-raising flour in this recipe, we don't need to add any baking powder as it's already contained in the flour. To ensure that the batter is as smooth as possible, always sieve your flour first. This gets rid of any lumps in the flour and also filters out any bits of wheat that might still be there.

Make sure you don't overmix the batter once the flour is in as this will develop the gluten in the flour. If this happens you will end up with a tougher more breadlike cupcake. Which isn't what we're really going for! So once that flour is in there, just fold it into the batter with a spatula. Or if you're using a stand mixer, only mix for around 30 seconds so it's all combined. And don't forget to scrape that bowl down so you know it's all incorporated!

And finally, whole milk. You won't find this in all vanilla cupcake recipes, however, I find it's a great little addition to helping the cupcake stay moist, rather than dry and crumbly. Right at this very last step, I add between 1-3 tablespoons of whole milk. And yes, I can hear you asking, "does it have to be whole milk?" The answer is, definitely! Whole milk has a high fat content which is vital for adding moisture, and it has all the flavour! And even though we're only adding a small amount, you want to fill this cupcake with flavour!

At this point you should have the perfect batter. Go ahead, I won't judge, tip a spoon in and tell me I'm wrong?! Separate this out into your cupcake cases and whack them in the oven for about 16-18 minutes. The tops should be golden and the cupcake should bounce back after a small touch to the top.

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Once they've cooled you can add a frosting of your choice to the top and enjoy! These are truly the easiest recipe to make, you can even get your kids involved. And once you've mastered this, that's when you can change it slightly. Like for a more caramelised cupcake you can use soft light brown sugar instead of caster. Or you could do a half and half caster to soft light brown sugar to give you a darker and crispier top. You can substitute some of the flour for cocoa powder, and the list goes on! You see what I mean?

Equipment

Here's a list of equipment I use and where to get them:

• Kitchenaid Stand Mixer - https://amzn.to/40h2CiA

• Piping Bags - https://amzn.to/41RQqG0

• Piping Nozzles - https://amzn.to/49ZE6p3

But without further ado, here's the recipe below! Enjoy!

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Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

160g room temperature butter

160g caster sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

160g self-raising flour

1-3 tbsp whole milk

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180C and place your cupcake cases in a cupcake tray.

2. In a bowl, cream together your butter and sugar until smooth.

3. Add the eggs and mix until fully combined. Then add the vanilla extract and combine until light in colour and smooth.

4. Sieve the flour to remove any lumps, then add to the batter. Fold this in gently until all the flour is gone.

5. Add 1 tbsp at a time of whole milk making sure each addition is fully combined before adding the next addition. The batter shouldn't be too thick and should be smooth at this point.

6. Using two little spoons, fill your cupcakes cases about 3/4 of the way full then bake in the centre of your oven for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.

7. Leave to cool completely before adding any frosting.

Tips

• Have all your ingredients at room temperature before making the batter.

• If using a stand mixer, make sure you scrape the bowl down after each mix and addition so everything at the bottom gets incorporated.

• If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt when you add the flour. The salt helps bring out all the flavours. However, if you are using salted butter this addition is not needed.

• These can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.