vanilla cupcake

Charlotte Rutledge’s selected vanilla cupcakes have a tender cake base and a fluffy vanilla frosting that fills their centres as well as covering their tops. The recipe describes vanilla’s sweet, floral notes as the focus of this version.

Cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and table salt are combined, with cake enhancer offered optionally. Softened butter is mixed into these dry ingredients until crumbly, then the whisked eggs, milk and selected vanilla extract enter in two additions.

The batter is portioned into a greased muffin pan and baked until lightly browned. After a brief rest in the pan, the cupcakes are gently tilted out and moved to a rack to cool completely.

A separate portion of butter is beaten with vegetable shortening and table salt for the frosting. Confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and milk are beaten into it until fluffy, with further milk or sugar used as needed to adjust its consistency.

A corer or small spoon removes some cake from each centre. The same frosting fills those hollows and covers the tops, giving the cooled cupcakes a creamy centre and crown.