24 November 2022

Velvety Vanilla Cupcakes - with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Velvety Vanilla Cupcakes - with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting / www.delightfulrepast.com

Velvety Vanilla Cupcakes are, I think, the ideal cupcake—rich, buttery, flavorful, with a texture that is, well, velvety! I developed the recipe years ago, first as gluten-free for my gluten-free friends. For that version, go to Velvety Vanilla Cupcakes - That Just Happen to Be Gluten-Free. But these are made with my usual organic unbleached all-purpose flour.

There are times when Vanilla Chiffon Cupcakes are called for. Otherwise, I'm team butter cake cupcake all the way. No need to separate eggs and fold in the whipped egg whites—not that there's anything difficult about that, but it does mean another bowl and another beater and several more minutes, and who needs that! Just keep it simple.

The cupcakes are frosted with a simple buttercream frosting, flavored and colored with either my homemade strawberry freezer jam or a tiny batch of simple pectin-free jam (below). This frosting is soooo good. It tastes like homemade strawberry ice cream. Of course, if fresh strawberries are available, there's my Fresh Strawberry Frosting.

Great for an afternoon tea or parties and showers, but I didn't have a special occasion in mind. It's just nice to have a stash of cupcakes in the freezer for a rainy day! 


Velvety Vanilla Cupcakes - with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting / www.delightfulrepast.com

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Velvety Vanilla Cupcakes


(Makes 24)

3 large eggs (medium, in UK)
1 cup (8 fluid ounces/237 ml) milk, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 dip-and-sweep cups (10 ounces/283 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (10.5 ounces/298 grams) sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (6 ounces/170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Put 2½-inch paper bake cups in two standard muffin tins. In small bowl (I use a Pyrex 2-cup glass measure), lightly whisk together the eggs, 1/4 cup of the milk, and the vanilla extract.

2 In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; and mix on low speed for one minute to "sift." Add the softened butter and remaining milk. Mix on low speed until combined. With mixer on medium-high speed, beat for a minute and a half. Scrape the bowl (I use this silicone spatula).

3 With mixer on medium speed, gradually beat in the egg mixture in three batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition. Scrape the bowl.

4 Using a 1/4-cup measure, fill the bake cups with a scant 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for about 20 to 23 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick.

5 Immediately remove from pans and cool on wire rack for an hour. They must be thoroughly cool before frosting.


Strawberry Buttercream Frosting


8 tablespoons (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 packed cups (12 ounces/340 grams) powdered sugar 
1/16 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons homemade less sugar strawberry freezer jam
A little milk, if needed for proper consistency

In bowl of stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Scrape the bowl. Add the salt, vanilla extract, and jam; and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. You will likely have to add the liquid ingredients (the jam and perhaps a little milk) before adding all the powdered sugar. 


Tiny Batch Strawberry Jam


4 ounces (113 grams) frozen unsweetened whole strawberries
1/4 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of salt

In small saucepan, cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. About halfway through, use a stick blender to puree the softened berries. Set aside to cool thoroughly before using in the frosting.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support.

Jean

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30 comments:

Lynn and Precious said...

Happy Thanksgiving Jean. Thank you for your recipes. Lynn and Precious

Rustic Pumpkin said...

Oh, wouldn't they be just perfect for a springtime afternoon tea, or any other special occasion? I'm going to make a note of that tiny batch strawberry jam. I think it's going to come in very handy for me. I've always got frozen fruit in the bottom of the freezer and an empty jam pot in the cupboard.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Lynn, thank you so much. All the best to you and Precious!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Debbie. Yes, I've made these for a springtime afternoon tea before, and they were a real hit. Isn't afternoon tea the best thing ever!

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

Happy T-day! Lovely cupcakes. I savor the optics, and savor the flavor in my imagination, but maybe it will surprise you that I’m not a huge cupcake fan. I tend to favor desserts that have more moisture content. I suspect you would assure me that these cupcakes are not at all dry or crumbly, and that would make a difference. It’s the same yardstick I used to measure breads. Cakes – cups or otherwise – cross that bridge into delicious when I can soak them in milk. Now, frosting – especially buttercream – calls me to the table…

TONY said...

These cup cakes look great Jean. Love the alliteration, "Velvety Vanilla...."The feel of the words on the tongue compliment the anticipation of a light airy textured cake. I have most of those ingredients in my cupboard. But, is,"3 packed cups (12 ounces/340 grams) powdered sugar," icing sugar? Your term,"powdered sugar," is not used here. Jean.
By the way, just made our Christmas Cake. I have a bottle of brandy at hand to occasionally "feed," it leading up to Christmas Day. All the best, Tony

Margaret Ullrich said...

Happy Thanksgiving Jean!
These look so lovely! Thank you for sharing your recipes with us. Hope this will be a wonderful holiday season for you and us all. ~ Marg

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Tony! I hope you'll try them right away since you have all the ingredients on hand. Yes, your 'icing sugar' is our 'powdered sugar' or 'confectioners sugar.' It's on the list on my British Conversions page. Do you have a wee drop of the brandy each time you feed the cake?! Happy Autumn!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Margaret. I love sharing my recipes and am happy when people enjoy making, or at least looking, at them. Happy Autumn!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sully, of course these cupcakes are moist and delicious, not at all dry or crumbly! At any rate, I would suggest you have a glass of milk along with your cake rather than soaking the cake in milk. Thank you for 'savoring the optics!"

ellen b. said...

Strawberry Buttercream would be very nice on a vanilla cupcake. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving.

Gail Is This Mutton? said...

Velvety vanilla with strawberry buttercream frosting. Even the name sounds so evocative and delicious! Thanks for linking Jean

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Ellen. I usually scrape the frosting off cake, but I must say I've been really enjoying this thin layer of strawberry buttercream.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Gail, thanks so much! I look forward to visiting more of your links over the next few days.

Dee | GrammysGrid.com said...

YUM, hubby would enjoy these. Thanks so much for linking up at the Unlimited Link Party 91. Shared.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, Dee.

Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...

These look really yummy!!
Thanks so much for stopping by!! I really appreciate you taking the time to do so!!
Hugs,
Deb

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Aaw, thanks, Deb!

Sim said...

These look amazing! So delicate and pretty but I expect they taste amazing! Perfect for Christmas baking! Sim x #UnlimitedLinky

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Sim. Just finished the last one in my freezer. Time to make another batch.

Cocoa and Lavender said...

The light pink hue in the strawberry cream frosting is so alluring... it takes me right in! I hope you had a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving...

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, David! It made me happy to just smear a little frosting on them rather than getting out the piping bag and tips and doing something fancy!

Phil in the Kitchen said...

A perfect afternoon tea treat. I like the idea of having a few on standby in the freezer, but my freezer seems to be permanently full for some reason.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Phil. I could definitely use more freezer space since I like to cook big batches of food and have homemade freezer meals on hand.

Sherry's Pickings said...

the icing/frosting is the best part of any cake :=)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sherry, I sure don't mind eating a *little* icing/frosting when it's this good. I don't like the ones made with fakey ingredients at all, but when the main ingredients are strawberries and butter, well ... you might be right! 😁

G'day Souffle said...

Ooh, these cupcakes look so moist and fluffy! I sometimes make my own no-pectin strawberry jam but it usually takes about 30 minutes for the jam to make its own natural pectin and to thicken.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Fran, thanks so much! Yes, if you're making a decent amount of no-pectin jam, it takes a while to set up, doesn't it?

April J Harris said...

What beautiful cupcakes, Jean! I love the small batch strawberry jam, especially as it is made with frozen strawberries. This is such a lovely idea for a taste of spring in the cooler weather, although I would love to make these for a summer afternoon tea as well. Thank you so much for sharing and for being a part of Hearth and Soul. I'll be featuring this post at the January edition of the party, which goes live on Sunday 1st January. I hope you had a lovely Christmas, and I wish you a Healthy, Happy New Year!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

April, thank you so much! I so enjoy your beautiful blog and feel honoured to be featured there. Wishing you a wonderful 2023!