How to Make Awesome Vanilla Cupcakes From Scratch

 With the pandemic still around us, snuggling at home can be the perfect time to bake.  Put on your chef hat and instead of a mix, try these vanilla cupcakes from scratch using actual vanilla beans which you can get online believe it or not!

Supplies for cupcakes:

3/4 cup of softened butter

1-1/4 cups of regular white sugar

2 large eggs (best if at room temperature)

2 vanilla beans (you must use real vanilla beans not extract for this to be super awesome!)

2 cups of flour (cake flour is best)

2 teaspoons baking powder

dash of salt

2/3 cup of milk

cupcake pan

Method:

Step 1 - Cream together the butter and the sugar until fluffy. Then beat in the eggs, do this one egg at a time for best results.  Remember you are not in a hurry, enjoy the process as well as the eating!

Step 2 - Spend a bit of time with the vanilla beans!  Take a sharp knife and slit the bean casing down the center, and then scrape out the seeds etc from the center.  The center is the stuff you want, and place right into your batter mixture.

Step 3 - Dry Ingredients.  In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Step 4 - Add this flour mixture to the batter you have, a bit at a time as well as the milk a bit at a time and stirring in between until your batter is nice and smooth.

Step 5 - Fill Your Muffin Tins! - Fill them about 2/3 full with a spoon or a scoop.  Lining the muffing tins is the best way, so no greasing needed.

Step 6 - Bake for approximately 20 minutes.  Keep an eye on them as they can burn easily.  Use the toothpick method or a knife to insert in center and see if done.  Nothing should come out on the toothpick or knife other than a few dry crumbs.  Let Cool.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing - What You Will Need:

1 pkg of plain cream cheese (not the low fat for this one, full fat is best)

6 tablespoons of softened butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups icing sugar

Method:

Step 1 - Blend the cream cheese and the softened butter and vanilla and then slowly add the icing sugar.

Use a pasty bag to ice the cupcakes if you have it, but if you don't you can simply spread it on with a butter knife, you fill a sandwich baggie with icing and cut the bottom corner so you can now pipe it onto the cooled cupcakes.

NOTE:  Make sure the cupcakes are totally cooled or the icing will simply melt.

I also find these cupcakes taste awesome without the icing, but that is me!

Freezing

You can freeze these cupcakes NOT iced, so you can pull some out on a rainy day for some fun.

Vanilla Bean Shells

Don't throw away those vanilla bean casings, boil them on the stove to make your house smell wonderful!

Using a cooking scoop can make filling the cupcake pans consistent and quick.