August 30, 2013

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

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These light and fluffy vanilla bean cupcakes are dessert perfection! With a soft vanilla base and a dreamy swiss meringue buttercream that is silky smooth, you’ll never want another vanilla cupcake again. Vegetarian.

Several Vanilla Bean Cupcakes on a wire cooling rack.

Note: This recipe is NOT dairy free. It was published before Cook Nourish Bliss transitioned to dairy free recipes and remains popular with long time readers. You can try using substitutions to make it dairy free, however I have not tested this myself and can’t say how it will turn out.

At heart, I am a vanilla cake kind of girl.  

As much as I love chocolate and red velvet (which is my other favorite), there is something so wonderful and classic about vanilla on vanilla.  

Doubly wonderful when you make that vanilla bean – both for the cake and frosting.

When I was deciding what to make for a treat for my birthday (yes, I like to bake for myself), I just couldn’t get vanilla out of my head.  

Of course my husband strongly encouraged this, seeing as how vanilla bean anything is his absolute favorite.

Double Vanilla Cupcakes on a wire cooling rack.

After a few not so great vanilla bean cupcake recipes over the last two years, I had almost given up hope that I’d find one I would be happy with.  

But here it is.  A birthday gift to myself that I finally found it.

And oh is it good.  The cupcake base is light and fluffy.  Almost delicate.  

And the frosting.  My my the frosting.  A vanilla bean swiss meringue buttercream, that is so smooth and dreamy and cloudlike and amazing.  

Really this whole cupcake is like a beautiful vanilla cloud.  Can you tell that we were smitten with these?

A Fluffy Vanilla Cupcake on a piece of parchment paper.

Additional Cupcake Recipes:

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes | Cookie Monster Cooking

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Yield: about 22 cupcakes
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

These light and fluffy vanilla bean cupcakes are dessert perfection! With a soft vanilla base and a dreamy swiss meringue buttercream that is silky smooth, you’ll never want another vanilla cupcake again. Vegetarian. 

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

  • 2 ¼ cups cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the frosting:

  • 5 large egg whites
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped

Instructions

To make the cupcakes:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line cupcake pans with liners and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg whites.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the granulated sugar, vanilla bean seeds and butter. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes, until it is very light. Add in the vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
  4. With the mixer on low speed, add in one third of the flour mixture. Next, add in half of the buttermilk mixture, beating until incorporated. Repeat this process, one third flour mixture, remaining half buttermilk mixture. Finally add in the remaining third of the flour mixture. Once incorporated, increase the speed to medium low and beat for 2 minutes, to ensure it is well aerated.
  5. Fill the prepared cupcake tins evenly with the batter (about ⅔ of the way full).
  6. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  7. Let the cupcakes cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting:

  1. Add the egg whites, sugar and salt to a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk the mixture almost constantly until the temperature reaches 160ºF (if you don’t have a thermometer, the sugar should be completely dissolved and the mixture should feel completely smooth if you rub it between your fingers).
  2. Carefully transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start on low and gradually increase the speed to medium high. Whip until it is stiff and glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (it should not be warm), about 10 minutes.
  3. With the mixer on medium low speed, slowly add in the butter, a few tablespoons at a time. Mix well after each addition before you add more. Next, add in the vanilla and vanilla bean seeds and mix to combine.
  4. Switch to the paddle attachment and beat on medium until the frosting is smooth and has a silky texture (this usually takes a few minutes). If the mixture looks curdled, just keep beating and it will come back to a smooth texture.
  5. Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.

Notes

Cupcake base adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home To Yours. Frosting adapted from Martha Stewart.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 22 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 308Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 167mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 0gSugar: 16gProtein: 3g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.

© Ashley / Cook Nourish Bliss
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert
Cakes & Cupcakes, Dessert, Recipes (ALL), Soy Free, Vegetarian
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