Vanilla cupcakes

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Heat the oven to 175°C and set twelve paper liners in a muffin tin. Take the butter, eggs and milk out about an hour ahead so they come to room temperature. Ingredients at the same temperature blend together much better, and you will know the butter is soft enough when your finger presses a dent into it easily.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Sift 190 g all-purpose flour, 7 g baking powder and a pinch salt into a bowl and stir gently to combine. Sifting first spreads the baking powder evenly, so the cupcakes rise symmetrically instead of doming off to one side. The dry mixture is ready when it is light and fine with no lumps of flour.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Beat 115 g softened unsalted butter with 200 g granulated sugar on medium speed for about four minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl now and then. The sugar crystals rub against the butter and create countless tiny air bubbles, which are the foundation of a soft, fluffy crumb. The butter is ready when it turns almost ivory white and is as light as whipped cream.

   Suggested time: about 4 minutes.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Add the 100 g eggs to the butter one at a time, beating well after each, then add 6 g vanilla extract. Adding them one by one helps the butter hold its emulsion instead of curdling like cottage cheese. The mixture is ready when it is smooth, glossy and even.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Turn the mixer down to low and add the dry mixture in three additions, alternating with 120 g whole milk in two additions, starting and ending with the flour. Alternating lets the flour absorb the liquid gradually, so the cupcakes stay tender rather than tough. Stop as soon as the last streaks of dry flour disappear.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Spoon the batter into the paper liners until they are about two-thirds full, using a cookie scoop or a piping bag to portion it evenly. Even portions help the cupcakes bake at the same rate and rise to the same height. The liners are ready when the batter is level in each one, with some space left at the top for rising.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Bake on the middle rack at 175°C for 18 to 22 minutes. A moderate heat lets the cupcakes rise into rounded domes without cracking on top. They are done when the tops are pale golden, spring back when pressed lightly and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

   Bake at 175°C for about 18 to 22 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Leave the cupcakes in the tin for five minutes, then lift them onto a wire rack to cool completely, about forty minutes. Warm cupcakes would melt the buttercream and make it slide right off. They are ready when the bottoms of the liners feel completely cool.

   Suggested time: about 40 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Beat 170 g softened unsalted butter for about two minutes until fluffy, sift in 300 g powdered sugar in a few additions, then add 30 g heavy cream, 4 g vanilla extract and a pinch salt and beat for three more minutes. Beating longer makes the buttercream light, smooth and less cloying. It is ready when it is pale and fluffy, silky soft and holds the ridges left when you drag the whisk through it.

   Suggested time: about 5 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip, pipe a swirl on each cupcake from the outer edge toward the center, then lift the bag away cleanly. A star tip creates pretty ridges and helps the frosting stand tall on the cake. The cupcakes are finished when the frosting is evenly high with crisp ridges, and you can scatter some sprinkles on top if you like.

    Mark step 10 as done