Cute, cute, cute! I just love mini things! Especially those that taste good. These cupcakes are a perfect little bite of vanilla. I have had a real cupcake deficit in my home the past few months. I used to make cupcakes regularly and take them to the office for co-workers birthdays. Now that I have no office to go to, I don't regularly have an excuse to make cupcakes. It's pretty sad really.
This craving for cupcakes just hit me. I think I've mentioned that my favorite cupcake is vanilla cake with vanilla frosting. Some may say that's boring, but I say it's a classic. This recipe is anything but boring. I got this recipe from Crazy for Crust, one of my daily reads, especially for sweet treats. Everyone needs a basic vanilla cupcake recipe. This might just be your new favorite.
The original recipe makes about 12 standard sized cupcakes. At the last minute I decided to make a mini version. I rarely make mini cupcakes, but I think I'll be doing it more often. It's a little dangerous though, mini cupcake are very easy to just pop right in your mouth. You don't think much about eating one, it's so tiny! Might as well eat another, the first one didn't really count anyway. Now I've lost count of how many I ate....oops.
Mini Double Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
from Crazy for Crust
For the cake:
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
3/4 cup buttermilk *make your own by combining 3/4 cup milk and 1 teaspoon white vinegar and allow to sit for at least 5 minutes
For the frosting:
1 stick butter, softened to room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1-2 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350 and line mini cupcake tin with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, or bowl of your stand mixer, beat together melted butter and sugar, about 30 seconds, until thick and yellow
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla bean paste.
Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until just combined, scraping the sides as needed, careful not to overmix.
I used a small cookie scoop to fill each mini muffin tin. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting: Again using your stand or hand mixer, beat butter for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until it is completely added. Beat in vanilla bean paste and one Tablespoon milk, add the other tablespoon if needed.
*I got about 40 mini cupcakes out of this recipe. This made enough frosting for about 35 of them. The cupcakes are plenty sweet and have enough vanilla flavor even without frosting..perfect for my little taste-tester.
My favorite way to eat these cupcakes; take off the bottom, place it on top of the frosting, and you have a perfect little cupcake sandwich. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
