My oldest daughter has been asking for cake or cupcakes since school let out last week. Finally today, I told her to make some. Now you have to know her. She is kind of like Murphy’s Law waiting to happen. If there is a drink to be spilled, it will be hers. If there is a hole to step in, she will step in it, and take you with her… it has become almost comical. So, after telling her to make them, I decided that wouldn’t be a good idea. At least not without supervision. So we broke out the recipes and I let her get to work.

This recipe is straight from Baking Bites. Nicole’s recipe would get us 12 cupcakes with as little work as possible. They turned out great too. Light and fluffy and they tasted superb. We used my new silicone cupcake holders that I received free from Splenda – they are shaped like flowers and add to the presentation of the cupcakes. We, I mean she, frosted the cupcakes herself with a basic butter cream frosting that she tinted in a mint green color. No, they are a different color in the photos because the color was throwing off my white balance and I had to change it.

Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes

from Nicole at Baking Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ tsp almond extract
• 1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Place liners in a 12 cup muffin tin.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until it looks creamy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla and almond extracts until mixture is smooth.

Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until almost combined. Add buttermilk and stir, again, until almost combined. Add the rest of the flour and stir until all ingredients are mixed in.

Divide batter evenly into muffin cups.

Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350F, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Basic Buttercream Frosting

from Wilton

Ingredients:

• ½ cup solid vegetable shortening
• ½ cup butter or margarine softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
• 2 tablespoons milk, more as needed

Directions for Medium Consistency:

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Use more if needed for desired consistency. Can be kept refrigerated for two weeks, cover tightly.