Jevay Every now and again I get a hankering for a tiny cake and these vanilla bean cupcakes always hit the spot! The texture is light and fluffy. They are moist and so incredibly easy to make!
These cupcakes are perfect for baby showers, engagement parties, and rainy Friday nights with a glass of wine. If I were you I would make a double batch because these babies will disappear fast! They are quick and easy to make, but will taste like they were made in a gourmet bakery! Though I chose to pair them with a vanilla bean frosting, you can pair them with just about any flavor of frosting.
Ingredients
This recipe makes 12 cupcakes and requires very simple ingredients: all-purpose flour, browned butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream, whole milk, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the star: vanilla bean paste. The combination of the browned butter and the whole milk creates a tender crumb that just melts in your mouth from the first bite.
Brown Butter: My absolute favorite ingredient that really allows your bakes to shine! Brown butter deepens the flavor and makes these cupcakes taste more decadent. Can you use regular melted butter? Yes, but why would you?
Sour Cream: this helps retain moisture in cakes. It can be swapped out for plain yogurt. I have tried both and they both work.
Whole Milk: You can use non-dairy milks like almond, soy, or oat if you choose. You can also use buttermilk. I prefer whole milk, but trust your GUT.
Vanilla Bean Paste: Vanilla bean paste provides the look and the taste here. You can substitute with 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract if you don’t have the paste on hand.
Tips & Tricks for the BEST Cupcakes:
- Use Room Temperature ingredients: this ensures that your batter will come together all the way and cook evenly.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake liners. Just fill them 2/3 of the way to the top otherwise you’ll have muffin tops that are unsightly. Edible, but still unsightly.
- Alternate between adding the flour and the milk. I add in half of the flour and then half of the milk. Then I repeat.
How to Decorate:
I chose to decorate these cupcakes with a yummy vanilla bean buttercream. This icing is easy to make and can be whipped up while the cupcakes are cooling. My vanilla bean buttercream recipe is very simple, but does require an electronic mixer like a KitchenAide, or a hand mixer. I started by creaming a cup of butter for about 3-4 minutes. Then I add 2 cups of powdered sugar. I mix that for 3-4 minutes. After I add 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1 1/2 tbs of vanilla bean paste. If you want to add food coloring to your icing you’re welcome to do so!
Common Questions:
Can I Use This Batter to Make a Cake?: Yes! I’ve had great results with using this recipe for a vanilla bean cake. You can double this recipe and you would get two 8-inch layers.
Can I Make Cupcakes Ahead?: After you make the cupcakes they can be kept at room temperature covered for 3-4 days. You can also refrigerate them covered. You can also freeze the cupcakes. Wrap them tightly with Saran Wrap and freeze them like you would cake layers until you’re ready to use them. However, you CANNOT make the cupcake batter and bake them later. Once you add leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder to your batter you are on borrowed time. Be sure to bake them right away.
Can I Substitute the Whole Milk? Absolutely. You can use a non-dairy milk, or buttermilk. Trust your GUT.
How Long Do I Bake the Cupcakes? 20-22 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a knife or toothpick into the center of the cake.
More Recipes to Try
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup salted butter see notes
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup sour cream see notes
- 3/4 cup whole milk see notes
- 2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
Vanilla Bean Icing
- 1 cup salted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1.5 tbs vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners
- Begin by browning the butter in a small saucepan. Add the butter and let it come to a boil. Eventually you will see it turn brown. Remove from heat and set aside
- In a medium sized bowl add the dry ingredients and stir.
- In your mixing bowl, mix together the butter, sugar and vanilla bean paste. Add the egg and the sour cream.
- Mix in half of the dry mixture, then pour in half of the milk. Alternate between the dry mix and the milk until all ingredients have been combined. Be sure to just bring the ingredients together and do your best not to over mix.
- Fill the liners only 3/4 of the way to ensure that they don’t spill outside of the liners.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes. You can check the doneness of the cupcakes by inserting a knife into the middle of the cupcake and seeing if it comes out clean.
Vanilla Bean Buttercream
- Cream 1 cup of butter in an electronic mixer for 4-5 minutes.
- Slowly add in 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix for an additional 4-5 minutes.
- Add in 1.5 tbs of vanilla bean paste and 1/2 tsp of salt and stir for an additional 1 minute.
- Put the icing into a piping bag and 1M tip (to get the look that I have) and pipe the icing onto the cupcake
