Snickerdoodle Cupcakes (Vanilla Cupcakes with Variation)

Source: Trophy Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cake flour, not self-rising
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup +3 tbsp half & half
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2¾ cups sugar
• 3 eggs

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line two 12-cup muffins pans with cupcake liners and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. Combine the milk, half & half, and vanilla in a large measuring cup with a spout. Set aside. (For snicker doodle add 1 tsp cinnamon now).

4. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat them at low speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute if the butter is soft. If the butter is cool, it will take longer. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping the bowl after each addition, and waiting until all traces of each egg have disappeared before adding the next one.

5. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with adding the wet ingredients in 2 parts. Keep the mixer at the lowest speed, and mix each time just until the ingredients are combined. When everything has been added, scrape the bowl and paddle one more time, and stir the batter just until it’s smooth. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes and stir gently before using.

6. Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full and bake until the tops of the cupcakes are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center of a middle cupcake comes out with just a few crumbs, about 20 minutes. The cupcakes should still be very pale and turn golden only around the edges. Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes in the pans before removing to a rack to cool completely.

For Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Add 1 tsp cinnamon with the vanilla extract. To make our dreamy Snickerdoodle Cupcakes, sprinkle 1 tsp equal parts cinnamon and sugar atop Vanilla Cupcakes just before baking. Frost the cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream, using Ateco tip #847, and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and clear sanding sugar.

Vanilla Buttercream (Makes about 7 cups)

3 cups (6 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted 2 tsp vanilla ¼ tsp salt

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Start with the mixer at the lowest speed, then gradually increase the speed, using a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl as needed, until the butter is light in color, perfectly smooth, and makes a slapping sound as it hits the sides of the bowl. If the butter is soft, this should only take 30 seconds, but if the butter is cool, it can take a couple of minutes.

2. Add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, and mix at the lowest speed until it’s fully incorporated before adding the next cup. When all the sugar has been added, scrape the paddle and the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and salt, and beat them at low speed for 15 seconds. Increase the speed to as high as you can without making a mess and whip the buttercream until the mixture is perfectly smooth, creamy, and light, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer once or twice to scrape the bowl and paddle, then continue beating. At first the buttercream will appear to soften, then it will stiffen and increase in volume.

3. Use right away, or store in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator. When you are ready to use it, let the buttercream come to room temperature, then put it back in the stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to beat it until it’s creamy and stiff again.