{"id":204535,"title":"Vanilla Cupcakes","modified":"2026-11-05T15:36:49+01:00","plain":"American vanilla cupcakes with a fine, soft crumb, topped with a swirl of vanilla buttercream.\n\n\n\nSome days you want a cake all to yourself, no knife or plate needed. That\u2019s exactly what a vanilla cupcake is for: you peel off the liner and bite first into the swirl of buttercream, just barely crusted on top and meltingly soft underneath, then into a fine crumb that smells of vanilla. \n\n\n\nA pinch of salt keeps the whole thing from being too tame. The first one goes fast, and so does the second.\n\n\n\nSame pan, another classic: blueberry muffins\n\n\n\nWhat Is a Vanilla Cupcake?\n\n\n\nA cupcake is a small single-serving cake, baked in a paper liner nestled in a muffin pan, then frosted. \n\n\n\nThe all-vanilla version pairs a vanilla-scented butter batter with American buttercream (unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt) piped into a swirl with a piping tip. \n\n\n\nIt\u2019s one of the best-known desserts in American cuisine. A muffin looks similar, but it\u2019s less sweet, its batter is barely mixed, and it\u2019s eaten without frosting.\n\n\n\nThe name comes from the English word cup. The first cupcakes were baked in earthenware cups or ramekins, and in the 19th century the word also referred to cakes whose ingredients were measured by the cup.\n\n\n\nIn the mood for a whole cake? Try the red velvet cake\n\n\n\nFrom Earthenware Cups to New York Bakeries\n\n\n\nThe first written record dates back to 1796. In American Cookery, considered the first American cookbook, Amelia Simmons gives a recipe for a \u201clight cake to bake in small cups.\u201d \n\n\n\nMuffin pans didn\u2019t exist yet, and in the ovens of the day these small portions baked faster and more evenly than large cakes.\n\n\n\nFor more than a century, the cupcake remained a homemade treat: afternoon snacks, kids\u2019 parties, school bake sales. In the early 2000s, New York bakeries turned it into a trendy dessert, and the craze then spread to the rest of the world.\n\n\n\nAnother American treat to share: blondies\n\n\n\nToday you\u2019ll find it in lemon, chocolate or fruit flavors, but the all-vanilla version is still the classic, right up there with American cookies or American carrot cake.\n\n\n\nThe Main Ingredients in Vanilla Cupcakes\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe batter starts with a low-protein flour: American cake flour or, in France, T45 flour. Failing that, T55 flour with about 15 percent of its weight replaced by cornstarch will do the job. Granulated sugar sweetens and browns the tops, baking powder provides the lift, and baking soda reacts with the acidity of the sour cream to lighten the crumb.\n\n\n\nUnsalted butter brings the flavor, while neutral oil keeps the cakes moist once they\u2019ve cooled. The egg yolk added to the whole egg contributes richness and color, and the sour cream adds creaminess along with a slight tang. In France, you can sometimes find it in the refrigerated section; if not, thick cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche can stand in for it.\n\n\n\nThe buttercream combines unsalted butter whipped until pale, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt. A few spoonfuls of heavy cream or milk, added one at a time, adjust its consistency. Food coloring is optional.\n\n\n\nTechnique Tips for Successful Cupcakes\n\n\n\nThe batter is made using what\u2019s known as the \u201ctwo-stage\u201d method: first you coat the flour with the butter and oil until it looks like wet sand, then you add the liquids. Less gluten develops, so the crumb stays fine and tender. The classic method, which starts by creaming the butter and sugar, gives a more pronounced dome. Fill the liners two-thirds full so the batter can rise without overflowing.\n\n\n\nCreamier still, New York cheesecake\n\n\n\nFor the swirl, you need an open star tip and a buttercream soft enough to pipe without tearing yet firm enough to hold its shape. As it dries, the powdered sugar forms a thin crust that keeps the ridges well defined. \n\n\n\nFrosted cupcakes keep for 2 days at room temperature in an airtight container, never in the refrigerator: the cold dries out the crumb.\n\n\n\nFor an American-style afternoon snack spread, they go well with American pancakes or their Japanese counterpart, extra-fluffy Japanese pancakes. On the chocolate front, the buttercream can also be made with cocoa, and American brownies round out the platter.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tVanilla Cupcakes\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tPan12 paper linersDry Mix140 g cake flour ((American cake flour), or T45 flour (see notes))144 g granulated sugar0.75 teaspoon baking powder0.25 teaspoon baking soda0.25 teaspoon saltFats57 g butter (unsalted, softened)3 tablespoons vegetable oil (neutral)Wet Mix1 large egg, (at room temperature)1 large egg yolk, (at room temperature)1 tablespoon vanilla extract, (or vanilla bean paste)120 g sour cream, (at room temperature)Vanilla Buttercream115 g butter (unsalted, softened)1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract1 pinch salt225 g powdered sugar, (sifted)2-3 tablespoons cream (heavy, or milk)Food coloring, (optional)\t\n\t\n\t\tBefore You StartSet out the egg, egg yolk, butter and sour cream about 30 minutes ahead of time so they come to room temperature.Weigh the flour on a kitchen scale.Preheat the oven to 175\u00b0C.Line the 12 cups of a muffin pan with paper liners.BatterPut the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer.Mix on low speed for about 20 seconds.Add the softened butter and the oil.Mix for 1 to 2 minutes, until the flour is coated with fat and the mixture looks like wet sand.In a small bowl, whisk the egg, egg yolk, vanilla and sour cream until smooth.On low speed, slowly pour this wet mixture into the mixer bowl.Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.Switch to medium speed.Beat for about 1 minute, until the batter is smooth.BakingDivide the batter among the liners, filling them about two-thirds full.Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.Take the cupcakes out of the oven.Set the cupcakes on a wire rack.Let them cool completely before frosting.Vanilla ButtercreamWith an electric mixer, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and creamy.Add the vanilla and salt.Beat until incorporated.Add half the powdered sugar, starting on low speed and then moving up to medium, until it is fully incorporated.Add the rest of the powdered sugar the same way.Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.Add the cream one tablespoon at a time until you reach the consistency you want.Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.Add the food coloring, if desired.Switch to medium-high speed.Beat for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the buttercream is smooth, light and fluffy.FrostingFrost the completely cooled cupcakes with the buttercream.\t\n\t\n\t\tMethod: this recipe uses what is known as the \u201ctwo-stage\u201d method (reverse creaming). You first coat the flour with fat before adding the liquids, which limits gluten development: the crumb is more tender and velvety, and the batter comes together in a single bowl. The cupcakes bake up with a nice dome, without sinking or spilling over. The classic method, where you beat the butter and sugar first, gives a more pronounced dome.\nMoistness: the oil, the extra egg yolk and the sour cream keep the cupcakes moist. Frosted and then kept in an airtight container, they are still moist the next day. Store them for up to 2 days at room temperature in an airtight container, not in the fridge, which dries them out.\nFlour: American cake flour is a low-protein flour that gives a light crumb that doesn't sink. In France, T45 flour is the closest match. Failing that, use T55 flour and replace about 15% of it with cornstarch (Ma\u00efzena), which comes to roughly 120 g of T55 and 20 g of cornstarch.\nSour cream: in Germany, saure Sahne or Schmand. In France, you can sometimes find it in the refrigerated section; otherwise, use thick cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche.\nOil: a neutral oil, sunflower or canola.\nCream for the buttercream: heavy cream, or milk if you don't have any.\nFor even lighter cupcakes, you can separate the egg, beat the white to stiff peaks and gently fold it into the batter at the end.\nMini cupcakes: allow about 10 minutes of baking time.\nPiping: for the classic swirl of American bakeries, use a piping bag fitted with an open star tip (such as a Wilton 1M or Ateco 828). The buttercream should be soft enough to pipe through the tip without tearing, and firm enough to hold its shape without slumping: adjust with the cream, a few drops at a time. In a warm kitchen, put the buttercream in the fridge for a few minutes before piping. As it air-dries, American buttercream forms a thin crust that keeps the ridges defined.\nChocolate variation: these vanilla cupcakes also pair well with an American chocolate buttercream. Chocolate cupcakes are a different recipe: there, you dissolve unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa in 120 to 240 ml of boiling liquid to bring out its flavor.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tDessertAm\u00e9ricaine","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204535\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=204535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=204535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}