My easy-peasy Vanilla-Frosted Cupcakes recipe will solve all your cupcake woes! I firmly believe in having a go-to basic recipe for all your cake needs – basic fruit loaf, basic vanilla sponge, basic brownie… and so on. Once you have your basic recipe down, you can start getting creative, swapping in ingredients, layering, trying special flavors and all sorts. But start simple! And perfect your basic recipe. This is mine for cupcakes.
A light, soft cake fragrant with vanilla and topped with buttery, fluffy frosting. It’s also a great opportunity to perfect your frosting skills! This recipe makes gorgeous yummy little cupcakes, just right for any occasion, from a birthday party to the next school bake fair.
To make Vanilla-Frosted Cupcakes, you will need the following ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake cases.
In a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
In another bowl, combine the oil, milk, eggs and vanilla.
Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Use a wooden spoon to beat together until mixed well. Or you can use an electric mixer to combine.
Add the water to the batter a little at a time, stirring it in or mixing on a low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and ensure there are no lumps of flour left on the bottom of the bowl. The batter should be very thin.
Pour the batter into the cupcake cases, filling them halfway. Bake for 15-17 minutes. To test, insert a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. It should come out with just a few crumbs.
Take the cupcake pan out of the oven and leave to cool for a couple of minutes, before transferring the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Add the butter and shortening to a mixer bowl. Mix on a low speed, or beat using a wooden spoon, until the mixture is smooth.
Add half the confectioner’s sugar to the bowl and combine. Then add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk or water, and mix again. Mix in the remaining sugar, followed by the remaining milk or water, and combine until the frosting is smooth.
Prepare a piping bag and your preferred piping nozzle. Spoon the frosting into the bag and pipe onto the cupcakes.
Try this simple Vanilla-Frosted Cupcakes recipe next time you’re in a baking mood! Once you have a plateful of pretty frosted cupcakes, take a snap and tag #cookmerecipes so I can see how you got on!
