Let's try cupcakes

Typically if you call something a 'trend', that something is now rendered uncool and un-hip. As the cupcake 'trend' sweeps the nations of the earth, I think we have found one that is too delicious to be rendered otherwise.

For those who have never tried baking cakes from scratch, let me assure you in this department, I am only about 20 minutes ahead of you. Cakes from scratch is something I have tried on a number of occasions and failed miserably (likely due to not fully following the recipes), and have resorted to using face-saving mixes.

Despite this, I was curious to see how easy it is to make these sweet treats in the kitchen, and put those $5 bakery cupcakes to shame. I will be using Buttermilk cupcakes (Gourmet, 1998), and to up the ante, will also do two (yes, two) cream cheese frostings (in the next post) to top these knolls of goodness. In fact, you will find that homemade cupcakes take only slightly longer than using a mix, and you can claim 100% bragging rights.

Some planning points:

• pull out your butter, eggs, and buttermilk to come to room temperature
• have your cake flour sifted (substitute 1 cup sifted cake flour with 3/4 cup bleached all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons corn starch)
• Useful tools: silicon scraper, stand mixer or hand mixer, muffin tin, paper cups, ice cream scoop
• Easy tip: make granulated sugar 'superfine' (which makes blending with ingredient smoother) by pulsing in food processor to a very fine grain. Superfine sugar is used by professional bakers, and now by you too!

Buttermilk Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes (do not double recipe, make separate batches)


twenty-four 2 1/2-inch paper muffin cup liners
4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk


Preheat oven to 350°F. and line twenty-four 1/2-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes) and beat in vanilla.

Not quite fluffy - keep beating!

Fluffy! Good idea: scrape down intermittently 

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and with mixer on low speed beat in buttermilk until just combined. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating until just combined after each addition. Divide batter among muffin cups (batter will fill cups). Using an ice cream scoop assists in this process.

 Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of muffin trays halfway through baking, about 22 minutes, or until golden and a tester comes out clean. Cool cupcakes on racks 5 minutes and remove cupcakes from tray to cool completely. Cupcakes keep in an airtight container at room temperature 2 days.

Now what this needs is some frosting!