Twelve Frosted Cupcakes, Just One Stick of Butter. Promise.
Written by joythebaker on July 31, 2009 – 11:47 pm -
These are pretty, right? Hot diggity dang, I think they’re precious.
In the middle of frosting these cupcakes I looked down at my hands. No big deal. I was simply looking down at the cupcake in one hand, and frosting covered knife in the other. I had to see what I was doing, right? When I looked down at this particular moment, I saw… my grandmother’s hands. There they were, the worn and wrinkled hands that had absolutely fascinated me as a child… only now spotted with powdered sugar and tinted with food coloring.
When I was a kid I would hold my grandmother’s hand in my lap and study it like it like I might study my favorite picture book. Somehow her hands weren’t at all different from reading an intricate a story.
So there I was, frosting a cupcake with my grandmother’s hands. The image was so strong that I even put down the cupcake and knife and bent my left index finger with my right hand. It ached a little. I don’t know why. And just like that… those hands were gone from me.
That was simultaneously perplexing and so comforting. I had to share that with you… I now only hope that I live long enough for my hands to be read like a story book.
Now let’s talk cupcakes!
Pretty. Pretty. Pretty. Pretty. Pretty. Pretty. Pretty. Pretty. Pretty. Pretty… right?
I’m proud of these little gems. I’m even more proud of the fact that it only took one stick (otherwise known as 8 tablespoons, 1/2 cup or 4 ounces) of butter to make both the cupcake aaaaaaaand the frosting. That’s bonkers, right? I know! Just three tablespoons of butter for the dozen cupcakes and 5 tablespoons for the buttercream. Who says you need a pound of butter for cupcakes?
Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream
adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
makes 12 cupcakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
a scant 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or use a handheld beater and beat on slow speed until the mixture is a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Gradually pour in half of the milk and beat until the milk is just incorporated.
Whisk the egg, vanilla and remaining milk together in a separate bowl for a few seconds, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated. Scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side or the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Continue mixing until the batter is smooth. Just a few minutes. Do not overmix.
Spoon the batter into paper lined muffin tins, dividing between the 12 cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the pan, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
makes enough for 12 cupcakes, double this recipe to frost an 8-inch cake
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat the powdered sugar and butter together in an electric mixer fit with a paddle attachment on medium low speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Turn the mixer speed to low. Combine the milk and the vanilla extract and slowly stream it into the butter and sugar mixture. Once incorporated, turn the mixer to high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes. If you find that your frosting is getting to warm in the summer months, stop beating and set in the fridge for a few minutes. Once chilled, hook the frosting back up the the mixer and beat once more until you reach the desired consistency.
Tags: butter, buttercream, Cupcakes, easy recipe, vanilla
Posted in Cupcakes, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Sweets, Thoughts | 89 Comments »
Joy saves the day once again! (Er…night, in this case). I just got done making sugar cookies for my cousin and she requested “cake frosting” (by which she means buttercream) and I was looking for a good recipe. I love the colors and a little artificial coloring won’t hurt anyone!
Once I get my cupcake pan back from my co-worker, you can bet I’m going to be making these! =)
Oooh April – what an angry little person you must be. Why weren’t you creating your own sense of self instead of reading and posting can I ask – or is the nasty comment just directed at us and lovely Joy?
Joy – a phrase comes to mind at Aprils comment… one my mother says frequently… “the monkey’s on her back”… you keep up all the happiness and joy your bring us !!
These cupcakes are breathtakingly beautiful! They make me want to make cakes and decorate them with cute toppings right NOW! they are so cute and fun and lovely! I love looking at your pics!
The comment about your grandmother’s hands was so touching!!! it was a good way to start my Monday!! thanks!!
What is a food conformist, anyway?
As ever, your blog is a treat to read and drool over. Thanks for the sunshine, Joy!
Oh Joy, that is so sweet about your grandmother. And, I am loving the fact that these cupcakes use such little butter. They are adorable!
Lovely lovely lovely! So pretty. And I loved the story about your grandmother!
Hi! I recently discovered your blog and have not been able to keep away! You have really gorgeous photographs, which are very inspiring! I just started my own blog and linked you as a favorite read. Hope you come by sometime!
Hi! I’m commenting for the first time also. Let me first say that I love your blog. It’s a joyful space indeed. And your cupcakes are very pretty. But the story about your hands touched me the most, because I had the same experience recently. My mom gave me one of her old rings and when I put it on, I just stared at my hands for a good 5 minutes. Exactly my mom’s hands! Which is funny, because my dad and I have taken a picture of my hand on his every year on birthday since I was born. I always thought I had his hands. Thanks for sharing.
Love these. Whipped them up on Sunday – but found I didn’t have enough icing sugar. So the butter was reduced even futher in the buttercream frosting to 2 1/2 tbs. They tasted amazing, I coloured them bright blue and fed them to a bunch of 3 year olds. The resulting faces were satisfied and so messy. Thanks!
i made this, in cake form, this afternoon. let me tell you, it was DELICIOUS! i only had 1% milk on hand and it still came out perfectly. this will definitely be a regular in my kitchen.
Very poignant. It brought a tear to my eye.
I love every one of your posts, and I’m so sorry that I can’t make the cupcake party!
I don’t believe it… Only 1 stick of butter?! This I must try! Lovely post Joy.
Morning Joy! I never met any of my grandparents so…thanks for the lovely story. BTW, I’m going to pick up some whole milk on my home and try these cupcakes tonight!
Amazing! I just made this recipe, and it is by FAR the best cupcake batter recipe EVER! thank you!
Simply amazing and beautiful. Both your story and the cupcakes.
I must admit that I am amazed they only took one stick of butter. A must try!
I just made those lovely cupcakes and It was soooooo good! Thank you.
Happened about your blog a few weeks ago and have enjoyed reading your recipes as well as as your story around each recipe. This one referring to your grandmother’s hands was quite good.
I made the chocolate chip cookies a while back, so I believe I am destined to make these lovely, one stick of but-tah cupcakes, perhaps this weekend.
what a sweet memory. i wish you had taken a picture of your hand holding a cupcake. you know, like a momento for your ‘way in the future’ grandchild.
Incredibly adorable little cupcakes! I love the frosting colour choices and the sprinkles.
A batch of these are in the oven right now. While your story about your grandmother touched me the first time I read the recipe, it just struck me again as I made the cupcakes using utensils gifted to me by my own grandmother who recently passed away. We had a sometimes-contentious relationship when I was growing up, and we recently became quite close through food as I helped care for her during hospice care.
[...] Cookie Frosting Adapted from Joy the Baker [...]
Is the whole milk a requirement? I never have any on hand. How about half and half, would that be ok?
Great recipe!!! thanks for sharing! My twin 4 year old girls loved it!!!!!and my conscience was in a much better place knowing how little butter I used!!!
Dude. I made these for my kid’s 3rd birthday at daycare.
Two things:
1. The recipe is missing when to mix in the salt.
2. Make sure to mention that the cups will look like they’re not filled enough before baking. I was too generous with my portions (I never get the right number of cookies out of recipes), and they poofed out of the top, and melted into a flat cupcake mess. I had to do 2 batches, and I was already doubling the recipe for the number of kids.
Yummy
Can I have one?
These cupcakes are beautiful yet adorable at the same time. I’m going to make them with my 4yr old this weekend. Were practicing for his 5th birthday! Thanks.
Love the story, and can’t wait to make these. No special occasion needed right?
Love your blog, I just ran across it while blog hopping and I am addicted.
Thanks Joy!
These sound so great…but I just can’t get them to turn out right (granted, baking at 7000 feet probably has a lot to do with it!).
I tried them without using my electric mixer (i had a headache, and wanted cupcakes!) and they were ok, but quite sunken in the middle. The next day, I tried with the mixer, and they transformed into one giant, pulsating mess of cupcake batter, half of which ended up on my oven floor. Help! Obviously, I need to tweak the recipe, but I don’t know where to begin! Any advice??
[...] Vanilla Cupcakes, 1 Stick of Butter Recipe found on Joy the Baker and originally adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery [...]
i just put these in the oven….somehow i onlyh got eleven out of the batter and i used buttermilk….and i put lemon in instead of vanilla….cant make the frosting yet until i get home with some powedered sugar….can you make powdered sugar at home?
these cupcakes look great! i was looking for a basic vanilla recipe cause i wanted to use what i have on hand — just made the base and they are in the oven. i added a bit of orange zest to perk things up and licking the spoon was a very delicious experience! i’ll probably top them with a cream cheese frosting (any excuse, right?!)
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Your lovely post brought back many fond memories of my grapdmothers (as well as the recollection of at least two quaintly old-fashioned poems on the subject of a mother’s hands). Although it has been many years since I held or observed their hands, I remember them very distinctly. I had often studied their beautiful hands while they rolled out doughnut dough, arranged flowers, embroidered a pillowcase, shared a story about the “old country”….their wonderfully productive hands had a huge impact upon my life. I am eternally grateful for my grandmothers who were as different from one another as could possibly be imagined. Thank you for opening the door to a treasured reminiscence! Your blog is exquisite.