Vanilla Cupcakes 3
Ingredients
- 3.75 oz Flour (Plain) (3/4 cup)
- 2.75 oz Flour (Cake) (1/2 cup, or use 6.5 oz plain flour)
- 2/3 t baking powder
- 1/4 t baking soda
- 3/8 t Salt (Table)
- 1/4 c vegetable oil
- 165 g Sugar (Granulated) (3/4 cup)
- 1 egg (at room temperature)
- 1/2 c whipping cream (heavy whipping cream in US)
- 1 t vanilla extract
- 1/2 c buttermilk
- 1/2 vanilla bean (up to 1 bean, or 1 T vanilla extract)
Method
Preheat the oven to 350F / 175C / Gas 4. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 paper baking cups.
Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape it. Add the seeds and the bean to the buttermilk; let soak until you are ready to use.
Sift together the regular and cake flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, preferably onto a large piece of wax paper or parchment paper.
Combine the oil and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium speed, until smooth and well incorporated, then reduce the speed to low and add the egg; beat for 1 minute, until well incorporated.
Add the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract; beat for 1 minute.
With mixer running at low speed, add the sifted dry ingredients in two additions; beat until well incorporated, making sure there are no lumps in the batter (but do not overmix). Remove the vanilla bean from the buttermilk (making sure to "squeeze it out"), and with the motor on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk then beat on low for 1 minute, until well incorporated.
Fill the cupcake liners no more than two-thirds full with the batter (I actually prefer about half). Batter will be thick; I usually use an ice cream scoop because it's not pourable. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, unil a toothpick inserted in the center comes out fairly clean, with only a few loose crumbs.
Let the cupcakes sit in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Note from source: you can rinse the vanilla bean and let dry, then add to a container of sugar for vanilla sugar.
SJ Note 5 May 2011: These are very tasty! I'd forgotten about Vanilla Cupcakes 2, so clearly I'll have to have a head-to-head. These are definitely a keeper, though: moist and delicious for three days, kept on the counter in an airtight container. I didn't have any cake flour (and it's hard to find here) so I just used 6.5 oz plain (all purpose) flour; I didn't have a vanilla bean, so I used 1 T vanilla extract instead. Next time I may use powdered vanilla instead, so I don't worry (belatedly) about the extra liquid.