suemunzlinger's Recipe

French Vanilla Cupcakes

Category: Cupcakes

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups of vanilla sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 egg yolks, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup of buttermilk, room temp
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 1-inch piece of vanilla bean

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat the buttermilk until it just simmers.
Remove from heat and add the vanilla pod.
Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beat thoroughly after each addition.

Blend flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda, in a bowl.

Cut open vanilla pod and scrape out seeds into the buttermilk. (You can dry the pod and use it to make vanilla sugar)

Add vanilla to buttermilk

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low until mixed.
Add 1/2 the buttermilk.

Continue to alternate the flour and buttermilk, ending with the flour.

Scoop into cupcake papers about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Cool and frost with desired buttercream


Vanilla Sugar:

Pour the sugar into an airtight container. If the vanilla bean is whole, slice it halfway through the long way, open up the bean, and use a spoon or kitchen knife to scrape out the black gooey specks. Stir the specks into the sugar, and bury the bean pod in the sugar. Cover the jar and let stand for at least 1 week.