Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

It's getting close to wedding time in the Black Hills again!

On February 11, our oldest son is marrying his Katie. We had so much fun celebrating the upcoming nuptials with a shower on Saturday.

Like most of our showers, there were flowers, food, chocolate, and a LOT of visiting. We love to celebrate just about anything - especially weddings and new babies!

Katie's colors for the wedding are purple and silver (can you tell from the decorations?), perfect for a winter wedding.

This was an afternoon shower, so we had a variety of luncheon type snacks: cheese cubes and salami, crackers, veggies, a fruit salad, ham pinwheels (recipe here), and my famous meatballs (recipe here).

But what would a celebration be without cake??? My daughter, Carrie, made the cupcakes. She tried a new recipe for the vanilla ones, and it was fabulous! I mean, melt-in-your-mouth, save-room-for-dessert fabulous.

Of course, it's from Sally's Baking Addiction, Carrie's favorite baking blog. Be sure to check it out here!

Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

makes about 14 cupcakes

ingredients:

1 3/4 cups cake flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature

1/2 cup whole milk at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350° and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. 

Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.

In a mixer, beat the butter on high speed until it's smooth and creamy - about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. 

Add the egg whites and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the sour cream, scraping the bowl as needed.

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients. Mix only until the ingredients are mixed in.

With the mixer continuing on low speed, slowly pour in the milk until it is combined. Don't over mix the batter!

Pour the batter into 14 prepared liners, filling 2/3 full.

Bake for 19-22 minutes, or until they pass the "touch test" (lightly touch the top of one of the cupcakes - if the top springs back, it is done), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting.

It might be hard to see in this picture, but the frosting was a lovely shade of lavender. Carrie made both vanilla and chocolate cupcakes. You can find the recipe for the chocolate cupcakes here.

The recipe for the frosting she used is in that same blog post, and it's called "Whipped Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting." But to make this frosting, she substituted white sugar for the brown sugar. Neither of us thought brown sugar and purple food coloring would make a pleasing color frosting. :)

We also had a marvelous time watching Katie open her gifts, including this cross stitch picture I made for my in-laws more than twenty years ago. It has been part of our home for the last few years, and now it will have a place with a third generation of Drexlers.

Do you have any wedding or baby showers coming up in the near future? What is your favorite gift to take?

Jan Drexler loves her family, her home, cooking and just about anything made by hand. But she loves her Lord most of all.

Stop by Jan's website to learn more about her books: www.JanDrexler.com