Vanilla Cupcakes w/Vanilla Buttercream

I love just a good ole' vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting every once in a while. I have had these in my favorites for a while now, and have to been trying to find an excuse to make them...lol! Well, because I was making Valentine's gift baskets, I decided to add these along with the Pink Lemonade Cupcakes, Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, and Rice Krispie Treat ♥'s, Can I just say, the buttercream on these babies is SO good!! I even saved the leftover...lol! I have been getting most of my cupcake recipes from Annie's Eats. I love just about all of her stuff. Anyways, this cupcake's frosting is really good, but I'm not sure if I liked the actual cupcake. Though they bake up beautifully, I just didn't like the taste... =( So, I am still on the lookout for a vanilla cupcake. If ya find one that you love, lemme know! =)


Recipe Source: Annie's Eats

INGREDIENTS
for the cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• zest of 1 lemon (optional) - I opted out of this one.
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup milk - I used 2%.

for the buttercream:

• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

for the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners. Set pan aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides and beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest, if using.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in pan 5 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to wire rack and allow to cool completely. 

Yields 12 cupcakes.

for the buttercream:

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds.
2. Add powdered sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds.
3. Scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice.

I doubled both parts; I got 24 cupcakes and more than enough buttercream to frost them all.