Classic Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat until creamy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk. Beat until just combined.
• Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake until the tops spring back when pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to the rack to cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Beat the butter, confectioners' sugar and salt in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until just combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium high, add the vanilla and beat until creamy, 3 minutes. Beat in the milk until fluffy, about 1 minute.
• Spread the frosting on the cupcakes. Decorate as desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the middle of the oven. Line one 12-cup standard muffin tin or two 24-cup mini-muffin tins with cupcake liners.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
• In another medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. While beating, gradually pour in the melted butter and then the vanilla.
• While mixing slowly, add half of the flour mixture. Then add all the milk, followed by the remaining flour mixture; take care not to overmix the batter. Divide the batter evenly in the prepared muffin tin.
• Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean, rotating the tin about halfway through baking time, 18 to 20 minutes for standard cupcakes or 10 to 12 minutes for minis. Cool the cupcakes in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on the rack completely. Frost and decorate as desired.

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil or paper liners. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat, swirling the pan. Continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until the butter is browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons butter and remove from the heat. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until all the butter is melted; pour into a large bowl and let cool slightly.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice and paprika in a medium bowl. Add the brown and granulated sugars to the bowl with the butter, along with the sour cream, vanilla, orange zest and eggs; whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined, then briefly whisk until smooth. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds of the way. Bake until the centers of the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the glaze: Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a small high-sided saucepan over medium heat. Add the water and stir, then bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until the mixture is a rich brown color and thick enough to slowly drip off the end of a rubber spatula, 12 to 15 minutes. (The caramel should stay in a loose ball when swirled in the pan.) Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch and heavy cream in a small bowl. Remove the glaze from the heat and carefully add the cream mixture. (It's OK if it stiffens at first.) Return to the heat and cook, carefully stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the bourbon (or vanilla). Let stand, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes; the caramel will be thick and slightly warm.
• Cut a slit in the top of each cupcake, cutting almost all the way across and about halfway down. Transfer 1/3 cup of the glaze to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Gently squeeze the cupcakes to open the slits; pipe the glaze into the cupcakes, filling until the glaze comes up to the top.
• Dip the tops of the cupcakes in the remaining glaze in the saucepan, letting the excess drip off, then return to the rack. (If the caramel has started to solidify, briefly rewarm over low heat for a few seconds.) Pop any air bubbles in the glaze with a toothpick. Garnish each cupcake with an orange twist and a maraschino cherry.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.
• Combine in a bowl both flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed until combined for about 3 minutes. Add in cubed butter, mixing until just coated with flour.
• Add eggs 1 at a time until combined. Slowly add milk and vanilla to batter until completely mixed scraping down the bowl as you mix.
• Scoop batter into baking cups filling about 2/3 full. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.
• Cool and decorate with Old Fashioned Frosting.
• Cream softened butter and add 4 cups sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat with paddle attachment until smooth gradually add the rest of sugar to reach frosting consistency*. (See Cook's Note)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and fill a 12 cupcake tray with cases.
• Using an electric whisk beat 110g softened butter and 110g golden caster sugar together until pale and fluffy then whisk in 2 large eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Add ½ tsp vanilla extract, 110g self-raising flour and a pinch of salt, whisk until just combined then spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases.
• Bake for 15 mins until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
• To make the buttercream, whisk 150g softened butter until super soft then add 300g icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
• Whisk together until smooth (start off slowly to avoid an icing sugar cloud) then beat in 3 tbsp milk.
• If wanting to colour, stir in the food colouring now. Spoon or pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.