Old Fashioned Yellow Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

~from Savoring Time in the Kitchen

Yield: About 12 cupcakes

8 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar (use ultra fine, if possible)

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 (1/2 + 1/4) teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350F

Place cupcake liners in muffin tin and spray lightly with non-stick spray.

In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition, scraping down sides of bowl. Mix in vanilla and almond extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk. Beat on medium speed for one minute. Pour into prepared cupcake liners.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing cupcakes from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

A few drops of food coloring, if desired

In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with an electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk.

Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time. If frosting becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar.

I used a large, Wilton 1M Piping Tip to pipe the frosting (you will need the Large Coupler for your piping bag) and I sprinkled the tops with Swedish Pearl Sugar.

Adapted from Williams Sonoma’s Heritage Cake Recipe (1/2 recipe), and Betty Crocker Vanilla Buttercream Frosting