Whip up a batch of Brooke Bellamy’s vanilla cupcakes to brighten your mood and satisfy your sweet tooth.
MAKES: 12 cupcakes
PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 16 minutes
COOLING TIME: 1 hour
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
For the buttercream
Method
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the wet ingredients on low speed, until just combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed, until just combined.
- Using a large ice-cream scoop, evenly portion the batter between the cupcake liners. Ideally, I like to fill them to just over halfway (to be precise, halfway between half-full and three-quarters full).
This cupcake batter is particularly runny, so you might prefer to pour the batter into the pan from a jug instead. Gently tap the cupcake pan on the bench to evenly distribute the batter. - Bake the cupcakes for 16 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before icing with the buttercream.
To make the buttercream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. On low speed, add the icing sugar and mix until combined.
- Increase the speed of the mixer to high and mix for a further 5 minutes. Lower the speed to add the vanilla and mix for 1 more minute.
- Transfer the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip. Swirl the icing on top and sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles to finish.
STORAGE
Store iced cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 7 days at room temperature. Alternatively, you can freeze cooked, un-iced cupcakes the day they’re baked for up to 1 month.
BROOKI’S TIP
For evenly baked cupcakes, it is important to mix this batter properly before each new ingredient is added to the mix. Be careful not to over mix and always be sure to tap your cupcake pan on the bench before baking.
This recipe was originally published in the article Treat Yourself Right in Issue 45 – Lead the Way. You can get this issue here to enjoy more mindful inspiration.
