Classic Vanilla Cupcakes + Summer Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

  This vanilla cupcake recipe is my go-to, it’s simple and quick to make whenever I get a last-minute order. With graduations, birthdays, bridal and baby showers, cupcakes are an easy dessert, that can be transformed to fit any theme, and can withstand the summer’s heat. One of my first and favorite recipes were these one-bowl chocolate cupcakes, that I decorated a la Hello Kitty for a little girl’s birthday.

I make sugar cookies and cupcakes quite a bit for orders, but I never seem to post these classic recipes, because often I’m making them at night, when lighting isn’t possible for really great photographs. I did manage to make these pink and purple colored cupcakes one Saturday afternoon, for a baby shower the following day. It was a cloudy, dreary day, the perfect kind for staying indoors and baking. I made these classic chocolate cupcakes topped with lavender colored vanilla buttercream, dusted in granulated sugar and finished off with pink pearl sprinkles.

 The classic vanilla cakes, moist and dense, were simply topped with a swirl of buttercream.

The third cupcake wasn’t a classic flavor, but a take on a classic summer drink, lemonade. I’ve made these strawberry lemonade cupcakes a few years ago, but this year I did’t want to use lemonade concentrate. I wanted to use something a bit more natural, and pretty. So walking around Whole Foods, of course this pretty bottle of sparkling Edelflower & Rose Lemonade caught my eye. Not only because it is pretty, but I love the taste of this stuff; it’s light, refreshing, and indeed floral and pretty. And this coming from someone who doesn’t like lemonade.

Once baked the lemon extract slightly bakes off, and you get the perfect amount of lemonade flavor. They aren’t overpowering as some lemon cupcakes often can be when made with lemon extract. Some may prefer a stronger lemon taste, but I enjoy them with a fainter lemon aftertaste. And of course I needed to add just the tiniest bit of liquor in this cupcake, you know me, especially when the Edelflower St. Germaine happened to be right on the counter. On a side note, a cocktail with this is in the works, I’ve created my new favorite drink and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you.
I like to use strawberry buttercream on these, which can easily be done by stirring in a few tablespoons of strawberry jam and teaspoon lemon extract into whipped vanilla buttercream. A comment on Instagram got me thinking I should create a video blog post, showing how to pipe these rose cupcakes. They’re quite simple, just the flick of the wrist. I taught my chefs during their camp, and it was one of the favorite techniques they piped. This is for my first cake decorating chef who said I couldn’t make perfect buttercream roses. Well just like a rose in nature, they’re not perfect but still just as pretty. These cupcakes will definitely be a hit the next time you make them!

Classic Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients {Makes 24}

2 sticks – Unsalted Butter {room temperature}3 cups – All Purpose Flour1 tablespoon – Baking Powder1/2 teaspoon – Salt1 3/4 cups – Sugar2 teaspoons – Pure Vanilla Extract1 1/4 cups – MilkVanilla Swiss Buttercream {recipe here}

Recipe {Adapted from Martha Stewart Basics}

Preheat oven to 350*F, and line two standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners, set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy {3 to 4 minutes} scraping the sides of the goal as needed. Beat in eggs, one a time, then beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low, add in the flour and milk in three parts, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat after each addition, until just combined.

Divide batter amongst cups, so that they are about 2/3’s full. Bake, rotating halfway, until cupcakes are golden brown and tooth pick comes out clean {about 20 minutes}. Transfer to wire rack, invert cupcakes onto rack, top sides up to cool completely. Keep at room temperature in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Edelflower Lemonade Cupcakes

Ingredients {Makes 24}

1 stick – Unsalted Butter {room temperature} 4 large – Eggs 3 1/3 cups – All Purpose Flour 1 tablespoon – Baking Powder 1/2 teaspoon – Salt 2 cups – Sugar 1/8 teaspoon – Red Food Coloring 1 1/3 cups – Milk 1/4 cup – Edelflower Lemonade {or replace with thawed lemonade concentrate} 1 teaspoon – Pure Lemon Extract Vanilla Swiss Buttercream {recipe here – for Strawberry version mix in }

Recipe {Adapted from BHG}

Preheat oven to 350*F, and line two standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners, set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy {3 to 4 minutes} scraping the sides of the goal as needed. Mix in food coloring until desired shade, remember once baked it will be lighter. Beat in eggs, one a time, then beat in vanilla.

In the same measuring cup, stir together, milk, lemonade, and extract. With the mixer on low, add in the flour and milk in three parts, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat after each addition, until just combined.

Divide batter amongst cups, so that they are about 2/3’s full. Bake, rotating halfway, until cupcakes are golden brown and tooth pick comes out clean {about 20 minutes}. Transfer to wire rack, invert cupcakes onto rack, top sides up to cool completely. Keep at room temperature in an airtight container up to 3 days.