Description
Classic Christmas vanilla cupcakes offer festive cheer with delightful sweetness. Holiday bakers can create these simple treats, garnishing with peppermint or sprinkles for joyful seasonal celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 cups (360 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1.5 tsps (7.5 ml) baking powder
- 0.25 tsp (1.25 ml) salt
- 0.5 cup (120 ml) unsalted butter, softened
- 0.75 cup (180 ml) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 0.5 cup (120 ml) whole milk
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups (720 ml) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) heavy cream or milk
- 2 tsps (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
- Red and green sprinkles
- Crushed candy canes
- Mini Christmas chocolates or toppers
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners, spacing them evenly.
- Dry Ingredient Mixture: Thoroughly whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until completely blended.
- Butter Mixture: Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, creating a smooth base.
- Egg Integration: Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition to ensure a uniform batter consistency.
- Flavor Enhancement: Gently stir in vanilla extract, distributing the aromatic essence throughout the mixture.
- Batter Composition: Alternately fold dry ingredients and milk into the wet mixture, mixing until just combined to maintain the batter’s delicate texture.
- Baking Process: Fill cupcake liners three-quarters full and bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, checking doneness with a toothpick.
- Cooling Stage: Rest cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Buttercream Preparation: Beat butter until smooth, gradually adding powdered sugar on low speed to prevent sugar dispersion.
- Frosting Finalization: Incorporate heavy cream, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, whipping on high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Decorative Touches: Pipe or spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes with creative flair, finishing with Christmas sprinkles or candy cane garnishes.
Notes
- Control Moisture Carefully: Avoid overmixing batter to prevent dense, tough cupcakes; mix just until ingredients combine to maintain a tender, light crumb.
- Precise Temperature Matters: Use room temperature ingredients like eggs and butter to ensure even mixing and consistent texture, promoting better rise and smoother batter.
- Check Baking Precision: Test cupcake doneness with a clean toothpick inserted into the center; any wet batter indicates more baking time is needed to achieve perfect texture.
- Customize Frosting Flexibility: Experiment with flavor variations by adding peppermint extract, orange zest, or food coloring to create unique holiday-themed buttercream without compromising the base recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg