White cupcakes with chocolate buttercream

I can't believe that I haven't made a classic white cupcake on this blog yet. And I almost forgot that my blog turned 2 years old in September. Geez - where has the time gone?

Here is a tried and true white cupcake recipe that I think you'll enjoy. For those of you (um, ME) who always have an abundance of egg whites hanging around, this is the perfect recipe. It uses 8 egg whites, so you can keep making your fruit curds or homemade ice cream with the yolks. My coworker, who tastes a lot of my baked goods, declared these as his favorite recipe to date. I paired the white cupcakes with a classic chocolate buttercream.

I'll be back soon with another cookbook giveaway, so stay tuned for that.
White cupcakes

• 3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 and 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 8 large egg whites

Chocolate buttercream

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3½ cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 TBSP milk or heavy cream

Directions

To make the cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and 2 cups of the sugar on medium speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla. 

Turn the mixer to low and alternately add the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Transfer the batter to a large bowl and set aside. Clean the stand mixer bowl and dry it completely.

In the clean bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a separate large bowl if you are whisking by hand or using a stand mixer with good beaters), whip the 8 egg whites on low speed until the whites start to look foamy. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and turn the mixer to high. Keep whisking until your whites achieve smooth, glossy peaks. 

Turn the mixer off and slowly but gently fold in about 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter until it is just incorporated. Fold in remaining egg whites into the batter and be sure not to overmix.

Evenly divide the batter into the 24 liners. Each cupcake well will have about 1/4 cup of batter.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Turn the oven off, remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely before frosting.

To make the buttercream: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer), cream the butter on medium speed until it is smooth and creamy. Turn the mixer to low and very gently and slowly add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder until they are fully incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and add the salt, vanilla and milk/heavy cream. If the frosting looks too stiff, add more milk/heavy cream about 1/2 teaspoon at a time. If the frosting looks too runny, add a bit more powdered sugar.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost with the buttercream.Cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator and will keep for about three days.

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Sources: White cupcakes slightly adapted from Martha Stewart; chocolate buttercream from Savory Sweet Life

I can't believe that I haven't made a classic white cupcake on this blog yet. And I almost forgot that my blog turned 2 years old in September. Geez - where has the time gone?

Here is a tried and true white cupcake recipe that I think you'll enjoy. For those of you (um, ME) who always have an abundance of egg whites hanging around, this is the perfect recipe. It uses 8 egg whites, so you can keep making your fruit curds or homemade ice cream with the yolks. My coworker, who tastes a lot of my baked goods, declared these as his favorite recipe to date. I paired the white cupcakes with a classic chocolate buttercream.

I'll be back soon with another cookbook giveaway, so stay tuned for that.
White cupcakes

• 3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 and 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 8 large egg whites

Chocolate buttercream

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3½ cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 TBSP milk or heavy cream

Directions

To make the cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and 2 cups of the sugar on medium speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla. 

Turn the mixer to low and alternately add the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Transfer the batter to a large bowl and set aside. Clean the stand mixer bowl and dry it completely.

In the clean bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a separate large bowl if you are whisking by hand or using a stand mixer with good beaters), whip the 8 egg whites on low speed until the whites start to look foamy. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and turn the mixer to high. Keep whisking until your whites achieve smooth, glossy peaks. 

Turn the mixer off and slowly but gently fold in about 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter until it is just incorporated. Fold in remaining egg whites into the batter and be sure not to overmix.

Evenly divide the batter into the 24 liners. Each cupcake well will have about 1/4 cup of batter.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Turn the oven off, remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely before frosting.

To make the buttercream: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer), cream the butter on medium speed until it is smooth and creamy. Turn the mixer to low and very gently and slowly add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder until they are fully incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and add the salt, vanilla and milk/heavy cream. If the frosting looks too stiff, add more milk/heavy cream about 1/2 teaspoon at a time. If the frosting looks too runny, add a bit more powdered sugar.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost with the buttercream.Cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator and will keep for about three days.

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Sources: White cupcakes slightly adapted from Martha Stewart; chocolate buttercream from Savory Sweet Life