Billy’s Vanilla Cupcakes
Cupcakes are great, eating one is like having a whole little cake all to yourself. I have not made cupcakes in such a long time so did a quick search on the web to find a suitable recipe. I came across a blog called 52 cupcakes, and wow its amazing the work this cupcake queen has put into her site and the making of cupcakes! A vanilla cupcake recipe she classified as ‘awesome’ got me wanting to make a batch too.
The recipe is originally from Billy Reece of Billy’s Bakery from New York, who shared his recipe on the Martha Stewart Show.
I didn’t finish making them till very late! I also made some with Billy’s Chocolate Buttercream, and my very own pink ones with the Vanilla buttercream recipe, adding some strawberry jam and pink food colouring. And yes this cupcake recipe is a keeper!
Makes about 30 cupcakes
1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees Celsius). Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.
In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.
Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Serve at room temperature.
Billy’s Vanilla Buttercream
Makes enough for 30 cupcakes
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar to reach desired consistency.
May 31st, 2006 at 3:16 am
Hello, what cute cupcakes!
Just wondering what kind of food colouring did you use to get such a pretty pink colour? I used a liquid type but i don’t think it was concentrated enough so my frosting didn’t turn out the right colour. Also the butter made the icing look a little bit yellow.
May 31st, 2006 at 10:34 am
Hi JenJen, thanks for your feedback
i used Queen’s Natural Food Colours, comes in a pack with four little vials (blue, red, green and yellow). I used about two drops for mine. For the icing mine was like that too, i just beated it for a bit longer until it was lighter in colour. Hope that helps!!
June 15th, 2006 at 2:49 am
thank you for your blog, it’s so nice
June 15th, 2006 at 1:27 pm
Hi Bee!
I found this receipe today and went off and bought the ingredients at lunch. I’m having trouble finding “cake flour”. Where do you get it from - or is it called something else over here in Australia?
Yay for cupcakes!!!
Michelle
x/o
June 15th, 2006 at 1:42 pm
Hi Michelle!
I usually just make my own, all you need to do is combine plain flour and corn flour together. White Wings Cornflour works super!!
3/4 cup plain flour (sifted)
2 tbsps corn flour (sifted)
Bee
June 15th, 2006 at 1:48 pm
Oh Bee - you’re my hero!!! I have been racking my brain and every website, book and person I know trying to find out what it is!
The fact that I can make my own makes me a very happy little baker!
Thank you so much *kisses*
Michelle
x/o
June 15th, 2006 at 2:07 pm
You’re very welcome Michelle, i was in the same boat just last month! let me know how your cupcakes turn out!!!
Bee
June 16th, 2006 at 9:48 am
Bee - you won’t believe it… I tried my cupcakes last night and what a disaster! I was on the phone to an very disturbed friend at the time (trying to be wonder woman and multitask) and lets just say… first time round I forgot to add all the sugar and I had little rock cakes instead! Second time the cakes worked so I thought I’d ice them. Three icing attempts later and I had yummy cupcakes and a messy kitchen!
I have another question for you though… I have an electric hand beater, but the recipe called for an electric mixer with paddle attachment. If I don’t have one of these and use the beater - will it make a huge difference?
June 16th, 2006 at 10:17 am
Hi Michelle,
Glad you finally got there! I love that feeling of successfully completing something.
It doesn’t really matter what type of mixer you use, I’ve made cupcakes before without the help of electric kitchen tools that have turned out perfectly
, but let’s just say it’s a mighty hard job!
An electric mixer has a more powerful motor then a hand beater, so it will takes less time and effort to get the same result. Although they do take up a lot of bench space!!
Hope your friends okay now..
August 6th, 2006 at 2:36 pm
Hi there,
Just dropping in from Melbourne, Australia!
I have done plenty of searching over the net for a good cup cake recipe and this would be the best so far!
Thankyou !!
August 12th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
Hey PinkBittz, thanks for stopping by, oh yeah i love Melbourne, i’m there every few months! and yes i must agree with you there, i love this recipe too!
August 22nd, 2006 at 1:59 pm
Hi Bee,
I am going to make these for my sons kindergarden birthday party and I was just wondering is confectioners sugar the same as icing sugar?
Thanks!!
August 30th, 2006 at 10:23 am
Hey Lynda,
thanks for visiting, in Australia we mostly refer to confectioners sugar as icing sugar, i think its a regional thing that its called cofectioners sugar.