Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes

PICTURE COMING SOON

Catherine actually found this recipe on an online blog last year when we had the 1st Annual Cupcake Swap, when we made the Banana Split Cupcakes (oops... I forgot to post that recipe!  Note:  Remember to post the Banana Split Cupcake recipe!).  When I looked at the site she got the recipe from, I realized I know the blogger!  Forget the fact that the recipe was originally adapted from Martha Stewart's, I knew it had to be good because I knew Jen had a great reputation for her confections, and was acquainted with her from our days on The Nest.


Catherine and I love making things from scratch.  Who needs a box, when you have a yummy go-to recipe?  For this past weekend, we had three parties we were going to, the biggest one being my father-in-law's 90th Birthday Party!  We offered to bring cupcakes, instead of a big cake, and thought a variety of cupcakes would be a cool idea. We made our standby's --  Red Velvet Cupcakes, Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes, and these Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes, and then made both Buttercream Frosting and Perfectly Chocolate Frosting.  There was pretty much a cupcake for everyone's tastes!

• 3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp. baking soda
• 2 ¼ tsp. baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp.  (2 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 ¼ cups sugar
• 5 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. 
   
3. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each.
5. Beat in vanilla.
    
6. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full.
   (I used a Pampered Chef Large Scoop.  One full scoop filled each cup perfectly.)
7. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
8. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.
   
   
9. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
10. Reduce speed to medium and add whole eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. 
11. Add yolks, and beat until thoroughly combined.

Makes 36 cupcakes

Adapted from BeantownBaker.com (and Martha Stewart)