Deana's Blog:

Well here we go, my first Swirly Sweet Cupcake blog.  I've been baking since I was a young girl with my Mom and Grandmothers.  Well ok, I admit to mostly licking the bowls (which you are not allowed to do anymore)  but shhh, don't tell anyone!  There is this huge cupcake craze in case you have been living in a cave.  A few years ago my daughter and I went to New York to a famous bakery to get our famous cupcakes.  I couldn't believe I paid almost $4 for a stale tasting red velvet cupcake!  Of course I can make better cupcakes and so I do!  I started my own home based cupcake business making beautiful cupcakes with the finest ingredients.  Since Mother's Day is coming up, I'm posting my creations! 

I'm giving you my best Vanilla Cupcake recipe or least the one that is the best today.  If I find a better one, you'll be the first to get it! 

Swirly Sweet Vanilla Cupcake:

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar (King Arthur's baker's special sugar is the best)
2 eggs (room temperature)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups cake flour (King Arthur or Swan's) Yes you have to sift it!
1 Tbsp. cake enhancer (King Arthur)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup buttermilk (room temperature)

Cream butter for one minute.  Add sugar and beat with paddle attachment for 5 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, mix well.  Add vanilla, yes 2 tsp.  You want it to taste like vanilla!  Use a pure vanilla, like Spice Islands or I sometimes use an organic vanilla.  This is what I had today! 

In separate bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder, cake enhancer and salt. You can find Swan's at most supermarkets.  King Arthur is harder to find so I order it online along with the sugar and cake enhancer.   

Add 1/3 of flour mixture to batter, then 1/2 of buttermilk, alternating with flour and buttermilk, ending with flour.  Do not overmix. 

Next I added food gel coloring in pink and purple and leaving one plain.

Use pretty cupcake liners like these tulip ones from Wilton that you can find at Walmart.

Bake at 350 for 18 to 20 minutes.  Set your timer for 15 minutes and check them with a wooden toothpick. Makes 12 cupcakes. When it comes out clean, your cupcakes are ready. 
Now we are ready for the frosting. 

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup butter
1 cup butter flavored Crisco baking sticks
6 cups powdered sugar (yes you have to sift all that powdered sugar)
2 tsp. vanilla
3 or 4 Tbsp. milk

Combine butter and Crisco until smooth.  Add vanilla.  Mix well.  Add powdered sugar a little at a time with your paddle attachment.  Only add enough milk to get the consistency that you want to pipe the frosting.  It should like this example:

Now use your gel colors in pink and purple to add stripes on your frosting bag with a wooden dowel.  It will look like this in the bag.

I only use Ateco tips, these are are 867 and 828.  You can buy these at Amazon.com.  Now start frosting.  I put lots of frosting on my cupcakes.  It doesn't mean you have to eat it all, it just makes them look pretty.  Then add sprinkles or toppings.  My cupcakes always have toppings!  These don't have sprinkles because I use a striped frosting.  I bought these edible toppings, butterflies and flowers at Amazon.com.  The posies you can find at Walmart.  I often make my toppings with fondant.  But that will be another blog. 

I also admit to not being the best photographer, but hopefully my friend, Heather will see this and decide to take some pretty pictures for me!  These cupcakes turned out beautiful and delicious!  Thanks so much for reading my blog!  You can go to my Swirly Sweet Cupcakes facebook page and see my other creations.  My website is coming soon!!