Now, we’ve come to the dessert. In my last couple of posts, I discussed the appetizer and main course we served during one of our little dinners at home. Today, I’m sharing a simple but ever-reliable cupcake recipe.

You really can’t go wrong with the classic vanilla cupcake + buttercream frosting combo. It’s a familiar, comforting flavor that’s impossible to get tired of. For this recipe, we’re making our cupcakes soft and fluffy and the buttercream smooth and sweet.

Yield: 1 dozen cupcakes

Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

• 215 grams flour
• 200 grams granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 175 grams unsalted butter (softened, room temperature)
• 3 large egg whites (room temperature)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream (or usual substitutes like Greek yogurt or buttermilk)
• 1/2 cup milk

For the buttercream frosting:

• 225 grams unsalted butter (softened, room temperature)
• 360 grams powdered sugar
• 2–4 tablespoons cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• salt to taste
• optional: food coloring

Instructions:

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and line your cupcake pan.
2. Sift the dry ingredients—flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda—into a large bowl.
3. In a separate large bowl, mix the wet ingredients: butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, milk, sour cream. Since the butter is not melted (only softened), there will be clumps. This is fine.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until well blended and clumps are gone.
5. Using an ice cream scoop, fill in your cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way through.
6. Bake for 15–18 minutes (you can do a toothpick test to check the doneness of the cupcakes). Take the baked cupcakes out of the oven and allow to cool on the counter.

For the buttercream frosting:

1. Using a stand mixer, cream the butter.
2. Add the powdered sugar in 2 or 3 batches. Start with low speed and then increase until fully combined.
3. Add the vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of cream and continue mixing. Add more cream if needed.
4. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides to make sure everything is well blended. Keep mixing until fully combined and fluffy.
5. Optional: Add food coloring and mix until color is evenly distributed.
6. Put the buttercream into a piping bag to use on your cupcakes.

Assembly:

1. Once the cupcakes have cooled, start piping the buttercream. You can use whichever tip and technique you prefer.
2. Serve and enjoy!

You can also store the cupcakes in the fridge and consume in the next couple of days for best quality. Feel free to have fun and decorate them too, maybe with sprinkles, chocolate chips, marshmallows, and other fun toppings. Have a great bake day!