Made with cake flour and buttermilk for best texture, these miniature sweets are easy and inexpensive to prepare for a crowd. Although the buttercream frosting can certainly be piped, we chose to spread it with an offset spatula to resemble a rose.
Mini Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla-Almond Buttercream
Makes 48
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups sifted cake flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup whole buttermilk
- Vanilla-Almond Buttercream (recipe follows)
- Garnish: sugar pearls
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line the wells of a 48-well mini muffin pan with mini baking cups.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer at low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Using a levered 2-teaspoon scoop, portion batter into prepared wells of muffin pan.
- Bake until cupcakes are lightly browned and a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean, 11 to 13 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks.
- Using a small offset spatula, frost cupcakes with Vanilla-Almond Buttercream.
- Garnish with sugar pearls, if desired.
Vanilla-Almond Buttercream
Makes approximately 3¾ cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 5 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Gel food coloring in desired color
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat butter with a mixer at medium-low speed until light and creamy, approximately 1 minute. Gradually beat in confectioner’s sugar until well combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in milk, vanilla extract, desired amount of almond extract, and salt until well combined. Increase mixer speed to high and beat buttercream until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in enough food coloring to achieve desired hue. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container, refrigerate, and use within 3 days at room temperature.
