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Have you ever noticed that candy comes in the most GORGEOUS colors? I love to decorate with candy and my friends, both young and old, love it when I do!
Decorate? Yes, I use it to pizzazz up my table decors with an added bonus: my dinner guests get to sneak a nibble here, there and everywhere!
You might have to hunt a bit, but look for a store* or perhaps a specialty shop, that carries the tiny jelly beans and chocolate covered candies in a multitude of colors - pick out matching, contrasting or just fun colors and use them liberally on your dining and buffet tables. Sometimes I'll even put tiny colorful bowls piled high with these delightful treats at each place setting. Oh, and children, well, they'll just think you're the best thing that ever happened!
I got so excited about the candy that I almost forgot about the delightful cupcakes. These Vanilla Bean cupcakes themselves are moist, yet light and are definitely my go-to recipe when I want dessert in a hurry. If you're a frequent flyer at The Café, you might recognize them from this post or perhaps this one. They're as easy as any commercial cake mix; you throw the dry ingredients in a bowl, stir, then add everything else and mix for thirty seconds - see what I mean? Ssuper simple!
But it's the frosting that you're going to go gaga over - a buttercream dream with sweet, fresh strawberries! A beautiful sight with fabulous flavor! Unless, of course, you don't like fresh strawberries ........... But if good strawberries mean "Spring" to you, as they do to me, and the sight of a "Strawberries for Sale" sign along the roadside makes your heart leap, then be assured, you'll be thrilled with this delightful Fresh Strawberry Frosting on these delicious Vanilla Bean Cupcakes!
- 4 ouncess butter (1 stick) softened
- ½ cup fresh strawberries halved
- ¼ cup strawberry jam or preserves
- 5-6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon half and half
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Combine strawberries, jam and puree in a food processor or blender.
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Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 3 minutes or until very fluffy and pale yellow.
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Add the strawberry mixture, half and half and 4 cups of the powdered sugar. Beat again for 2 minutes. Slowly add more powdered sugar until the consistency is smooth and creamy, fairly stiff but still spreadable. For the piping, you want it a bit stiffer so that the pretty edges will set up nicely. If your icing doesn't hold up when swirled on cupcakes, it has too much liquid or has gotten too warm. Place frosting in the fridge for 20 minutes which will help it to stiffen. If it's still too thin, then add a bit more powdered sugar, beat well and try again. Like anything else, after you do this a few times, you will know the correct consistency right away.
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Frost or swirl-pipe the cupcakes or cake. I use a Wilton 1M or a Wilton 2D tip for really pretty swirling. For a great tutorial on piping cupcakes, check out this site!
Spectacular flavor and color! These Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Strawberry Icing are a tasty treat for your next special celebration - or anytime the Sweet tooth fairy strikes!
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk or sour cream room temperature
- 1 large eggs room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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Adjust an oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350˚ F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper or foil liners.
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Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add butter, buttermilk (or sour cream), egg, egg yolks, and vanilla; beat at a medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.
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Divide batter evenly among the cups of the prepared tins. Bake until the cupcake tops are pale gold and a toothpick or a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from tin and transfer to wire rack; cool cupcakes to room temperature before frosting.
an
Jayne says
Is it possible to have the metric measurements for this recipe, please.
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, just did it, Jayne! Enjoy!
Gina says
I am still getting compliments on these cupcakes that I made for my grandaughter’s birthday!! Thank you, I finally found the perfect vanilla cupcake recipe !!!
Chris Scheuer says
That's wonderful, Gina! I know your granddaughter loved that you made her birthday cupcakes!
Gina says
Retract my last message. I would have gotten 12 cupcakes as they rose quite a bit (still not 18). they look beautiful and smell amazing. I did not want 18 anyways as the other 6 would have stayed here at home and we do not need them. We are social distancing and in Ontario we can only be 2 meters apart with a max of 5 people and they are already a family of five but I am sure we will hear great views ....thank you again!! ....on to my next recipe..
Stay safe!!
Gina says
Hi. I am making these for my grandaughters 13th birthday as it was her number 1 request. I only managed to get 10 cupcakes. they are barely filled half way. I have yet to put them in the oven and i am reading the comments just now as I am concerned. Are there ingredients missing? Sorry to sound skeptic as your recipes are amazing. Your shortbread cookies are next on my list this afternoon.
Thank you
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Gina, these cupcakes to rise quite a bit so you don't need to fill the cups as much as normal.
Lorie says
I am such a huge fan of your blogs and recipes, but I tried this one just knowing I have been able to trust your recipes in the past. I needed to make a good 40 of these and collected all of my ingredients and followed your instructions to the "t" with the substitution of sour cream instead of buttermilk. I ended up with a thick pasty glob. There has to be more liquid for this recipe. For the first time, I am disappointed in one of your recipes. I am still a fan.
Chris Scheuer says
Lorie, I'm so sorry this didn't work for you. Thanks for your honest review. Not sure what the problem might have been. Sour cream should be a fine substitute for buttermilk. It's a Cook's Illustrated recipe which are usually no fail. Like I said, so sorry this didn't work for you.
Aimee Christian says
These are soooo cute. They remind me of the fresh strawberry cake I make each summer when those berries are so juicy. LOVE fresh berries in the cake and the icing. Your idea of using the candy as decoration is (as usual) so smart! Gonna try some for the Easter table. I just got a beautiful pastel cross for the middle.
The Café Sucré Farine says
I'm so sorry these didn't turn out for you. I've made them numerous times and they've always turned out wonderful. It's actually one of my go-to cupcake reicpes when I want a no-fail, super easy recipe. Not sure what the problem could have been but I'm sorry you wasted your time and good ingredients.
Anonymous says
I have to wonder if any of the commenters made this recipe, or if they are just marvelling at the pictures. The cupcake recipe is a huge fail. There isn't enough liquid and I ended up with a something closer to bread dough than cake batter.
Katie says
The recipe says it makes 18 but I could only manage 16 rather short cupcakes, little flavor and a denser texture than I like in a cupcake. The icing however is fantastic and will make again with different cake recipe
manon villeneuve says
I just made the cupcakes and they were not moist at all. They were very dense. I think I do better when I add the dry ingredients last. I also could only manage 16 small cupcakes. The icing was too sweet for me.
Chris Scheuer says
So sorry you didn't like these. I've made them so many times and everyone's loved them but we don't all have the same taste, for sure. Yes, the icing is very sweet, indeed!
LP @dishclips says
These look so cute! Thanks for sharing!
Winnie says
These are amazing!
I just have to make these!
Thank you so much for sharing
I'm also pinning-it
lena says
i think i would be one of those kids grabbing a hnadful of jelly beans from your table! they look little precious little stones! YOur cupcake looks incredible with that frosting and colour!!
Happier Than a Pig in Mud says
Very pretty! I'm looking forward to local berries, maybe another month away:@)
The Café Sucré Farine says
Thank you anonymous for spotting that error - you are right - it should be 4 ounces! Fixed!
And yes you could definitely make a half a batch
Amelia says
Hi, your cuppies look gorgeous, your piping skill is excellent. 2 thumbs up for you.
Have a nice day.
Veronica Miller says
I love candy shops for the pure enjoyment of seeing all the pretty colors and treats more than for actually eating any of it! I think it's a great idea to decorate with it. But your cupcakes totally stole the show here, they're soooo pretty! I made strawberry buttercream once and it was not nearly this pretty. Time to make your recipe!