Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line twelve standard size cupcake cups with paper liners. I really love the greaseproof liners you can find at many stores these days. They stay bright and pretty, even after baking.

Lightly whisk milk, egg whites, and vanilla extract in large glass measuring cup.

Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and add butter; beating at low speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no large clumps of flour.

Add ¾ of the milk mixture to the crumbs and beat at medium speed (or high speed if using a handheld mixer) for 1-½ minutes. Add remaining milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for 20 seconds longer at low speed. Add a tiny bit of gel food coloring. Add more if needed to achieve desired hue.

Evenly distribute the batter in the cupcake tins, filling the cups no more than ⅔ full. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the cupcakes from the pan carefully and let them cool completely on a wire rack.

Frost with Best-Ever Cream Cheese Icing (recipe below). To swirl with the rose technique, use a Wilton 2D tip. Here is a wonderful tutorial for the swirling technique.