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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.
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Lightly whisk milk, egg whites, and vanilla extract in large glass measuring cup.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Remove the cupcakes from the pan carefully and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
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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.