Chocolate Covered Strawberry Vanilla Cupcakes

I had a cupcake order for a Canada’s Day BBQ, and what better way to celebrate than by eating vanilla cupcakes, covered in vanilla buttercream and garnished with a chocolate covered strawberry!?

There’s nothing better!

VANILLA CUPCAKES

(makes about 20)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup canola oil (or vegetable or extra light olive oil)
• 1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F and line a cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners.
   In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Set flour mix aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 2 eggs with the whisk attachment on medium speed (15-20 seconds).
3. Add 3/4 cup sugar and continue to beat on medium speed.
4. Add vanilla and oil and beat on medium speed.
5. Reduce mixer speed to medium/low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture. Add half of the buttermilk, then the rest of the flour mix and the rest of the milk. Beat until just combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl. The batter should be thin.
6. Pour batter into a lined muffin pan. Fill to about 1/2 full.
7. Bake for 12 -14 minutes. Let them cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then remove.

Then I made a batch of my buttercream, and decorated away!