First off – Happy New Year!!! A little late in the game, but better late than never! I hope everyone had a wonderful new years, filled with delicious food, drinks and many laughs.

Many people have asked me, “What’s your new years resolution?” and honestly I hadn’t really thought about it. I’m not one who loves making resolutions for the new year, let alone being successful at keeping them.

When I really thought about the top three things I want to make happen in the new year, they would be:

1. Be more experimental with baking. Finally cross all the things off my baking bucket list, that I created three years ago and still haven’t completed half.
2. Play more board games. Because why the heck not.
3. Stop being such a horrific procrastinator and a lazy human being.

What are your resolutions? I’d love to know in the comments below! Maybe they will even inspire me…

 

Now on to the post – I definitely know I’ve made vanilla and chocolate cupcakes more than anything on else you see here on my blog.

Whether I’ve made them for birthdays… commencements… anniversaries… I have for sure made my fair share of vanilla and chocolate cupcakes. I recently made these cupcakes for a birthday. They are your simple vanilla with vanilla buttercream and chocolate with chocolate buttercream.

I added these cute gold edible pearls and white edible pearls on top, for a little glam and sparkle!

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 liners – this recipe makes about 14 cupcakes. Set aside.
2. Whisk the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla together until completely smooth. Pour half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Then half of the buttermilk. Gently whisk – about 5 stirs. Repeat with the remaining wet ingredients and buttermilk. Stir until just combined; do not overmix.
4. Pour/spoon the batter into the liners – fill only halfway to avoid spilling over the sides. Bake in batches for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted icing sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons of milk*

Directions:

1. In large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
2. Gradually add cocoa powder, beating well on medium speed. Slowly add the icing sugar, one cup at a time. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When both ingredients have been mixed in, icing will appear dry.
3. Gradually add milk; beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.
5. For pure white icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 teaspoon No-Colour butter flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.

VANILLA CUPCAKES

(makes about 30)

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.

VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons of milk*

Directions:

1. In large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
2. Gradually add icing sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.
3. Gradually add milk; beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.
5. For pure white icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 teaspoon No-Colour butter flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.