The Perfect Cupcake + A Birthday Celebration

Ingredients

for the cupcakes:
4 ounces | 114 grams | 1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted, organic butter
6 1/2 ounces | 180 grams | 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons organic, pure cane sugar
2 large, organic eggs
3 ounces | 80 grams | 1 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
3 ounces | 80 grams | 1/2 cup millet flour
2 1/2 ounces | 70 grams | 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon almond meal
1 ounce | 30 grams | 3 tablespoons sweet rice flour
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

for the butter cream
16 ounces | 456 grams | 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
4  – 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 vanilla bean, pulp removed
1 teaspoon. pure vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons whole milk

Instructions

for the cupcakes:
• preheat oven to 350*. line muffin tins with 2″ paper liners. place on two parchment lined jelly roll pans. set aside.
• in a medium bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients. set aside.
• in the work bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar until combined.
• add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl after each egg. add vanilla bean paste.
• add the yogurt and mix until all ingredients are incorporated and you no longer see any white streaks in the batter.
• with the mixer on medium speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix well.
• using a 1/4 cup ice cream scooper, place batter into prepared liners.
• bake 18 – 22 minutes or until the tops are a golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes come clean.
• let cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

for the butter cream:
• mix the butter until very creamy (about 3-5 minutes).
• split the vanilla bean down the middle.  with a pairing knife, scrape out the seeds from the bean. add them to the creamed butter and mix, pulsing slowly(save your pods and throw them in a jar of sugar. I keep vanilla sugar on hand it is a great way to dress up any dessert).
• add the sifted powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until you get the consistency that you desire.
• add the milk and vanilla.
• I like a thicker butter cream, so I tend to use more sugar and less milk.
• frost the cupcakes with a pastry tip of your choice or an off set spatula.
• enjoy!

I doubled this recipe to make 30 2″ cupcakes.