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Photo by What's Up Cupcake
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I have many friends and relatives born in the month of March. So to save time, as well as, our waistlines, I only bake 2 cupcakes at a time. Not only is it fast and easy, but if you don't have a big family to feed, who needs 12 cupcakes? Sometimes all you want is a serving. And by making them from scratch, you can use premium ingredients: real vanilla, butter and whole grains. Here is my recipe:
2 Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients:
¼ cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg white [save the yolk for an omelet]
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoons milk
[Add a tiny punch of baking soda if you use buttermilk or honey instead of milk or sugar, or if you use lemon juice/zest to make lemon cupcakes]
Directions:
1) In a mixing bowl whisk the ingredients together, one at a time until smooth.
2) Line a muffin pan with 2 cupcake liners, filling each one with the batter.
3) Bake at 350 F for 10 – 12 minutes until golden brown and the centers bounce back.
Vanilla Icing
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
½ cup powdered sugar, plus extra
Directions:
(1) Put the butter into a mixing bowl; melt in the microwave.
(2) Whisk in the vanilla and milk.
(3) Add the powered sugar a little at a time, as much as necessary, until the icing is stiff and creamy. Note: I usually use milk, but cream in this recipe is divine.
For chocolate cupcakes, add 2 teapoons of real cocoa powder, or melted bittersweet chocolate to both the batter and icing. Plus, cut the vanilla in half and add a pinch of baking soda to the batter. [Baking soda helps cakes rise when combined with an acidic ingredient like buttermilk, honey, lemon, chocolate, vinegar or yogurt.] You can make a vanilla and chocolate cupcake to satisfy tastes. Decorate with colored sprinkles, chocolate shavings or shredded nuts, if you wish.
Making one cupcake is simple too: Follow the directions above, cutting the ingredients in half. But with cupcakes, much like drinking, do you really want to indulge alone? C'mon, invite a friend over.
