Daily Archives: October 12, 2012

Vanilla-Pumpkin Cupcakes

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I feel like there is some crazy photography secret out there that I am totally unaware of.

Whenever I really feel like getting some GOOD pictures of my recipes, I have to take the whole shebang outside. Which, by the way, is a totally scary trip. I tend to carry like 20 things in my two hands to avoid taking a second trip. It makes sense.

There have been more than a couple times where I have dropped a whole plate of cookies or muffins on my way out the door. Thankfully germs aren’t like totally visible! No worries though, I usually don’t eat the fallen food (yuck), unless, of course, I’m just really sad and upset and can’t believe what a dope I am for dropping 5 perfect cupcakes. Then I have to just eat whatever is convenient.

Anywho, like how do these bloggers get perfect lighting in all their pictures!?! I’m talking about you, Picky-Palate, How Sweet It Is, Cookies and Cups, and Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. It seriously like they have the sun in their house with just the perfect about of clouds to not make the photos overexposed and scary.

Until I figure out the big, bad photography secret, I guess the great outdoors will remain my camera’s BFF.

Thankfully I have learned a wee bit since I first started on the blog. Hahaha, you guys have to look at the pictures on this post. Talk about disaster!!

Oh yeah, and SHOCKER… I have another pumpkin recipe to share with you all. I made pretty basic vanilla cupcakes and topped them with a deeeeelicious pumpkin buttercream. Seriously in love with this frosting. If I could eat it by the bowl-full…I totally would. Until like all my teeth fell out.

So now that I have given you that lovely image, you should probably get your mixer out, oven on, and butter softened.

Vanilla Cupcakes

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

2/3 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

1/4 cup milk (I used skim)

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 12 muffin cups, set aside.
  2. Cream together butter and sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside. Alternately add in flour mixture and milk, until all is mixed in and fully incorporated.
  3. Spoon batter into lined cupcake tins and bake in preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cupcakes sit in tins for about 10 minutes then let cool on wire rack. When completely cool, frost as desired.

Pumpkin Buttercream

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 Tablespoons pumpkin puree

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 1/2-4 cups powdered sugar, as needed

about 2-3 Tablespoons milk (I used skim), as needed

  1. Cream butter with mixer until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Mix in pumpkin puree. Add in powdered, 1 cup at a time, until frosting is desired consistency. Add milk as needed until frosting is desired consistency. Frost cooled cupcakes, enjoy!

Random Fact of the Day: Teflon is the slipperiest surface in the world.

 

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