Treats for my little Nursery Kids

 I made these cupcakes for the nursery kids. We had four birthdays this month so I made them these special cupcakes. And they were super yummy.

Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes

*Makes between 16-24 cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 for light, aluminum or silicone muffin pans or 325 for dark, nonstick muffin pans. Line about 16-24 muffin cups with liners and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix in eggs and egg yolk one at a time and then mix in the vanilla. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Combine. Add 1/2 of the buttermilk. Mix. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Mix. Add the final 1/2 of the buttermilk. Mix and then add the final 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Mix until combined and the batter is smooth. Spoon out batter into lined cupcake pan, filling only halfway or just barely over halfway.

Bake for about 15-18 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven based on the type of muffin pan you have), until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out with moist crumbs. Don't overbake!

Remove the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost as desired.

Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

*Note: you can substitute milk for the heavy cream but the frosting will be missing an element of silky creaminess.

*Makes about 4 cups of frosting

½ cup (1 stick, 8 tablespoons) butter, softened to room temperature

3 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

16 ounces powdered sugar (about 3 ½ cups)

¼ cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or the bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until it is light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar gradually and mix in fully after each addition. Cream at low speed until well blended and creamy. Pour in the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is light and fluffy.