Making the Frosting

Vanilla Frosting

Frosting is a key element to cupcakes and other baked good like cupcakes. I am most comfortable using store bought frosting, one reason because its much easier than whipping some up. But on my journey through the baking world, I have realized how important frosting really is, so I decided to use a recipe and make some homemade frosting. The recipe, on the side bar of page 210 in the book "The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book, the Essential Recipe Collection for Today's Home Baker", requires:

• 1 cup of milk
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

I whisked the milk into the flour in a small bowl until it turned smooth, so that it'll thicken. While I was doing this, I missed a key step. "Heat and stir until it boils and thickens" (210). Because of this, my frosting did not turn out as intended, but I continued on. I beat the butter and added in the milk mixture and continued to beat it in. This is when my mistake is clearly represented. I was not able to reach my goal and my outcome showed it. Because the milk was not mixing in with the butter mixture, I drained it and added 6 tbsp of flour and sugar, and managed to get it to stick together. 


In the end, I learned that patience and attention is a key factor in baking, because of the severe consequences it could lead to if you miss a single step. 

Have you ever missed a step while cooking and ended up with a bad outcome? What approach did you take to solve it, or did you start over? 

Classic Birthday Cake Cupackes

Classic Birthday Cake Cupcakes

With my last cupcake, I went the chocolate route, but today I decided that I'll go on the other end of the spectrum and go with the vanilla. This recipe is used for cakes, but I used the batter to instead make some sing serve cupcakes. On page 206 of the book "The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book, the Essential Recipe Collection for Today's Home Baker", the recipe calls for:

• 2 3/4 cups of all-purpose (plain) flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• Vanilla frosting

Recipe for Vanilla frosting:

• 1 cup room-temperature unsalted butter
• 4 cups confectioners' (icing) sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy (double) cream
• 2 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

Flour Mixture

Firstly, I whisked together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended. In another bowl, I used an electrical mixer to beat the butter until smooth, but I over beat the butter which caused the cupcakes to turn out spongy in the end, so a piece of advice is to make sure you beat on medium speed and stop sooner rather than later. I then slowly added in the sugar and continue beating until well blended 

Batter

and fluffy. After, I added the eggs one at a time and beat well after each egg. I then beat in the vanilla followed by the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with buttermilk in two additions, and beat on low speed. 

Cupcakes baking

After I beat the mixture well, I poured 
the batter in the cupcake tins and pop
them into the oven for about 15-20, or until the toothpick I put in the 
cupcake comes out clean. I let them cool for 5 minutes before I started making the vanilla frosting. 

Cupcakes out of the oven

Frosting

I put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat it until well mixed and fluffy. I put the frosting into a pastry bag and piped the frosting onto the cupcakes. 

Piping out frosting onto
cupcake

 In the end, I think           there was too much   butter needed, so I advise if you are   making these cupcakes, you use less   butter than required. These cupcakes   were good, as are any cupcake, but I   would not use this recipe again or retry after I have more experience baking. 

If you have ever made any cupcakes, have you ever made any mistakes during the process? Or if you haven't baked any cupcakes yet, do you plan to? What flavor?