Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting

Do I need to say more? Really? They are delicious!

The cupcakes alone are fantastic, but when you top them with the vanilla bean buttercream frosting, they are exceptional. I was in the mood to bake something and I came across this recipe. And if you know me well, you know I just have a thing for real vanilla bean, so it was perfect! The only issue I had was getting the icing the consistency I desired, I had to add in probably another 1/2 C of powdered sugar. It still wasn't as thick as I prefer, but I didn't want to add any more. The cake part of the cupcake deserves its own special mention thought, it is awesome! It has a great flavor and will definitely be my go-to recipe when I make vanilla cupcakes. You must try them as soon as possible.

Let me know if you do!

Here's the recipe, courtesy of Chef Mommy:

Ingredients
(Makes 12 cupcakes)

Vanilla Cupcakes:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners. Set pan aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides and beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in pan 5 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Prepare frosting.

Vanilla-Bean Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , softened
1/2 vanilla bean , scraped
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
3.5 cups confectioners' sugar (sifted), plus more if necessary

Cream the butter in a medium-size bowl until very smooth. Stir in the vanilla-bean seeds until they're evenly distributed. Add the salt, vanilla and milk, and stir until combined. Sift the sugar over the butter mixture and stir the mixture until it's perfectly smooth. If the frosting is too loose, add a few more tablespoons of confectioners' sugar, and stir until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap until you're ready to use; mix well just before using.
Decorate cooled cupcakes as desired.

Source: Joy of Baking, inspired by Starbucks