Life Joys : Just a Cupcake

Life Joys are true to a moment which are most often carved out from the simplest of everyday circumstances. For me a simple vanilla cupcake alongside a well brewed cup of masala chai at 4 pm is one such emotion and hence , a most deserving spot on this blog . Made fragrant with good quality vanilla , these soft and scrumptious batch of comfort food are absolutely no frill and therefore far away from being overtly sweet .

The other best part about making these cupcakes is that they require the simplest of pantry staples . The marriage of softened butter and buttermilk creates an amazingly soft cupcake crumb that will just melt in your mouth. Also , these cupcakes are very easy to master and once you have tried them , you will soon be making bakery-quality cupcakes in no time from your home kitchen . But before we start , let me share with you some of my best Tips while making Cupcakes:

1. Keep all ingredients at Room Temperature – Ensure the eggs, buttermilk and butter are all room temperature , this will give the batter an even consistency.

2. Alternate Adding Flour and Buttermilk – this keeps the mixture uniform and well blended. If you add in all of the flour or buttermilk at once, it can saturate the creamed butter and cause the mixture to separate. Mix well between each addition

3. Measure Correctly – be sure to use the proper measuring cups for wet and dry ingredients.

4. Don’t Overfill – Fill cupcake liners only 2/3 full or they will overflow and cause a muffin top. We want a nice even dome and not over spilled muffin tops .

Things you will need : Makes about 10 medium sized cupcakes

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

• 2 large eggs room temperature

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup buttermilk , room temperature

Steps to follow :

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

• Sieve together all purpose flour, baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt and keep aside .

• In another bowl , beat butter and sugar with a hand blender on medium to high speed for 5 minutes until fluffy ( Beat an extra 5 minutes if using a balloon whisk and doing this by hand )

• Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition.

• Add the vanilla essence and continue to combine.

• Next , add the flour mixture in batches , alternating with the buttermilk and mixing to incorporate well with each addition.

• Divide the batter evenly into a cupcake lines . Note : fill the cupcake liners only 2/3rds full . Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes , or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

• Allow them to cool for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool to room temperature before frosting. Decorate with frosting and sprinkles of your choice .

• Enjoy #Lifejoys