Mini Vanilla Cupcakes

These sweet mini cupcakes are sure to put a smile on anyones face. And not only are the fun to serve and eat but they are also enjoyable to make as well, it's fun to prepare little foods for a change.

You'll find these are a dessert that fitting for so many occasions including birthday celebrations, holiday parties, weekend get togethers, or even just a simple weekend baking project with the kids.

They have a satisfying, light, buttery crumb, a welcomed sweet vanilla flavor, and the silky buttercream polishes them off perfectly.

If you need more you can easily double the recipe. Which I may recommend anyway and then you can freeze half the batch for a later time because anytime is a great time for mini cupcakes!

Mini Cupcake Recipe Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: If you want an even more delicate crumb you can use cake flour.
• Baking powder: This is used to help the cupcake rise. I recommend using aluminum free baking powder for a non-metallic taste.
• Salt: Salt really helps balance out the sweetness of the cupcake and keeps it from tasting flat.
• Unsalted butter: Fat add richness to the cupcake and moisture. It also softens the crumb texture.
• Granulated sugar: Sugar is a key ingredient in sweetening the cupcake.
• Milk: I like to use whole or 2% milk for the recipe.
• Egg: The egg helps to bind ingredients together and assists in rising.
• Vanilla extract: A traditional ingredient in cupcakes and other baked goods that adds notes of sweet and welcomed natural flavor.
• Milk: This is used for the moisture for the cupcake.
• Powdered sugar: A very fine sugar also known as confectioners sugar that builds the foundation of the frosting and sweetens it.
• Heavy cream: This adds a richness to the frosting while thinning and adding whipped volume once it's blended in and aerated.

Mini Cupcake Baking Equipment Used

• Mini cupcake pan
• Mini cupcake liners
• Electric hand mixer
• Piping bags
• Wilton 1M piping tip

How to Make Mini Cupcake Batter

Down below you will find the full recipe with a complete explanation of instructions. Here is a brief overview of the steps.

• Heat oven and prepare a mini muffin pan with paper liners.
• Whisk dry ingredients together.
• Separately whip butter with sugar until pale.
• Mix in egg and vanilla extract to sugar mixture.
• Blend in half of the flour mixture, then milk, then remaining half of the flour mixture.
• Fill prepared cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
• Bake until set.

How Long to Bake Mini Cupcakes

• Mini cupcakes generally take about 9 to 13 minutes to bake in a preheated 350 degree oven.
• For this recipe they will likely only need about 9 to 10 minutes.

How to Make the Frosting

• This buttercream frosting is very simple and it can be made in a stand mixer or in a mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer to whip.
• To make it you'll simple blend all of the the frosting ingredients together on low speed until they are combined.
• Then increase to a high speed and whip for about 4 to 5 minutes until it's very light and fluffy to give it that melt in your mouth consistency.

Other Frosting Flavors to Try

If you want to change things up you could also try one of these three flavors atop these cupcakes in place of vanilla frosting:

• Chocolate buttercream frosting
• Cream cheese frosting
• Strawberry buttercream frosting

Helpful Tips

• Why room temp. ingredients: Room temperature ingredients such as eggs, milk and butter are recommended so the cupcake batter ingredients to combine together better.
• Measuring tip: Use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients if possible for the most accuracy.
• Creaming tip: Be sure to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy as this is what will incorporate tiny air bubbles into the cupcakes and help them rise higher.
• Reduce sugar: For a less sweet frosting consider a Swiss meringue, Ermine frosting or even a whipped cream topping.

Storage

• Cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container.
• They'll keep at room temperature for 2 days, in the fridge for 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

More Delicious Cupcake Recipes to Try

• Carrot Cake Cupcakes
• Chocolate Cupcakes
• Coconut Cupcakes
• Lemon Cupcakes
• Strawberry Cupcakes
• Vanilla Cupcakes (similar recipe to these but standard size)

Why You'll Love This Easy Homemade Cake

This humbly simple French style yogurt cake is perfectly fit for entertaining or a birthday celebration, yet it's mildly sweet also making it ideal for a weekend breakfast.

It's a tender cake thanks to its high yogurt content and the taste has a nice faint tang and depth of flavor.

And you wouldn't believe how effortless it is to make. It's a cake that doesn't require a mixer at all, it's a simple batter mixed by hand.

The other great thing about it is that you don't need to wait for it to cool completely before slicing and serving. It can be served a bit warm which is great during cooler months, or when you simply don't have the time to wait hours for a decadent homemade cake.

Pumpkin Cobbler Style Cake

This homestyle, cozy autumn dessert is something that should be made a least once during the holiday season each year. It comes together in minutes, doesn't require making pie crust and you get the bonus of sweet cake atop.

It's the perfect alternative treat for those who don't prefer pie and would be a welcome addition at a holiday feast.

I've made it the traditional way with box cake mix to make it speedy, though you could try whipping up your own blend if you've got a little extra time (see note below).

It's a no-fuss, minimal effort dessert that uses pantry staples and leaves you with a crowd pleasing old fashioned style, utterly delicious cake!

Decorated Halloween Cupcakes

There are so many ways to decorate halloween cupcakes but I wanted to share something easy and a little more practical. You don't need frosting piping skills to decorate these and they are made with treats we all love!

And you have two choices of frosting flavors here. You can go for the standard vanilla or my personal favorite was the orange (that chocolate orange combo is quite delicious).

The cupcake batter is made in one bowl using a whisk, then you just need a hand mixer for the frosting. So it's a basic recipe with simple tools that makes delicious results! It may just become your go-to cupcake recipe in general and just change up the tint and decoration according to the holiday or occasion.

These are such a tempting Halloween treat in so many ways and they are the perfect thing to bring along to a party. Everyone will want to savor every chocolatey bite!

Homemade Spiced Zucchini Cake

Vegetables are delicious...when they are blended into a cake right? Plain sautéed zucchini is good but zucchini is taken to a whole knew level when it's blended into an old fashioned, perfectly spiced, sweetly delicious cake and covered in a decadent cream cheese frosting!

This homestyle zucchini cake tastes very similar to carrot cake, which is why I love it so much (carrot cake is one of my favorites)! Plus it's got to be one of the moistest cakes you'll ever make. Not a dry crumb in site.

It's easy breezy to make (you don't even use a mixer for the cake portion), and it's sure to satisfy those cake cravings.

I highly recommend finishing it with pecans or walnuts for some textural contrast. I haven't ever been a big fan of nuts swirled into cake but I love them as a finishing touch on a spiced cake like this. They complement it beautifully.

Store the cake in the fridge and from there you can even enjoy it cold.

Homemade Blueberry Muffins

I've had a different blueberry muffin that's been a favorite for years. But I decided I don't always have time for the blueberry crumble so I wanted to simplify and make a faster recipe.

So a few months ago I created these and we've been making them all summer long with the delicious sweet blueberries in season.

These easy blueberry muffins are fast to make, they don't require a mixer, and they're basically foolproof. And I should mention they are a generous sized muffin with towering domed muffin tops and beautiful golden brown edges. The best kind of muffins!

Perfect for a weekend breakfast, a celebratory brunch or they could even pass for a tempting birthday treat. They are  an excellent way to use up the blueberries in season!

Refreshing Blueberry Lemon Cake

This zest blueberry lemon cake is queen of cakes. It's one of our families favorite cakes and such an excellent way to use up those flavor concentrated, sweet summer blueberries.

With it's abundance of citrus, it's combination of exceptional flavors and it's naturally colorful, showstopping presentation it's practically certain to set a new standard for homemade cakes.

And of course it's one thousand times better than any store-bought lemon cake mix, don't just attempt to mix blueberries into one of those if you really want to impress.

Everyone will be savoring each delectable bite of this infinitely delicious homemade dessert!

Quick tip, I'd recommend that you plan on a generous slice per person because something this good is worthy of indulgence and celebration.

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

I’m a big fan of making cake recipes from scratch. While box mixes are convenient, you just can’t beat the taste of a dessert that is truly homemade. They’re just so much better!

Soft and amazingly tender, perfectly sweet, deliciously indulgent, this cake is everything you could want in a yellow cake and more. Plus it's easy to prepare!

Its tantalizing flavor will leave you convinced this homemade cake is the only way to go. No matter the occasion, this moist yellow cake recipe is always a crowd pleaser.

With its homestyle sweet vanilla flavor, paired with that sophisticated rich chocolate flavor atop, it is destined to impress. This cake proves that sometimes it's the simplest things that are the best!

What Is Honey Cake? 

The origins of honey cake recipes can be traced all the way back to ancient Egyptian and Roman cultures. In its first stages, the dessert is believed to have been made out of honey and mashed yeast or barley.

During the 12th century, it was developed into a dessert similar to what we make today thanks to bakers in Italy. Soon, it was adopted by the Jewish culture and quickly became a custom surrounding the study of the Torah. 

Over time, the cake has been incorporated into a wide variety of cultures across the globe and can be found in many different variations. In fact, it is the dessert that spurred the creation of gingerbread. However, no matter how it is made, honey cake always comes together with a simple, spiced batter that is naturally sweetened. 

Soft, sweet, and incredibly tender, it’s one dessert that truly stands the test of time and remains a favorite in many homes, including our own! 

These recipes are inspired by my ever so popular edible cookie dough recipes (without raw eggs or flour), check them out here!

Homemade Cookie Cakes

When I set out to create this recipe I was originally just going to go with the classic chocolate chip cake. But of course I couldn't stop there because who doesn't love multiple options?

The chocolate chip version is chewy and buttery and tastes just like a classic chocolate chip cookie with a chocolate frosting upgrade swirling around the edges.

If you are a chocolate fan the double chocolate cookie cake is for you. It's made with rich Dutch cocoa, has a tempting fudgy texture and it's not just made with a chocolate base. It's also dotted with chocolate chips and finished with a decadent chocolate frosting.

And if you are a chewy and sweet sugar cookie fan and love sprinkles the funfetti sugar cookie cake is the one you'll love.

These are such a fun change from the classic fluffy cake for a birthday and people of all ages will enjoy them, because who doesn't love cookies?