Brita's Most Delicious Vanilla Cupcakes

Dear baking world, 

I realize that posting two days in a row could be considered rude/obtrusive/overboard but today is a momentous day for three reasons.

First, I realized as if a block had been dropped on my head that the library has cookbooks to check out. COOKBOOKS! Who would've thought? Apparently not me because I hadn't thought of it until yesterday. I rushed over and rented BakeWise by Shirley Corriher which is frequently referenced on blogs and such. I began reading the second I got home and Shirley's advice (and enthusiasm) eventually inspired round 2 of vanilla cupcake making.

Second, I finished my last day of volunteering at the best place in the whole entire world. I am so grateful to my boss and coworkers for their companionship all summer. 

Third, I was not satisfied with my cupcakes yesterday. Not at all. I spent most of the morning frowning about my failures and I knew I would not rest until I pulled the most wonderful tray of cupcakes out of my oven. Which I did and after I popped the first bite of steaming cupcake into my mouth, I melted into a pile of tears and crumbs because I had, without a doubt, just tasted a small bite of such goodness that I thought it were made of clouds. (My mom always said I had a flair for the drama.)

So how did Shirley guide me in creating this delicious little cupcake? Well, according to Shirley, adding heavy whipping cream after it is whipped to a soft peak to cake adds a special oomph both in flavor and texture. Not only does heavy whipping cream add air bubbles but it also is high in fat which makes for a more tender cake. However, because heavy whipping cream is extremely high in calories, I replaced a third of the canola oil with plain yogurt. I reasoned that the heavy whipping cream already added so much fat that a slight reduction in the oil department wouldn't make a difference. I was right. In fact, I think full oil would've yielded a cupcake that would be simply too rich.

Also, a quick side note about the "perfect vanilla cupcake." I have searched for four weeks now to find that elusive cupcake. Today I realized that every person has a different preference for taste; while other people may have found their favorite vanilla cupcake recipe, I have now certainly found mine. These cupcakes have rich, vanilla flavor, they're extremely moist and they have a delicate but substantial crumb.

Here is the glorious recipe followed by some pictures.

Brita's Most Delicious Vanilla Cupcakes 

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1 cup sugar

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. plain yogurt (I used a regular yogurt but I'm sure Greek would be fine)

1 1/8 tsp. baking powder (1/8 is just a dash but necessary. Sour cream also works.)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. sea salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream in a separate bowl and whip with a hand mixer until it reaches a "soft peak." Set aside.

Put the flour, sugar, vegetable oil, yogurt, baking powder, vanilla and sea salt into a standing mixer bowl. Mix on slow until incorporated. Scrape sides. Mix for another minute or until smooth. Next, add the egg on slow until fully incorporated. Scrape the sides. Mix for an additional minute on slow-medium to make sure all of the sugar is fully dissolved.

Add half of the whipping cream to the batter and stir in by hand. Add the rest of the whipping cream and finish stirring by hand, leaving a few streaks.

Place the batter into a cupcake tin and bake for 19-21 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.

Delicious! Frosted and completed cupcakes coming soon. 

P.S. I will be going on a 9 day hiatus (unless I plan ahead with a blog entry or two during my vacation) because the family is going to Germany for my sister's wedding.