Vanilla Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream

Happy Joe Cain Day to everyone around here! Happy Valentine’s Day to the rest of you!

I know a lot of people hate Valentine’s Day but I actually kind of love it. Not because it’s a day of love blah blah blah but because it’s an excuse to put hearts on everything and I heart hearts. I really didn’t want to do too much for V-Day (Hello lazy!) but I did want to use these cupcake wrappers and the sprinkles that I snatched up as soon as Target put their Valentine’s stuff out. So I decided on plain vanilla cupcakes and some cinnamon buttercream for a little spice.

The cupcakes were amazing. The cake was so soft and delicious, and the cinnamon buttercream is my favorite. I wish someone had told me how life changing cinnamon buttercream is. I’m already thinking about the next cake I’ll pair with it.

Vanilla Cupcakes
from Martha Stewart

1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.

In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter.

Cinnamon Buttercream

1 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 – 4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar a 1/2 cup at a time until completely incorporated, adding up to 4 tablespoons of milk when the icing gets to thick. Add vanilla and cinnamon and beat until just combined.