Cupcakes! Come on, you know they still give you a little glimmer of glee. If you haven’t had one in a few decades, Mudhouse is looking to remedy that by instituting Cupcake Fridays, on which they fill the entire baked goods case with assorted cupcakes at noon. They aren’t sticking to your garden variety, either, though the vanilla cupcake recipe below is moist and delicious—Tiramisu, Chocolate Mint and Pumpkin Square cupcakes have spiced up the mix.
There is some freakish and awe-inspiring stuff going on in this country regarding cupcakes. Their customizable nature has earned them a sexy reputation in cities as the new candy-gram, while the super high sugar and fat content inspired schools to try to ban them (and actually incurred legislation on the matter in Texas!). Plus, I have read the word “cupcakista” several times in the media, which leads me to the same conclusion to which I come every morning while reading the paper: America needs to get a grip on the whole trend-explosion thing. Nothing against cupcakes, of course, for they spread joy and sugar-induced happiness everywhere…maybe I’ll send one to that cute boy at the office.
Even looking at Mudhouse’s Vanilla Cupcakes can put a smile on your face, but that’s just a prelude to the joy and the sugar in the actual taste.
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Mudhouse’s Vanilla Cupcakes
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream the butter until smooth. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add dry ingredients in three stages alternating with milk and vanilla. Incorporate ingredients after each addition but do not overbeat. Making sure ingredients are well-blended first, carefully spoon the batter into cupcake liners filling about 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Icing:
1 cup unsalted butter
5-6 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Place butter in large mixing bowl. Add half of the sugar, then milk, then vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add remaining sugar, one cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be spread consistently.
Video of cupcakes being prepared at Mudhouse. |
