How to Make Cupcakes from Scratch

Make your next batch of cupcakes from scratch.

Small and delicious, cupcakes are a favorite treat of many children and adults. In fact, trendy shops devoted just to making cupcakes are opening up in major cities across the U.S. While baking cupcakes from a packaged mix is very simple, it also limits your choices in regards to flavors and styles. Add a personal, homemade touch to your next batch of cupcakes by baking them from scratch.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Cake and pastry flour
• Baking powder
• Granulated sugar
• Softened butter
• Salt
• Eggs
• Vanilla
• Milk
• Large mixing bowl
• Electric mixer
• Whisk
• Measuring utensils
• Spoon
• Muffin pan
• Muffin liners

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Add 2 cups of sifted cake and pastry flour, 2 tsp. of baking powder, 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk the ingredients together.

3. Use an electric mixer, set on a low setting, to mix 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of softened butter, 1/2 cup of milk and 1 tsp. of vanilla into the dry ingredients. Beat this mixture on high speed for approximately two minutes.

4. Grease a muffin pan, or line it with paper muffin liners. Spoon the cupcake batter into the muffin cups until each one is three-quarters full.

5. Bake the cupcakes in the center of your preheated oven for approximately 18 minutes. Insert a cake tester into the center of one of the cupcakes - if the cake tester comes out clean, the cupcakes are done.

6. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.

Tips & Warnings

• Once you've mastered baking vanilla cupcakes from scratch, try variations such as chocolate, red velvet and black forest.

• Exercise caution when working with a hot oven.

References

• Foodnetwork.ca: Recipes and Menus: Vanilla Cupcakes