Snicker Doodle Cupcakes

Here's the deal: I am a 22 year old college graduate who dreams of one day opening up her own bakery. The only training I have had is the guidance of my mother and grandmothers who instilled the love I have for baking in me at a very young age, and the many Martha Stewart recipes that I have drooled over every time I make them (seriously Martha is a god). Other than that I am a self taught sugar fiend that loves to spend any chance she gets baking – and eating delicious sweets.

My goal: Post one recipe a week in hopes of advancing my baking knowledge.

My fear: Getting fat.

I've spent the past 4 or 5 months reading the blogs of Smitten Kitchen, Joy the Baker, Brunellos Have More Fun, and 17 and Baking. With every blog they posted, I found myself wanting to be a part of this online food blogging society. So with the support of my friends and family I am finally finding the courage to do it. So please bear with me. I ask that you have patience with me in the beginning because this is all very new to me. I can't guarantee that my pictures will be amazing, because they won't, and I can't guarantee that I won't ramble, because I most likely will. I'm excited, nervous, and terrified. Hopefully I won't bore you, and hopefully you'll be inspired to bake one of these recipes your self!

Now to the cupcakes!

These cupcakes are a piece of heaven on earth. ( I know that sounds corny, but it is the absolute truth! ) The cupcakes are so light and airy. Even without the frosting they are so delicious. But who would want a cupcake without frosting? Seriously? That's absurd. Especially this frosting...oh man oh man, it is oh so delicious.

Snicker Doodle Cupcakes
(Recipe from Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour (if you don't have cake flour it is okay to substitute with all-purpose flour)
  
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.


Cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Then add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full (I like to use an ice cream scoop to make sure they all come out evenly). Bake, rotating tins halfway through, for about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.


After they've completely cooled frost the tops of each cupcake. I also like to make a cinnamon sugar mix (3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon) and sprinkle a little on top of each cupcake before the frosting hardens.

Vanilla Frosting
(Recipe from Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book)

Ingredients:

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups confectioners sugar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Beat butter on medium high speed for two minutes, until pale and creamy. Then add 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar, beating until well incorporated and scraping down the sides. After each 1 cup of confectioner's sugar added to the butter, turn the mixer on high and beat for ten seconds. Continue to do this until all 4 cups of sugar has been used. This should take about 5 minutes.



*This makes for a very large recipe. I usually halve the recipe when I make one batch of cupcakes.

You know you want to make these. And trust me, you can't eat just one. They are so freaking delicious!