Very Vanilla Cupcakes With Easy Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

Very Vanilla Cupcakes

• 1/2 cup cake-and-pastry flour
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 dash fine salt
• 3 tablespoons 2% low-fat milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 4 extra large eggs, whites and yolks separated
• 12 tablespoons sugar

Easy Icing

• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1-2 tablespoon milk

Directions

1. 1

   Very Vanilla Cupcakes:. Preheat oven to 350 °F and line mini muffin tins with paper liners.

2. 2

   Sift flours, baking powder and salt and set aside. Whisk milk, oil and vanilla bean paste together and set aside.

3. 3

   Whip egg whites with 6 tbsp of sugar until they hold a soft peak when beaters are lifted. In a separate bowl, whip egg yolks with remaining 6 tbsp of sugar until doubled in volume and a pale, butter colour. Fold whipped whites into yolk mixture. Fold flour into whipped eggs in two additions. Stir a spoonful of batter into milk mixture then add all back to batter, folding quickly to incorporate.

4. 4

   Pipe or spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, 3/4-full. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until cupcake springs back when touched. Let cool.

5. 5

   Easy Icing:. Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy and smooth. On low speed, add icing sugar, 1 cup at a time, until blended. Beat in vanilla bean paste and add milk, 1 tbsp at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Ice cupcakes as desired.