French Vanilla Cupcakes

We were going to a potluck at church and supposed to bring food. I don’t know why this always stresses me out but it does. I mean, what food? What will everyone want? What will work? What if I make something and it turns out disgusting?

It was especially difficult Saturday because I worked until 3 and then still had no idea what I was making. Time frame? We were leaving the house at 5. Uh oh. Ya know what? Food Network to the rescue. After numerous viewings of Cupcake Wars I realized that I could easily put together 24 cupcakes in 2 hours.

If I hurried.

These French Vanilla cupcakes are moist and very, very vanilla. Not boring, kiss-your-sister vanilla but seductive, exotic, fabulous vanilla. Deep, velvety, luscious vanilla.

I used Rose Chocolate Swiss Buttercream on half and Lavender Key Lime Swiss Buttercream on the other half.  You can use any frosting you like but I am really hooked on Swiss Buttercream. It is very rich, not too sweet, and totally amazing flavor-wise. Try it at least once.

Recipe: French Vanilla Cupcakes

Summary: Deep vanilla flavor in a moist, perfect cupcake

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups of vanilla sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 egg yolks, room temperature
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup of buttermilk, room temp
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • 1 1-inch piece of  vanilla bean

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Heat the buttermilk until it just simmers.
  3. Remove from heat and add the vanilla pod.
  4. Set aside.
  5. Beat butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy.
  6. Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beat thoroughly after each addition.
  7. Blend flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda, in a bowl.
  8. Cut open vanilla pod and scrape out seeds into the buttermilk. (You can dry the pod and use it to make vanilla sugar)
  9. Add vanilla to buttermilk
  10. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low until mixed.
  11. Add ½ the buttermilk.
  12. Continue to alternate the flour and buttermilk, ending with the flour.
  13. Scoop into cupcake papers about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
  14. Cool and frost with desired buttercream.

Quick Notes

You can replace 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk with vanilla brandy for a deeper flavor.

Cooking time (duration): 20

Number of servings (yield): 24

Meal type: dessert

Culinary tradition: USA (Traditional)

My rating: 5 stars:  ★★★★★ 1 review(s)


for 1 cupcake (without buttercream)

Nutrition Information:

Calories 205

Fat 8.7 (saturated fat 5.2)

Carbs 29.3

Protein 2.8

image: marye audet

Vanilla

These cupcakes are an intense vanilla and that means that you are only going to get the most intense flavor by using really good vanilla… It does make a difference. I use this vanilla and I just love it. Click on the image for more details.

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22 Comments

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22 Responses to French Vanilla Cupcakes

  1. Pingback: Chocolate and Rose Swiss Buttercream- |

  2. Pingback: Key Lime and Lavender Swiss Buttercream- |

  3. Karen

    Looks yummy….just copied down recipe… On the books for this week! Thanks :)

  4. Hi Marye,
    These look amazing and I loved your description of them ;-) .
    xoxo Cori

  5. You are going to make me some right? Since I didn’t get to taste them the first time? oooh yummy.

  6. Pingback: Dr. Pepper Swiss Buttercream- |

  7. Tina

    Hi, I was interested in making these and in the ingredients it has 2 tsp of vanilla extract listed, but it doesnt say where you added that?

    • marye

      You can add it in with the buttermilk or with the creamed butter. It really doesn’t matter with vanilla. :)

      • Tina

        Thank you for your response! I made these today and they were a hit! It came out to be 30 cupcakes for me and I frosted them with a Vanilla Buttercream frosting; absolutely delicious and will def make again :)

        • marye

          YAY! There is nothing better than a really good vanilla cupcake! Ummm… unless maybe it is a really good chocolate one…. or pineapple… or…

  8. Tasha

    Question while reading the recipe…it says vanilla sugar? can you get that anywhere

  9. Pingback: - Rycrafty

  10. Meredith

    Is it going to make a big difference to not use vanilla sugar? Or can you find this somewhere in a store? I did read above where it says you can order it online or make your own but I don’t have time. Any suggestions?
    Thanks!

  11. Pingback: French Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frosting

  12. Erica

    My husband has requested a French vanilla cake for his birthday on Wednesday, and I am definitely going to be making these cupcakes instead of an actual cake! I also don’t have any time to order/buy vanilla sugar,but I saw above you posted that you can just double the vanilla. Would I double both the vanilla extract and vanilla bean? Thank you for posting this recipe btw! I can’t wait to make these!

  13. Pingback: French Vanilla Cupcakes with Cookie Dough Frosting » Fit, Fun & Delish! A food blog for healthy recipes, comfort food and indulgent desserts

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Marye Audet