Ingredients:
- 3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream for Valentine Cupcakes
- 3 1/2 ounces cinnamon candies (about 1/2 cup)
Instructions:
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Line jumbo muffin pans with baking cups; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
- 2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With mixer running, add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
- 3. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- 4. Divide batter evenly between baking cups (2/3 cup batter per cup). Bake until light golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating pans halfway through baking, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan to wire rack to cool completely.
- 5. To decorate, use the handle of a wooden spoon to create a deep hole in the center of each cupcake. Using a pastry bag fitted with a 1/3-inch round tip, fill cupcakes with buttercream. Frost each cupcake with about 2 tablespoons buttercream. Use cinnamon candies to make X’s, O’s, or hearts on top of cupcakes.
