Halloween Cupcakes

I know what you're thinking, "Isn't Halloween over?" Yes, it is but I don't care. Cupcakes will always rule and take over the world (sinister laugh)...No, really, I made these cuppies for my niece and nephews that came to spend the Halloween weekend with my family. We had a great time, even if I did have to keep telling my nephew Oscar Jr. to keep his hands of the buttercream frosting.  But who can blame him?!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla (Orange)Buttercream
Slight adaptation from Annie's Eats
Yields about 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1¼ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and set aside. Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and creamy in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for one more minute.

Add the sugar to the butter mixture, ¼ cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Mix in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Combine the buttermilk and the vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.

Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full (you will likely have batter left over after filling 24 wells.) Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Replace paper liners and bake remaining batter if desired. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Vanilla Buttecream

Ingredients

• 1 stick of butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 3-4 cups of powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup of milk
• Orange gel color

Mix the butter and the powdered sugar together. Add the vanilla extract and the milk and continue mixing until you have the consistency you desired. Take a toothpick and slowly dip it into your coloring gel and dabbed your frosting while blending until you get the color you achieve.