Georgetown Cupcake Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder*
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups milk, room temperature
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

For the Frosting:

• 16 tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:

For the Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners, set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
• In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vanilla, set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together the butter and sugar.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.
• Reduce mixer speed to low and pour in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/3 of the milk mixture, mixing until combined.  Then add another 1/3 of flour mixture, then 1/3 milk mixture.  Add remaining flour mixture, then remaining milk mixture, beating until just incorporated.
• Remove bowl from stand and stir in chocolate chips (start with 1/2 cup and add more if desired).
• Spoon batter into cupcake tins using a large cookie scoop, filling about 2/3 full or a little more if you want them to puff up more.  I would recommend just making 22-23 cupcakes so the cupcakes are a bit taller in size.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool in the pans on a wire rack.

Note:
*One reader tried this with 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder and said it helped the consistency tremendously.

For the Frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and confectioner’s sugar.  Beat for several minutes until creamy.  Add in milk, vanilla & salt and continue to beat until frosting is light and fluffy and spreadable consistency.  Spread icing on top of cooled cupcakes, or place in ziploc bag and cut the tip off and pipe onto cupcakes.

Source: Georgetown Cupcake via Live with Kelly