Vanilla Cupcakes with Rose Petal Buttercream

Ingredients:

Vanilla Cupcakes

• 1 ½ cups of all- purpose flour 
• 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
• ¼ teaspoons of salt
• 1 cup of unsalted butter, softened 
• 2 ⅓ cups of granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• ½ cup of milk

Buttercream

• 1 cup of unsalted butter, softened 
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 4 cups of confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• 1-2 drops of red food coloring (or any color you want the flower to be)

Directions:

Vanilla Cupcakes

1. Start with preheating the oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners and set it aside for later.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Now in a large bowl, blend butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time until fully mixed. Add in vanilla and continue to beat together.
4. Next add the dry ingredients gradually, alternating with the milk, until fully combined. 
5. It’s time to fill up the cupcake liners: ⅔ full with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes. (It is recommended to use a toothpick to check the center of the cupcake and comes out clean to help you know when it is done.)
6. Once the cupcakes are fully cooked let them cool for 5-10 minutes in the muffin tray. Then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Buttercream Icing:

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter using an electric mixer. Add vanilla and mix them together until it is light and fluffy.
2. Now add in powdered sugar gradually and carefully to make sure it does not make a mess, mixing on medium speed. Next add milk and the food coloring and continue to mix together until light and fluffy. Note: If you are using a liquid food coloring, you may need to add a little bit more sugar.
3. Cover the bowl with a moist cloth until you are ready to use the icing, so it does not become hard or thick.

Frosting Petals:

1. Secure a 2D piping tip onto a piping bag and fill the bag with icing.(Or if you do not have one you could use a plastic bag and then cut a hole in the corner. Do note they may not come out the same.)
2. In the middle of a cupcake, pipe a small amount of icing. Now without lifting the piping bag, slowly work your way around, going counter-clockwise, until you reach the outer edge of the cupcake. Make sure you use a lot of pressure to get the icing out consistently. It should look like a flower (rose).
3. Repeat these steps with each cupcake.