If you think this is a regular vanilla cupcake recipe you are wrong. There is two different kinds of extract, I just love the smell of vanilla, and buttermilk. In a different version of this recipe I use actual vanilla seeds and paste. It can be a little pricey. For the topping I just used any leftover candy, cookies and nuts.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 3/4 cups pure cane sugar
1 1/4 sticks (5 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoons of clear prue vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of madagascar vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
White chocolate ganache
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/2 cup of white chocolate chips
Place a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, and whisk together the chocolate and cream. Continue whisking until chocolate is melted and the mixture is thick, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 F. Fill mini-muffin tins with cupcake liners and spray the liners with baking spray.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 1/2 cups cane sugar together in a large bowl. Whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, oil, both vanilla extracts and egg yolks in a medium bowl.
In a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. With the machine running, gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Continue to beat until stiff peaks just form, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to a separate bowl and set aside. Wash the bowl and dry.
Add the flour mixture to the now-empty mixing bowl. With the mixer running at low speed with the whisk attachment, gradually pour in the butter mixture and mix until almost incorporated (a few streaks of dry flour will remain), about 15 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape the whisk and sides of the bowl. Return the mixer to medium-low speed and beat until smooth and fully incorporated, 10 to 15 seconds.
Using a rubber spatula, stir one-third of the whites into the batter to lighten. Then add the remaining whites and gently fold into the batter until no white streaks remain.
Fill the mini-muffin tin liners three-quarters full and bake until just firm, 8 to 12 minutes. Let cool,
Making ganache
Place a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, and whisk together the chocolate and cream. Continue whisking until chocolate is melted and the mixture is thick, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. After it has cool, take one cupcake at a time and dip in top half of the ganache until its well cover. Repeat for each cupcake. Then after all cupcakes are covered, sprinkle any kind nuts, cookies, or candy over the top. I used snickers, milky way,chopped nuts and chopped chocolate cookies.
Adapted from:http://www.foodnetwork.com/
Cup of Tea 