Kids Birthday Cupcakes
By America's Test Kitchen KidsPublished on January 4, 2023
Time
1 hour, plus 1 hour cooling time
Yield
Makes 12 cupcakes
What Kids Are Saying
“It was an easy recipe for really good cupcakes.” —Emma, recipe tester, age 10
Ingredients
CUPCAKES
1¾ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1½ teaspoons baking powder ¾ teaspoon table salt 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened3 large eggs ¾ cup milk 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract Sprinkles, sanding sugar, crushed cookies, crushed candies, or other decorating treats (optional)VANILLA FROSTING
1 pound (454 grams/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 20 pieces and softened¼ cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon table salt 4 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugarBefore You Begin
You can use 3 cups of your favorite frosting (homemade or store-bought) instead of the Vanilla Frosting, if desired. For fun decorating techniques, watch the video, right.
Instructions
- For the cupcakes: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
- In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add butter, one piece at a time, and beat with electric mixer on low speed until mixture resembles coarse sand, about 1 minute.
- Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined.
- Add milk and vanilla, increase speed to medium, and beat until light and fluffy and no lumps remain, about 2 minutes.
- Use ⅓-cup dry measuring cup to divide batter evenly among muffin tin cups (use rubber spatula to scrape batter from measuring cup if needed).
- Place muffin tin in oven. Bake cupcakes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to remove muffin tin from oven and place on cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let cupcakes cool in muffin tin for 15 minutes.
- Remove cupcakes from muffin tin and transfer to cooling rack. Let cupcakes cool completely, about 1 hour.
- For the Vanilla Frosting: While cupcakes cool, in bowl of stand mixer (or large bowl if using handheld mixer), combine softened butter, cream, vanilla, and salt. Lock bowl into place and attach paddle to stand mixer, if using.
- Start mixer on medium speed and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Stop mixer. Use rubber spatula to scrape down sides of bowl.
- Start mixer on low speed. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar, a little bit at a time, and beat until smooth, about 4 minutes.
- Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop mixer. Remove bowl from stand mixer, if using.
- Use small icing (offset) spatula or spoon to spread frosting over cupcakes following photos, “Step-by-Step: How to Frost Cupcakes,” below. Decorate frosted cupcakes with sprinkles or other treats, if desired. Serve.
Time
1 hour, plus 1 hour cooling timeYield
Makes 12 cupcakesWhat Kids Are Saying
“It was an easy recipe for really good cupcakes.” —Emma, recipe tester, age 10Ingredients
CUPCAKES
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
3 large eggs
¾ cup milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Sprinkles, sanding sugar, crushed cookies, crushed candies, or other decorating treats (optional)
VANILLA FROSTING
1 pound (454 grams/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 20 pieces and softened
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon table salt
4 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
CUPCAKES
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
3 large eggs
¾ cup milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Sprinkles, sanding sugar, crushed cookies, crushed candies, or other decorating treats (optional)
VANILLA FROSTING
1 pound (454 grams/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 20 pieces and softened
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon table salt
4 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
CUPCAKES
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
3 large eggs
¾ cup milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Sprinkles, sanding sugar, crushed cookies, crushed candies, or other decorating treats (optional)
VANILLA FROSTING
1 pound (454 grams/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 20 pieces and softened
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon table salt
4 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
These classic yellow cupcakes are ready to get the (birthday) party started. While we love baking, we think decorating is just as fun (and sometimes even more fun). While the cupcakes cool, ask your young chef how they’d like to decorate. Colored frosting? A smattering of sprinkles? A sprinkle of sparkly sanding sugar? They could even draw some pictures to plan out their designs. Then, let them unleash their inner artist, and ask them to name each of their cupcake designs once they’ve finished.
Before You Begin
You can use 3 cups of your favorite frosting (homemade or store-bought) instead of the Vanilla Frosting, if desired. For fun decorating techniques, watch the video, right.
Instructions
- For the cupcakes: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
- In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add butter, one piece at a time, and beat with electric mixer on low speed until mixture resembles coarse sand, about 1 minute.
- Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined.
- Add milk and vanilla, increase speed to medium, and beat until light and fluffy and no lumps remain, about 2 minutes.
- Use ⅓-cup dry measuring cup to divide batter evenly among muffin tin cups (use rubber spatula to scrape batter from measuring cup if needed).
- Place muffin tin in oven. Bake cupcakes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to remove muffin tin from oven and place on cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let cupcakes cool in muffin tin for 15 minutes.
- Remove cupcakes from muffin tin and transfer to cooling rack. Let cupcakes cool completely, about 1 hour.
- For the Vanilla Frosting: While cupcakes cool, in bowl of stand mixer (or large bowl if using handheld mixer), combine softened butter, cream, vanilla, and salt. Lock bowl into place and attach paddle to stand mixer, if using.
- Start mixer on medium speed and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Stop mixer. Use rubber spatula to scrape down sides of bowl.
- Start mixer on low speed. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar, a little bit at a time, and beat until smooth, about 4 minutes.
- Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop mixer. Remove bowl from stand mixer, if using.
- Use small icing (offset) spatula or spoon to spread frosting over cupcakes following photos, “Step-by-Step: How to Frost Cupcakes,” below. Decorate frosted cupcakes with sprinkles or other treats, if desired. Serve.
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