Description
These dreamy white cupcakes are soft, moist, and delicately flavored with almond and vanilla, reminiscent of a Southern wedding cake but in handheld form. Perfect with any frosting, especially the whipped cream cheese icing, these cupcakes offer a delightful treat that’s both elegant and easy to enjoy.
Ingredients
Scale
White Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup sour cream, do not use low fat
- 1 ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla – butternut flavoring, or clear vanilla extract
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- ½ cup milk
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature – do not use low fat or fat free
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1 ¼ cups Confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant pudding powder, white chocolate or vanilla
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line muffin cups with cupcake liners to prepare for baking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt, then set aside for later.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, to create a smooth base for your batter.
- Add Wet Flavors: Mix in the sour cream, almond extract, and vanilla-butternut flavoring thoroughly into the creamed mixture for flavor infusion.
- Incorporate Egg Whites: Add the room temperature egg whites and beat on medium speed, scraping down the bowl often to ensure even mixing.
- Alternate Flour and Milk: Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, beating on low speed and scraping down the sides after each addition to blend fully without overmixing.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Spoon the batter into cupcake liners filling them two-thirds full, ensuring even sizing for uniform baking.
- Bake: Bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean but with a few crumbs clinging; do not overbake to keep cupcakes moist.
- Cool: Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely prior to frosting.
- Prepare Frosting: Beat cream cheese and confectioner’s sugar until fluffy. Add heavy cream, pudding mix, and almond extract, then beat until the mixture thickens and stiff peaks form, ensuring a pipeable consistency.
- Frost Cupcakes: Once cupcakes are fully cooled, spread or pipe the whipped cream cheese frosting generously on each cupcake.
Notes
- Use full-fat brick cream cheese and very cold heavy whipping cream to avoid runny frosting. Chilling bowl and beaters is helpful in warm kitchens.
- Store frosted cupcakes refrigerated, but unfrosted cupcakes can be kept at room temperature for 1-2 days.
- Freeze unfrosted cupcakes layered with waxed paper for up to 3 months for best freshness.
- Ensure all ingredients are room temperature before starting for a better batter texture.
- Cream butter and sugar thoroughly for a light and fluffy cupcake base.
- Mix the batter gently to preserve air bubbles; overmixing can cause tough cupcakes.
- Use a scoop to portion batter evenly, about a scant ¼ cup per cupcake liner.
- Check doneness with a toothpick; if it comes out clean of wet batter, cupcakes are done—even if a few crumbs stick.