vanilla bean cupcakes!

So. If whoopie pies are in, cupcakes are.. they’re like…they’re.. super in. Wow. Wish I could have come up with a better term for that. But seriously, cupcakes are the new cool thing. Food Network has an entire show about them: Cupcake Wars. Yes, you read that correctly. Cupcake Wars–as in battling batters as in dueling desserts as in combating cupcakes–that kind of cupcake wars. Plus you have “cupcakeries” popping up all over the place (seriously, a cupcakery? like..you only make cupcakes? really?? yeah. no joke apparently.) Personally, I don’t love cupcakes. I mean I don’t hate them and if presented with a cupcake of just about any flavor I’m sure I’ll devour it in as little as two bites. But cakes in general are not my favorite. I like ice cream. and gelato. and pie. and creme brulee. and there-are-so-many-desserts-other-than-cake-so-why-limit-yourself?

But I will admit. I do love the portability, the ease of use (and of baking for that matter), the individual-portions-so-I-don’t-have-to-share-my-dessert, and the fact that let’s face it, cupcakes are just dang cute. And who doesn’t love shoving their face full of cuteness? And since I’ve already discussed my sugar problem.. clearly I’ll make and/or eat anything whose ingredient list contains “sugar” in any of its various forms. So I’m jumping on the cupcake bandwagon. Guess that’s just my thing. I’m not a trendsetter, I’m merely a sheep. I follow. If everyone else was walking off cliffs, I suppose I’d do it too. (Actually that is entirely untrue. I am not a sheep. But all these cupcake pictures and recipes I’m seeing make me want to try my hand. I’m not a blind follower. I’m just easily swayed to try anything with sugar involved…)

Plus the whole point of this blog and of all of my experiments in the kitchen is to master some simple techniques and some delicious stuff. SO I have to master cupcakes, right? because I figure I have to master cupcakes before I can master cakes. I realize they probably aren’t all that related, and that cake and cupcake snobs of the world would chastise me for comparing the two. But, really? I don’t care. Cupcakes are mini cakes. If I want to make big cakes, I should start by making little cakes. or something like that.

Whatever, I made some cupcakes and people liked them so I’m going to keep making them okay? I don’t know why I analyzed that so much. I’m a weirdo.  I used Amy Sedaris’s vanilla cupcake recipe. Mostly because her directions made me laugh. And her vanilla buttercream. But I used half a vanilla bean in each instead of vanilla extract, because vanilla beans are delicious and the black speckles are pretty. And I mixed the salt and baking powder in with the flour before adding it to the wet ingredients. Less of a chance of getting one cupcake with all the salt in it, I think. Try it, let me know if you like it. I think I’m going to try another vanilla cupcake recipe soon.. see if I get better results..stay tuned.