Cupcakes taste extra sweet when they come from the heart, so say the ladies behind the hit show DC Cupcake, Sophie Lamontagne and Katherine Kallinis.
What goes into the more than 5,000 cupcakes baked daily at their shop outside Washington? For more information on DC Cupcake on TLC, visit DCCupcakes.com.
For the cupcakes
1-1/4 cups flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk, I used buttermilk
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
For the buttercream frosting
16 tablespoon (8 oz.) unsalted butter
4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or seeds from one vanilla bean pod
1/8 teaspoon salt
Note: If you like your buttercream extra sweet, add more confectioner's sugar! If you like it less sweet, you can decrease the sugar!
For the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 baking cups.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper.
Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer.
Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Stop to add the sugar; beat on medium speed until well incorporated.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.
Combine the vanilla extract and milk in a large liquid measuring cup.
Reduce the speed to low. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then gradually add one-third of the milk mixture, beating until well incorporated. Add another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by one-third of the milk mixture. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk mixture, and beat just until combined.
Add the cocoa powder, beating (on low speed) just until incorporated.
Use a standard-size ice cream scoop to fill each cupcake paper with batter, so that the wells are two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the buttercream frosting
Place the unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer. Add the confectioners sugar; beat on medium speed until well incorporated.
Add the vanilla extract, milk and salt and beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Place frosting in a disposable piping bag with a large round tip and frost cupcakes with Georgetown Cupcake's signature swirl!
Flavoring the Buttercream
To switch up the buttercream flavor, try these easy ingredient additions:
1. For a milk chocolate buttercream, add 1/4 cup of melted (and cooled) chocolate chips
2. For a strawberry buttercream, add 1/4 of diced fresh strawberries
3. For a lemon buttercream, add 1/4 cup of fresh lemon zest
4. For a lime buttercream, add 1/4 cup of fresh lime zest
5. For an orange buttercream, add 1/4 cup of fresh orange zest
6. For a mocha buttercream, add 1/4 cup of freshly brewed (and cooled) coffee
7. For a toffee buttercream, add 1/4 cup of crushed toffee bits
8. For a cookies and creme buttercream, add 1/4 cup of crushed Oreo cookies
9. For a caramel buttercream, add 1/4 cup of dulce de leche
10. For the adventurous - try a maple bacon buttercream, and add 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup and 1/4 cup of finely chopped bacon (extra crispy, tossed with a tsp of granulated sugar)
Blogs & Forums
