Billy's Vanilla Vanilla cupcake with browned butter frosting

I was in a baking mood and searching for something to make. Cory's favorite cakes are yellow cake and vanilla. I decided to go on the hunt for something in the vanilla family. And I found the perfect one posted on Natalie's blog-once again.

1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 tablespoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pan with liners; set aside. (This recipe made 24 beautiful cupcakes for me.) Mix together flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then add butter and mix until just coated with flour. (The recipe calls for a standing electric mixer with a paddle attachment but I only have a hand mixer so I used my trusty right hand and a wooden spoon to mix it all together.)

whisker together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Even though the recipe called for 1 teaspoon of vanilla I put in two because Cory really loves vanilla and they turned out so perfect. Mix together wet ingredients with the dry stopping to scrape down side of the bowl as the mood hits you. Beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but don't overbeat.

Divide batter among liners, filling about two-thirds full.

Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester comes out clean. (being Asian, I use chopsticks. They're perfect for cake testing.) Guesstimated baking time is 17-20 minutes.

Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Browned Butter Frosting-I found this recipe in my father in law's new Better Homes & Gardens cookbook and it was truly delicious. A touch too sweet for me, but everyone else seemed to love it. My nephew told me it was one of the best cupcakes he'd ever had and I think it was mostly because of this frosting really.

This recipe makes about 3 cups of icing by the way..

3/4 cup butter
6 cups powdered sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons vanilla

In a small saucepan heat butter over low heat until melted. Continue heating until butter turns a light golden brown. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl combine powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons of milk, and the vanilla. Then add the browned butter.

Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed. You can add extra milk to reach the consistency you like. For me though 4 tablespoons was perfect.

I already had some adorable flower confetti sprinkles so I thought tinting the frosting pink would be a nice touch. I took some to my tattoo artist & she assured me she would be eating them all on the way home in her car.