As festive (and delicious) as it gets! Tender vanilla confetti cupcakes topped with strawberry vanilla buttercream!Cake recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction (link here). Buttercream recipe by me. :)
Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients (cake flour [see note], baking powder, baking soda, and salt) and whisk to combine. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add egg whites and vanilla extract. Mix to combine, then scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add sour cream and beat to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, if needed.
With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. Then add the milk, and mix until combined.
Add sprinkles, and fold into the batter with a spatula. Divide the batter among the lined cupcake pans (filling each well about ⅔ full).
Bake 19-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
For Buttercream:
For the strawberry puree, process strawberries in a food processor until smooth. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the seeds and pulp from the puree. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat to combine.
Add the vanilla bean paste, cream, and strawberry puree. Mix until thoroughly combined. Spread or pipe buttercream on top of cupcakes.Enjoy!
Notes
Note on cake flour: I highly recommend using cake flour in this recipe. The cake flour helps lend these cupcakes their super fluffy, tender texture. If you're in a pinch you can use all-purpose flour, but the cupcakes won't have such a light texture.Note on vanilla bean paste: I love the flavor of vanilla bean paste and the lovely black flecks it leaves in the buttercream! If you don't have vanilla bean paste, you can use one vanilla bean, or you can substitute vanilla extract. If you'd like to purchase vanilla bean paste, you can find it [here].