Vanilla Cupcakes with Milo Buttercream

26/09/2012

I’ve always had an on an off relationship with vanilla cupcakes. Sometimes I like them and other times I’d rather a chocolate cupcake instead. But currently I have changed my mind! These vanilla cupcakes are really easy to make and they are amazing, no joke! A lot of recipes usually call for a whole lot of sugar but I always cut down (about half!) on both the cake itself and the icing sugar. I am a huge fan of sugary food but I don’t really like just tasting sweetness so hopefully you guys find the recipes not too sweet! The Milo buttercream is a nice pair to the cupcake, it’s got a little bit of bitterness but not too much and that hint of chocolate as well. Enjoy the rest of the week!

Makes 24 cupcakes

1 ⅓ cups caster sugar / 300g

4 eggs

2 ½ cups plain flour / 280g

1 cup milk / 236ml

¾ cup vegetable oil / 175ml

2 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180°c (350F°) and line your tin.

Beat the sugar and eggs together for about 1 minute until it is all combined

Add flour, milk, oil, baking powder, and vanilla and beat all together for 2 minutes. (I added my flour into the mixture in quarters so it thoroughly combined everything.)

Scoop the batter into the tins and bake in the oven for 18 – 20 minutes.

When it’s ready leave it to cool for 10 minutes before putting it on a wire rack to cool further.

Frost!

Milo Buttercream

1 cup unsalted butter, softened / 225g

2 cups confectioners sugar / 450g

2-3 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp Milo powder

Beat all the ingredients together until smooth and has a creamy texture. If you want a stronger Milo flavour then you can add more of the powder into it.

*Just to remind you, that Milo itself does have sugar in it so if you want a chocolatey flavour I’d put a little bit of cocoa powder into the mixture as well.