A few weeks back I made marble cupcakes, and they were both easy to bake and really delicious. This weekend I wanted to do something basic, so I adapted the recipe to leave out the cocoa and include vanilla bean paste, a substitute for vanilla extract that has those little flecks of vanilla seeds in it. Think of that Breyer’s Ice Cream commercial from the 80s – you could actually see the vanilla seeds in it, and that was a big deal for some reason.

Add some chocolate buttercream to the cupcakes and you’ve got a basic but awesome combination. These would also be delicious with vanilla buttercream if you wanted an all-vanilla treat.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 1 2/3 cups flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

For the frosting

• 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake tins with paper liners; my batch made 15 cupcakes.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter, then add sugar and stir to combine; mixture will be grainy. Refrigerate for 1 minute, then remove and add egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla bean paste. Stir in flour mixture until no lumps remain.

Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, scoop batter into tins and fill about 3/4 full. Bake for 20-24 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and place cupcakes on wire racks to cool completely.

To make chocolate buttercream, place butter in a mixing bowl and beat for a few minutes using the paddle attachment. Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder and beat on low speed until the sugar and cocoa are fully incorporated into the butter. Add vanilla extract and beat; add milk 1 tablespoon at a time; you may not need both tablespoons.

Fit a large piping bag with a large open star tip (I use the Wilton 1M) pipe swirls of frosting onto cupcakes; you’ll have some frosting left over that you can use for other treats.