Bake Sale!

Yesterday was a snow day, so I had an assistant in the kitchen. Whereas I whack an egg with one hand on the side of a bowl, my son gingerly taps the eggs four or five times to open them up. I guess we all have our own style of working. At the end of the day, we made 105 cupcakes – including these classic vanilla cupcakes with a chocolate cream cheese frosting. It was nice to have his company in the kitchen!

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.

2. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar, and add the eggs, one at a time.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, sour cream, and vanilla.

4. Add half the flour mixture, the milk/sour cream/flour/sour cream in batches – mixing well after each addition. Fill 16 cupcake papers 2/3 full and bake for 16 to 20 minutes. Test with a toothpick and let cool on a rack.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.

2. In a separate bowl, sift confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder together. Add it one cup at a time to the cream cheese/butter mixture, beat until smooth. Add vanilla.

Note: If the frosting seems a bit too stiff, add a tablespoon or two of milk until you have reached desired consistency.