Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes with Fluffly Vanilla Frosting

This is the ultimate birthday cupcake. When the hubby and I were taste testing we came to the consensus that between the fluffy vanilla frosting and dense yellow cake "it seriously tastes like birthday."And yes, this is a double recipe day, cupcakes and a frosting recipe.

Luke's birthday party was actually the first time I have ever made yellow cupcakes. Isn't that out of this world? I'm a chocolate cupcake girl all the way, but still, who hasn't made yellow cupcakes?

Luckily for me, they turned out divine (just like everything from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes). I'm still a chocolate lover, but that won't stop me from finishing off the yellow cake birthday leftovers. They are seriously delish.

 And by the way, I think I've got a yellow cake lover on my hands. Lucas ate all the frosting and sprinkles but hardly touched his chocolate cake. I gave him one of these yellow cupcakes on his real birthday and it was demolished.

Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes
makes 3 dozen

3 cups cake flour

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. baking soda

2 ¼ tsp. baking powder

1 ½ tsp. coarse salt

1 cup plus 2 Tbs. (2 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 ¼ cups sugar

5 large whole eggs plus 3 large egg yolks, room temperature

2 cups buttermilk, room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin tins with liners. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the egg yolks and beat until thoroughly combined. Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, beating until combined after each. Beat in vanilla.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes in the pan, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Frost cupcakes with an offset spatula. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.

Fluffy Vanilla Frosting

makes about 4 cups

1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

4 cups (1 lb.) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

¾ tsp. vanilla extract

Beat butter on medium until pale and creamy. Add confectioners' sugar, ½ cup at a time, beating until well combined. After each two additions, increase speed to high and mix for 30 seconds. Once all the sugar is incorporated, beat in vanilla.