Very Vanilla Cupcakes

I'm usually not much of a vanilla cupcake kind of girl, I'm more of a get a coma from too much chocolate kind of girl but lately I've been wanting some vanilla cupcakes. It could be because I just bought some vanilla bean paste that I've been dying to use or it could be because I might have overdosed on chocolate in the recent days but either way I made me some vanilla cupcakes. My usual go-to recipe for vanilla cupcakes is magnolia bakery's vanilla but I wanted to try something new. So this recipe is Billy's Bakery's Vanilla vanilla cupcakes via 52 cupcakes. I don't know if I like it better than Magnolia's, they are pretty much equal in my book. I do however know that I added double the vanilla (1 tsp. vanilla extract PLUS 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste) in both the cupcake recipe and the frosting recipe.

Billy's Vanilla, Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes about 30 cupcakes
1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (plus the vanilla bean paste if you have it, or you might want to just put 2 tsp extract)

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.

2. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.

4. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Billy's Vanilla Buttercream

Colored sprinkles, for decorating (optional)
Makes enough for 30 cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar to reach desired consistency.

Enjoy!