Madagascar Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Vanilla Cake Base

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, unsalted, softened at room temp

3/4 cup extra fine sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste, or vanilla beans from a pod, scraped out

1/2 tsp salt mixed with flour below

1 1/4 cup self-raising flour, sifted

3/4 cup full-fat sour cream

Directions:

 

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees farrenheit.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time and beat till mixture is smooth.

Add 1/3 of flour mixture.

Add 1/2 of the sour cream. mix till just combined.

Add another 1/3 of flour mixture.

Add remaining sour cream.

Add the remaining 1/3rd of flour mixture.

Scoop out into lined cupcake tins, bake in oven for 20 minutes, till a skewer comes out clean.

Italian Meringue buttercream:

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

5 egg whites

500g cubed butter

Directions:

Heat 1 cup sugar and the water in a saucepan till it reaches 245 degrees fahrenheit on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile, whip egg whites with 1/4 cup sugar on a standing mixer till stiff peak forms. Once stiff peak forms, pour the sugar syrup gradually in a thin stream and continue whisking till mixture cools to room temp.

Slowly, add cubes of butter into the mixture till butter cream is formed. Flavour with vanilla beans. Buttercream will be extremely smooth, silky and buttery. Pipe in a star tip onto cooled cupcakes.