Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes

One year when I was in college, Starbucks started selling vanilla cupcakes. During a particularly stressful exam season, I got hooked on them. It turns out that I was probably the only person buying them, however, because one day they disappeared from behind the glass never to return. In the years since then, I've been trying to perfect my own vanilla cupcake. It's a surprisingly difficult feat, and while I don't think I've achieved vanilla nirvana quite yet, these buttermilk cupcakes come close.

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For the cupcakes:
1 ¹/₄ cups flour
1 ¹/₂ teaspoons baking powder
¹/₂ teaspoon baking soda
¹/₂ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ¹/₂ teaspoons vanilla extract
¹/₂ cup vegetable oil
¹/₂ cup buttermilk

For the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 tablespoon butter, softened at room temperature
¹/₂ cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy cream

For the garnish:
Fresh berries of your choice. I'm partial to blueberries and blackberries.

Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set bowl aside.
3. Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, and beat until mixture is light in color. Add vanilla and vegetable oil. Continue to beat until mixture is fully combined. Add the flour mixture in four batches, alternating with buttermilk. Begin and end with the flour mixture.
4. Scoop batter into cupcakes liner. The cupcakes will rise significantly, so fill the liners only 2/3 of the way.
5. Bake for 16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Place cupcake tin on wire rack for 15 minutes to cool. Remove cupcakes from the tin. Place cupcakes on the wire wrack until completely cool. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until soft. Add butter, beating until blended and smooth.
2. Sift powdered sugar on top, blending until smooth.
3. Slowly add cream. Blend until frosting is smooth and spreadable. You may want to add a a little bit more or less heavy cream, based on how you like your frosting.

Assembly 

1. Once cupcakes are completely cool, pipe frosting onto each cupcake.
2. Top with the berry garnish of your choice!