Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

I think it's pretty essential to have a good vanilla cupcake recipe in your personal recipe book. It's something that pretty much everyone likes, and can also be transformed into so many different cupcakes! I found this one with vanilla bean in it, and quickly fell in love. I love seeing the little flecks of vanilla bean throughout the cupcakes, and they just taste so darn good!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes (recipe from Sarah's Bake Studio)

ingredients

for the cupcakes: 

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 ounces white chocolate baking bars, broken up

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs

seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean

1 - 5.3 ounce container of greek yogurt, plain or vanilla

for the frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3 cups pure cane powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean

1-3 tablespoons milk

instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine white chocolate baking bars and milk over low heat, stirring continuously until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla extract until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Split vanilla bean down the middle lengthwise; scrape seeds from half of vanilla bean into batter. Reserve other half for buttercream.
6. Slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients, alternating between flour and Chobani Greek yogurt; beat at low speed until blended.
7. Scoop batter into cupcake liners – no more than 2/3 full, or use a #24 disher to scoop batter. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cupcake, if it comes out clean it is done. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow cupcakes to cool in cupcake pan for 3 minutes; transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Cupcakes should be cooled completely before frosting.
FOR VANILLA BEAN BUTTERCREAM
8. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy and smooth.
9. Turn mixer on lowest speed and add powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, and a tablespoon of milk; mix on low speed until combined.
10. Turn mixer on high speed and mix for 3 minutes, adding more milk if needed; mix until creamy and smooth.
11. Pipe or frost cooled cupcakes. Eat & Enjoy!

Enjoy!

-Kylie