YELLOW CUPCAKES

12 paper liners
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners in all wells of one 12-cup cupcake tin.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl to aerate and combine; set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Beat in vanilla extract. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down after each addition, allowing each egg to be absorbed before continuing with the milk. Begin and end with the flour mixture, and beat briefly until smooth on low-medium speed after each addition. Divide batter evenly among cupcake wells.

Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center shows a few moist crumbs. The center should spring back when lightly pressed. The cupcakes might color a bit around the edges, but they will not brown.

Cool pan on rack for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes to a cooling rack and cool completely.

VARIATION:

TO MAKE MARBLED CUPCAKES:
Melt 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate and allow to cool briefly. Divide batter in half and fold melted chocolate into one half. Divide yellow batter evenly among cupcake wells, then divide chocolate batter evenly among cupcake wells. The batter is thick, but as best you can, use a wooden chopstick or a butter knife to marble the two batters together. Bake as directed.

Makes 12 cupcakes
Adapted from source: A Baker's Field Guide to Cupcakes by Dede Wilson