Very Vanilla Cupcakes

May. The twins are turning one. Mark's babies — Marco and Sofia — are a year old in San Diego, and the year has been the fastest and longest of Mark's life, if his weekly calls are any indication. Marco is walking. Sofia has been walking for a month, because Sofia does everything first and at maximum speed, the Santos woman energy manifesting at twelve months in the form of a baby who has places to be and will not be stopped by the limitations of recently acquired bipedalism.

Lourdes shipped lumpia for the birthday — the annual lumpia shipment, the love-via-FedEx that has become the Santos family's primary method of long-distance affection. Three hundred lumpia. The number. Always the number. Carmen received them and posted a photo on social media: three hundred lumpia surrounding a birthday cake. The photo got two hundred likes. None of the likes were from Lourdes, who does not have social media, but all of the lumpia were from Lourdes, which is better than any like.

I made pancit for the occasion — long noodles, for long life, for Marco and Sofia. I made it at Lourdes's house, the two of us side by side, the Saturday routine. Lourdes talked about the twins — about Marco's quiet observation, Sofia's loud opinions, the way the two of them are a complete Santos family in miniature: the watcher and the doer, the thinker and the fighter. "Sofia will be trouble," Lourdes said with evident pride. "Good trouble," I said. "The best trouble," she said.

Three hundred lumpia, one birthday cake, and a batch of pancit for long life — the Santos family does not do anything halfway, and I decided the dessert table deserved the same spirit. While Lourdes and I stood side by side making those noodles and talking about Sofia’s opinions and Marco’s quiet watching eyes, I kept thinking about how a first birthday only comes once, and it deserves something that tastes exactly like what it is: pure, uncomplicated joy. These Very Vanilla Cupcakes are that — no tricks, no fuss, just the kind of warm, sweet thing you bring to a table full of people you love, because some celebrations call for something that tastes like a hug.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3–4 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.
Whisk dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and noticeably increased in volume.
Add eggs and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
Alternate dry and wet. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions (beginning and ending with flour). Mix just until each addition is combined — do not overmix.
Fill and bake. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared liners, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean and the tops are lightly golden. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Make the buttercream. Beat the softened butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating on low after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, salt, and 3 tablespoons of cream, then increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add an additional tablespoon of cream if needed to reach a smooth, pipeable consistency.
Frost and serve. Pipe or spread the buttercream generously onto each cooled cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, fresh fruit, or a single birthday candle if someone you love has places to be and will not be stopped.

Nutrition (per serving)

Very Vanilla Cupcakes — Baked With Birthday Joy for Marco and Sofia’s First Year