Classic Vanilla Cupcakes with a Little Announcement!
Can you guess what I’m announcing today? I thought about just coming right out and telling you- but I figured that when you have a food blog that is really mostly sweets- its best to bake this sort of news into a cupcake. You may remember that last week I told you about all the things that I was looking forward to this month- finding out our baby’s gender being one of them. Well….
A boy!! The first boy in my family of 5 daughters which is really just so so exciting. To be honest, I really thought deep down it was a boy. I’m not really sure why except that maybe, just maybe I thought that if I convinced myself that I was having a little dude I wouldn’t be disappointed if I found out it wasn’t a girl. You see I get girls. I understand what to do, having had three younger sisters and countless little lady babysitting charges. I am so close with my own Mom, and I’ve dreamed about having that kind of relationship with a daughter someday. Remember the dorky letter I wrote to my future kids? Well to my 15-year old self I think I always just figured they would be girls…like my own family. I wanted a boy too, but I thought that if I just had my girl first I would never have to worry about not getting one later, which to me felt like a devastating thought.
So as I went in for that sonogram I prepared myself, thinking “It’s gonna be a boy- a boy! a boy!” really trying to get jazzed, knowing that if she said girl instead I would secretly be elated. But then I was on the table and then started to see the picture of my baby- little feet, the sweetest perfect head, hands and elbows. I even swooned over the ribs and spine which were so perfectly developed for such a teeny, banana-sized thing. I started welling up sitting there while she told me that my baby was doing flips in my belly, making it difficult to get the right pictures. My little baby doing flips in my belly? I honestly couldn’t think of anything cuter. And finally at the end she got to the money shot, pointed out his sweet little butt and the very obvious fact that he was a boy, and I was just so darn happy. A son. I’m gonna have a son. A Mama’s boy, a sweet little man that I already love more than anything.
I still hope and pray that I get a daughter, but I have spent the last few days getting more and more excited about having a son and all that comes with it. I may not have been someone who imagined herself with boys, but now that I know that I have one it’s all I can think about. I feel bad for having wanted anything other than what I have, but trust me when I say that now I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I fell so in love with those pictures of the little human growing inside me. I love that he’s a boy, and I’m just so excited.
So there’s my honest confession of the day.
Also- this is my new favorite vanilla cupcake recipe and it’s delicious. I’m sharing it below!
Classic Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, 12.75 oz
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- For Frosting:
- 2 sticks of butter softened
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2-6 tablespoons of milk or cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Line cupcake pans with liners; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, mix in vanilla.
- Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down the bowl- don't over mix the batter.
- Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes and then remove from pan. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
For Frosting:
- Beat butter and scraped out vanilla bean with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, (about 3 minutes.) Add the powdered sugar and beat well until mixture is thick and almost paste like.
- Add extract and 1 tablespoon of milk/cream. Beat well. Slowly add more milk 1 spoon at a time if you think your frosting is too thick or dry. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.
Notes
Recipe adapted slightly from Martha Stewart
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Congratulations!!! You’ll be a wonderful mama to that sweet little boy – it’s obvious he’s already so incredibly loved. Your bump is too cute, you look fantastic Audra :)
Thank you so much friend- between me and his 4 aunties he’s going to be so spoiled in the love department :)
Congratulatons!!!! That’s an Excellent news.. i bet he’s going to be a little chef. The cupakes looks amazing and the taste must be d-licious as well.
I hope he loves to be in the kitchen as much as I do! :)
SO happy for you. And you look amazing!! :)
Thanks Rach! I hope I get both like you did though! :)
Saw your announcement on FB, yay! Congrats, my dear. Yummy cuppy cakes too!
Thanks so much Carolyn!! :)
I am so so so happy and excited for you!! I think you’ll love having a boy, and I always knew you’d love whatever it was no matter what! Also..you look super awesome.
I had no idea I’d be this excited about it!! Now we need to plan lunch so you can give my bump some real time love :)
Congrats!! My first was a boy too… they are so much fun!
Yay! I figure if we have girls after we’ll be less worried with a big brother on the look out ;)
Congratulations! Your picture is adorable. You’ll love being mama to a boy. They are great.
So sweet! Congrats, Audra!
Congrats lady! We’re having a boy in 2014 too! And you look fab!
Congrats, Audra! You look fantastic, one, and two, having a boy will be a new, excellent adventure. :) So happy for you!
Yaaay Audra!! So happy for you and your family! What an exciting time!
Aw yay!!
HOORAY!!! A BOY A BOY!! I always like the idea of having a boy first because then he can protect his little sister! :) Not that an older sister can’t, but you know. It’s just sweeter this way in my mind. He’s going to be the sweetest boy AND he will be so great to a woman some day because he will have you and Andy as parents!
Those cupcakes are gorgeous and delicious!! How’d you do the middle?!?! I love it!
Thank you so much Tara! And yes I always wanted a big brother so it we are blessed with a girl later on it will be perfect.
For the middles- you just take a small paring knife and carve out a cone shape- slice the top of the cone off to save and reserve the rest. The place the little cake disk on top of the filling and frost away- I hope that made sense!
Oh my goodness you are the cutest! Congratulations!! And the cupcakes look great too ;-)
Yay! This is exciting!! Congrats for you and how sweet are those cupcakes!
Congratulations!!!! Im so happy for you. Many years ago I was in your same position, I wanted a girl because I knew nothing about boys except for my dad. I only had 1 sister so all I knew about were girls. I so badly wanted a girl. Well, in 1976 I dont think ultrasounds were around yet so you had to wait until you gave birth to find out if it was a boy or a girl. I think that is so much better anyway. When I was told Id had a boy, for a minute I panicked but then I was elated, happy, estatic and cried lol. My next child was a girl and I went on to have 3 more sons and 4 girls. Now my first son is 37 and I couldnt imagine my life any other way. Theres always something special about your first child. Good luck!!!!!!
Woah you’re super Mama! I panicked for a second but am just so excited now!
Congrats!! Such happy news. You will love being a mommy.
Oh you are so right- I already love it and it hasn’t even begun!
Congratulations! You look so wonderful and happy! That is one lucky little man!
Aw- thank so much Courtney- I’m feeling so good these days :)
How exciting! He is going to be one very well loved little boy!
Thanks so much Meagan- I love him too much already- he’s pretty doomed ;)
So great!!! Congrats darling! And really, those are my feelings towards what gender I want too, and I’m not even pregnant! Haha, great photos and those cupcakes look delish!
Those were always my feelings- but you have no idea how excited I am for a stylish little man! Bring on the suspenders and bow ties!;)
Congratulations, Audra!
Thanks sweetheart!
Awww, congratulations! I think boys are in the air. There seem to be lots of folks on team blue lately! ;)
I agree- most of my friends have had boys this year which is only making me more excited about it! :)
Congrats, sweetheart! You’re gonna have so much fun, baking cute bday cakes and planning fun parties for him. He’s gonna be the cutest li’l helper, baking w Mama, too!
Oh I just can’t wait for all that stuff- I’m gonna raise a man who can cook! Some lady is going to be lucky someday right? :)
Of course! Why do you think I married mine?!
Awww congrats Audra!! A boy is such exciting news. And these cupcakes are the perfect way to celebrate.
Thanks girl! I figured I had to something dessert-y right? :)
Wee… Congrats! I love these cupcakes.
Thanks so much Jennie!
These cupcakes are amazing! Congrats on the wonderful news. May you be so happy with your baby and enjoy all the joys of parenthood. Glad to have met you at BSP4. Keep on giving us these great recipes and lovely stories. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Betty Ann! So glad I got to meet you too- thanks so much for the well wishes!!
CONGRATULATIONS! A big brother first and a little sister someday (or lots of little siblings?!) is my dream in life :) And I absolutely adore the cupcake announcement. Thank you so much for sharing such special news with us! Good luck and take care for the last stretch.
Totally- I always wanted a big brother! :)
Oh Audra congratulations!!!! That’s so wonderful!! I can completely relate to this whole post and imagine those exact feelings will be what I’ll go through when finding out the gender of any future little ones I have. I’m sure you’re going to have the cutest, sweetest little boy on the planet! :)
Thanks darlin- it’s funny how you think you have a picture of what you want but then life decides otherwise! xo
Yay!!! Congratulations Audra…such exciting news!!! And, you look absolutely fantastic!
Thanks dear- I’m just waiting until I get huge! :)
Aw I am SO so thrilled for you! I think you are going to have the most amazing baby boy:-) xo
Aw thanks friend- seriously miss you- lets make this happen!
Yaaaay! I love boys! I’m so happy for you!
Thanks lady! :)
Congratulations! I have a boy who is 10 and let me tell you, I’ve loved being a mama to a boy. For one, “boy” toys are way cooler than a lot of the stuff they have for girls.
I was a girly-girl and don’t have any siblings so the thought of raising a little boy was a bit daunting to me but boys are so much fun. You’re going to love it. And all my friends who have both boys and girls tell me that boys are soooo much easier, especially when the teenage years hit. Good luck!
Oh yeah- I can imagine the teenage years will be breeze compared to what my 4 sisters put my parents through :)
Congratulations! What a cute way to tell what you are having. I felt very similar to what you described in your post about boys and girls. We ended up having 2 boys and 1 girl and I can’t imagine life without any of them! You just love them because they are yours, no matter what. So happy for you!
That sounds just perfect- I hope I’m lucky to get a girl someday too, but for now I’m just so excited for this little man!!
You’re so adorable! I love that little bump! I scrolled down right away to see the frosting color! I knew you would announce it via cupcakes!
Blessings to you! xo
Being a fellow dessert gal I have no doubt you knew just what was up my sleeve! :) xoxo
Yay! So excited for you guys :))
Thanks Gina! I’m excited too! Hope to see you sometime this fall before this craziness begins :)
Aww, this is so sweet! I love your honesty! I come from all girls, too (all girl cousins! no boys!), so I totally get what you mean when you say you “get” girls. What the heck do you even DO with boys?! But I love that you have become so excited about this new adventure! You’ll be a great momma and that is one blessed baby boy. :-)
Yayyy! Mabrook! I had a feelng it was a boy! I think I picked up on this sixth sense thing from my mom, cause she ALWAYS knows. Like she has literally never guessed a gender wrong for any of my preggo friends! Anyways, you look great! So happy for you!
How wonderful! lots of luck!
How wonderful to be expecting a little boy. Just think of all the fun birthday parties you’ll get to throw him! Congrats! And btw, I absolutely loved the fun way you announced the gender — so cute!
Look at you!!! So gorgeous! And congrats on your sweet, little baby boy!!! Blue balloons and cupcakes are the perfect way to celebrate :)
Congrats Audra, what gorgeous news! Little boys are incredible fun. When my sister was pregnant with her first I hoped it would be a girl. The moment I found out he was going to be little Sami I was elated, and I simply can’t imagine it any other way, with his cute little trucks and fireman outfits.
You’ll be a fantastic mom, that little guy is lucky to have you x
What awesome news! My cousin and his wife just had a little baby boy and he is the cutest thing ever.
I love the look of these cupcakes and the blue frosting in the middle is an adorable way of announcing fun news :) Oh and balloons are fun too, I like the balloons!
P.S. you look beautiful
Your baby is going to be so spoiled in terms of food c;
Congratulations!! Boys are so much fun :)
Women who “get girls” make the best mom’s for boys. New to your blog…making your anniversary vanilla bean cake for my husband’s birthday tomorrow. Thanks!
What a wonderful reveal post! Congratulations on your baby boy!! Love that picture of you with the balloons. You look absolutely fantastic! Adorable, glowing and over the moon happy :)
Congratulations on your little boy! And you look so great!
Hi Audra! Congrats on your sweet baby Hugo! He’s adorable! I have a question about these cupcakes. How do you get the filling inside of them? What exactly is the filling made from? I wanted to make these for my son & daughter-in-laws baby shower. They are expecting identical twin baby boys in October… and these cupcakes would be so cute at the shower. Thank you so much… hugs to you and baby Hugo <3
I found a YouTube video on how to do it :-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zi9aU63h7w