Yellow Sour Cream Cupcakes

Marie's Note:

This is a Food Network recipe by the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. She called them "Flower Cupcakes" because she placed fresh flowers on the top of them.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 20 cupcakes

Cupcakes

• 18 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 extra large eggs (room temp)
• 1 cup sour cream (room temp)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Icing

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (room temp)
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (room temp)
• 3/4 lb sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° and insert paper liners in muffin tins.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add eggs two at a time on medium speed of electric mixer.
3. Add sour cream and vanilla.
4. Sift together dry ingredients and with mixer on low speed, add to the butter mixture.
5. Mix just until combined.
6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
8. For icing, mix together butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla at low speed of electric mixer until smooth.
9. Spread frosting generously on each cupcake.

Reviews

[Caromcg]

Delicious, simple cupcakes. Didn't worry about room temperature for certain ingredients, and all was fine. A hit with big and little people. Un-frosted too! THREE CAVEATS: (1) baking temp is longer: nearer to 30 min for regular-size cupcakes & 20 min for mini's; (2) Yield is way off; I made the recipe twice in the past two months - first time doubled recipe ended w/ 70 cupcakes; second time single batch & ended w/ 48 minis 16 regulars; (3) batter increases greatly in volume - aim for no more than 1/2-2/3 full.

[buffyfan#1]

Like others have said, the yield is way off. I got 36 cupcakes out of this recipe. I also found that cooking them for 17 min. was the perfect amount of time. The cupcakes were not as good as I had expected. However, the cream cheese icing was phenominal! Next time, I will make a box of betty crocker cupcakes and load it up with the icing. I also thought that they icing would be great as a filling for some puff pastry. My advice, skip the cupcakes and just make a batch of icing instead!!

[Jendendenor]

I made these cupcakes a few days ago and they are still just as perfect as they were when they came out of the oven!! YUM! The best recipe I have tried so far. I made half of these and ended up with 18 cupcakes so be careful. I filled the cupcakes 2/3 full and they came out perfect. I also baked them for about 17 mins on 350. Thanks for a great recipe!! :)