This vanilla cupcake recipe is my go-to recipe whenever I have to decorate cupcakes. It’s super yummy and easy to make. These daisy cupcakes have a moist and fluffy crumb and are crowned with a delicious vanilla cream cheese frosting, which gives them a much more elaborate flavor and just the right amount of sweetness. These daisy cupcakes are perfect for a gift, birthdays, baby showers, or other events.
How to make super cute daisy cupcakes?
These are the steps needed to make this recipe:
- Cream the sugar with the butter and vanilla.
- Add the eggs one by one, combining well.
- Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk.
- Portion the mixture into the cupcake cups and bake.
- Make the frosting by beating cream cheese, butter, and icing sugar.
- Color part of the frosting with yellow food color
- Decorate the petals with a piping bag filled with white frosting.
- Decorate the centers of the daisies with a piping bag filled with yellow frosting.
Can I change the cupcake flavor?
I wanted to make these vanilla cupcakes to share my classic cupcake recipe. But you can use the flavor of your choice for the base of the cupcake. Some ideas are lemon, orange, chocolate chips, and white chocolate. Also, berries or chocolate are a good choice. I wouldn’t use cinnamon or similar spices because the decoration doesn’t match the fall flavors.
Types of frostings for cupcakes
There are several options when it comes to decorating cupcakes. Here are some ideas:
- Cream Cheese Frosting: It has a consistency similar to buttercream when decorating. I chose it for these cupcakes since the flavor is more complex and less sweet than buttercream. You have to decorate while it’s cold as it tends to melt with the heat of your hands.
- Buttercream: Swiss, Italian, or American, it’s the most common frosting as it’s great for decorating and keeps its shape and consistency, even when left at room temperature. It tends to be too sweet and a bit heavy for many people.
- Meringue: Italian meringue is a great option, as it is delicious and inexpensive. The presentation is not as pretty as buttercream or cream cheese frosting since it’s shiny. Also, it can taste a little too sweet.
- Ganache: Whether you use regular or whipped ganache, it works great for decorating cupcakes. You must work it at the correct temperature so it doesn’t harden or melt. It holds its shape well once decorated. It can be heavy as it contains a good amount of chocolate.
Do I need special tools to decorate the daisy cupcakes?
To decorate these daisy cupcakes, you will need two piping bags. You also need two round tips: a medium-sized one for the petals (#12 or similar), and a smaller one for the center (#8 or similar). If you have only one tip you can use it for both parts, but putting less pressure in the center. If you don’t have tips at home, you can use just the piping bag, cutting a small tip straight into the bag. Keep in mind the decoration will have less definition.
How to store cream cheese frosting cupcakes?
As they contain cream cheese, these cupcakes should be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I recommend eating them within three days, as the cake can get a bit dry after that time. Take them out from the fridge an hour before serving so the cupcakes return to their original texture. If you want to display them, you can leave them at room temperature for a couple of hours, as long as the weather isn’t too hot. I recommend you do a test by leaving a cupcake out of the fridge and checking how long the flower keeps its shape.
Baker’s tips
Use room temperature ingredients
The ingredients for the cupcakes must be at room temperature if you want the batter to be smooth and emulsified. The butter should be very soft. The buttermilk and the eggs should be at room temperature for an hour before mixing. That way, the inside of the cupcakes will be soft and fluffy.
Don’t overbake
The best way to keep the moisture of the cupcakes intact is to bake them for the right amount of time. Start testing the doneness at the time the recipe calls for. If not done, set timers every two minutes to prevent overbaking.
Do not overmix the cream cheese frosting
The cream cheese frosting can get curdled when overmixed. Once butter and cream cheese are combined into a soft mixture, add the icing sugar and beat for about 3 minutes until the mixture is smooth but firm at the same time.
Use cold frosting when decorating
This frosting can melt in contact with the heat of your hand. I recommend working quickly, and if the frosting becomes very soft, leave the bag in the fridge for half an hour before continuing piping. Also, after mixing the cream cheese, let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Soften it with a spatula, and decorate once cold.
Super Cute Daisy Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 140 ml Buttermilk See notes for buttermilk substitution
- 120 g Soft unsalted butter
- 150 g Granulated sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
- 160 g All purpose flour
- 20 g Corn starch
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- 1 pinch Salt
Cream cheese frosting
- 160 g Cream cheese room temperature for one hour
- 100 g Soft unsalted butter
- 300 g Icing sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Yellow and orange food coloring
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Beat the soft butter with the sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
- Mix the flour with the baking powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add half to the batter. Mix for a few seconds until well combined.
- Add the buttermilk and mix well.
- Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until you get a smooth batter.
- Scoop the batter into cupcake molds lined with paper cups. Fill each one up to ¾ full.
- Bake the cupcakes in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 18-20 minutes. They will be done when inserting a toothpick, it comes out clean. Let cool completely before decorating.
Decoration
- Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator an hour before mixing. Lightly beat cream cheese with the vanilla extract until it becomes smooth and soft. Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer.
- Add the soft butter and beat it with the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Sift the icing sugar and mix it into the cream cheese mixture. Continue beating on medium speed until creamy and light, about 3 minutes.
- Cover with plastic and refrigerate for an hour before decorating. The frosting must be cold when decorating. Soften with a spatula before filling the piping bag.
- Scoop out 3 tablespoons of frosting into a small bowl and color it with yellow food coloring plus a little orange to get a deep yellow frosting. Mix well with a spatula.
- Set a piping bag with the bigger round tip and fill it with the white frosting. Set the other piping bag with the smaller tip and fill it with the yellow frosting.
- Mark a circle in the center of the cupcake with a round cutter or the base of a piping tip.
- Make each petal with the white frosting, from the outline to the center of the cupcake, where the inner circle is. Apply a little more pressure on the outside part of the petals.
- For the center of the daisies, use the yellow frosting to make a ball. Apply pressure without lifting the tip in a circular motion.
- To make faces to your daisies, melt chocolate in the microwave. Fill a small piping bag and cut a small tip. Draw the faces with chocolate in the center of the flowers. Don't use hot chocolate, wait until it's warm to use it.
- Serve immediately or keep refrigerated for up to 3 days, well covered. They can be left at room temperature for a few hours if the weather’s not hot.
Video
@luciapaularecipes super cute Daisy cupcakes. find recipe at luciapaula.com #cupcakes #recipes #baking ♬ Laisse-moi t'aimer – Laurie Darmon
Can I freeze these to make ahead?
Yes! You can freeze the unbaked cookies and bake them straight from the freezer. You can also freeze them after baking. Use an airtight container for both ways. Lemon curd can be frozen as well but I don’t recommend freezing the cookies once assembled