Buttermilk Vanilla Cupcakes with Salted Brown-Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Tender, buttery cake with a little tang, topped with frosting that tastes like toasted pecans and caramel—even though there’s neither in it. This is my Southern-bakery-inspired recipe. The buttermilk, sour cream, and brown butter are worth the small upgrade from pantry basics.

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour (180 g)
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (113 g)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup full-fat buttermilk (120 ml), room temperature
• ¼ cup full-fat sour cream (60 g), room temperature

Salted brown-butter cream cheese frosting

• ½ cup unsalted butter (113 g)
• 4 ounces full-fat block cream cheese (113 g), slightly softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar (240 g), sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon fine salt, then adjust to taste

Instructions

Cupcakes

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate small bowl, stir together the buttermilk and sour cream.
3. Beat the butter and sugar for 3–4 minutes, until noticeably pale and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
5. On low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture in two additions. Start and finish with flour. Stop as soon as the batter comes together; finish any flour streaks with a spatula.
6. Fill the liners about two-thirds full. Use an extra muffin pan for any remaining batter.
7. Bake 18–22 minutes, checking at 18. They’re ready when the tops spring back gently and a toothpick has a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
8. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

1. Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring and scraping the bottom, until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty, usually 5–8 minutes total. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl, including the brown bits.
2. Let it cool, then refrigerate briefly, stirring occasionally, until opaque and soft like softened butter. Don’t mix it into the frosting while warm or liquid.
3. Beat the cooled brown butter until creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat just until smooth.
4. Beat in the powdered sugar in two additions, then the vanilla and salt. If it’s too soft to spread, chill for 15–20 minutes.
5. Swirl generously onto the cooled cupcakes.

Notes

Measure the flour lightly—or weigh it—use the full tablespoon of vanilla, keep every browned butter speck, and pull the cakes before they dry out. Serve at room temperature so the butter flavor comes through.

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; let them sit out for about 30 minutes before serving.