Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

I have never been a fan of the cake mix cupcakes and this was my first venture into the "from scratch" cupcake recipe world.  There are a lot of recipes out there, but I was most impressed by what I found on Marthastewart.com  I bought a giant cupcake pan, a frosting bag, and frosting tips at Kitchen Kneads.  So fun.  They also have really cute cupcake liners.  

A word on the giant cupcakes:  they are really fun, but rather difficult to eat, and they take a lot of frosting.  

Also, I did find this frosting to be a bit sweet for my taste, but then again, I have frosting issues.  No one else complained. The frosting was colored with bright food coloring and I used some blue and purple sprinkles on top. The girls said they were "princess cupcakes". 

Vanilla Cupcakes

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl, beat in vanilla.
• Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl to assure the batter is thoroughly mixed. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling papers about 2/3 full. Bake on the center rack of the oven until tops spring back to touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
• Buttercream Frosting:
• Ingredients

1. • 12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
   • 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
   • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
   • Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
   • Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes. (After every 2 additions, increase speed to high, and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium-high). Add vanilla, and beat until buttercream is smooth. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)