Marlo Scott's Sweet Revenge "Pure" Cupcake

This recipe for delicious “Pure” cupcakes is courtesy of our friend Marlo Scott,
of Sweet Revenge Cupcakes in NYC, as seen on Martha Stewart.

Cupcake Ingredients
Makes 24 cupcakes
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs
3 cups self-rising cake flour**
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons Blue Cattle Truck “Traditional” Mexican vanilla
Sweet Revenge “Pure” Buttercream
Turbinado or demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut out twenty-four 5 1/2-by-5 1/2-inch squares of parchment paper. Fit each square of parchment into a standard muffin cup so the edges stick out from the muffin cup; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until softened. With the mixer on medium, add eggs and sugar; beat until well combined. With mixer on low speed, add flour in three parts, alternating with buttermilk and beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla.
3. Fill prepared muffin cups three-quarters full with batter. Transfer muffin tins to oven and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in muffin cups.
4. When cupcakes are cool, frost the top of each cupcake with a thin layer of buttercream. Fill a disposable pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch St.-Honore decorating tip with remaining buttercream. Pipe three waves on top of each cupcake, each slightly smaller than the next. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar and serve.

Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
Makes enough for 24 cupcakes
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 tablespoons vegetable shortening
10 cups (from about two and a half 1-pound boxes) confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons Blue Cattle Truck “Traditional” Mexican vanilla

Directions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and shortening. Add sugar, and beat to combine. Add milk and vanilla, and beat until well combined.

**For self-rising cake flour
1. Measure out the desired amount of flour and place in a large bowl.
2. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder for every cup of flour used. For example, if you have 2 cups of flour, add 3 teaspoons of baking powder.
3. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt for every cup of flour used.
4. Stir the ingredients thoroughly.
5. Pour the flour mixture into the flour sifter and sift into the bowl for immediate use or store in an airtight container.