Simple Yellow Cake

Sunday afternoon Paul asked if we had anything for dessert. Usually Paul isn't much of a dessert person. There are only a few desserts that he really likes - brownies, cheesecake, and cupcakes. So when he asked for something, I was more than happy to find a recipe and make him something!
I pulled out my Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook and found this simple yellow cake recipe. The recipe is for a cake, but you can easily make cupcakes out of a cake recipe - keep the oven temperature the same, and decrease the cooking time by 1/3 to 1/2.

Yellow Cake (cupcakes too!)

• 3/4 cup butter, softened 
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups milk

1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes
2. Preheat oven to 375
3. Grease and flour two 9x1 1/2 inch round pans or 8x1 1/2 inch round pans, or one 13x9x2 baking pan, or put baking cups into 24 cupcake 
4. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside
5. In a large mixing bowl bet butter on high for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating till well combined. Beat for 2 minutes.
6. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition
7. Beat in vanilla
8. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition
9. Pour into prepared baking dish
10. Baking times:
1. 9 inch round: 20-25 min
2. 8 inch round: 30-35 min
3. 13x9x2: 25-30 min
4. cupcakes: 20-25 min
11. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes; remove cakes from pans, and allow to cool completely on wire racks
12. Add frosting and sprinkles!

Since this recipe made 24 cupcakes, there was no way Paul was going to eat all of them, so I offered some to our neighbors. One family is above us, and they have 2 sweet young children. After offering the cupcakes to them, I was in the kitchen cleaning up, had the window open, and saw the mother and little girl walking out to their car. The little girl had the cupcake in her hand and said "Mom, this cupcake is really good!" My heart just swelled. I've had a lot of recipes bomb, so to have the approval of a little girl on this batch was a little reassurance that with some practice and continued learning about baking, maybe I can succeed at this!

God Bless