Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 F. Put paper liners into two 12-count muffin tins. Set the tins aside.

For the cupcakes, whisk together the egg whites, vanilla paste and 1/4 cup of the milk in a small bowl until slightly combined. Set aside.

In mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar for 2 minutes on medium. Add in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined. Slowly in a steady stream add in the egg white mixture and mix until combined. Beat in remaining milk.

Fill cupcake liners half full with batter and bake in a 350 F oven for about 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and cool in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, beat butter for 5 minutes in a mixing bowl until it becomes pale in color. Add sugar, vanilla and milk and beat for an additional 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add more milk if necessary to get desired consistency.

Fill a pastry bag with frosting and pipe onto cooled cupcakes. I used Wilton Tip 32 and sprinkled the cupcakes immediately with white sparkling sugar. ENJOY!

** Cupcake recipe adapted from Sweetapolita.