Special Note

• These White Vanilla Bean cupcakes has an incredibly soft and have a tender texture. Achieving this requires close attention to detail, particularly in terms of ingredient temperature and the mixing process. To ensure your cupcakes turns out just as intended, please heed the following advice: 
   
• Use store-bought Cake Flour: For that desired beautiful texture, cake flour is essential. All-purpose flour simply won't yield the same results.
   
• Temperature Matters: The vanilla infused cream and the egg whites should be between 20°C to 23°C / 68°F to 73.4°F. I always go precisely for 23°C (73.4°F). Achieving this specific temperature is crucial for the ingredients to integrate seamlessly, creating the perfect crumb. The semi-cool butter need to be pliable but cool butter 16°C to 18°C /  60°F to 65°F. It should be cool to the touch and offer some resistance when pressed, but it shouldn't be difficult to cut and not feel greasy. Using a thermometer to check temperatures is recommended to ensure accuracy.
   
• Mixing Instructions: It’s vital to follow the mixing steps exactly as described. Overmixing at any point can lead to a cake that’s anything but tender.
   
• This guidance is offered from a place of compassion. I want you to succeed and enjoy the process of baking this delicious white cake, without the disappointment of wasted ingredients—especially something as precious as vanilla bean. These instructions are not meant as warnings but as keys to unlocking the full potential of your baking skills.

 Vanilla-infused Cream

• When preparing the vanilla-infused cream for this recipe, keep in mind that the cupcake batter requires 350 grams. However, starting with exactly 350 grams isn't ideal due to inevitable evaporation during heating. To ensure you have enough, begin with 400 grams of heavy cream.
   
• To infuse the cream with vanilla, take a sharp knife and carefully split a fresh vanilla bean lengthwise. Gently scrape out the fragrant seeds, often referred to as "vanilla caviar," and transfer them into a medium saucepan. Don't forget to add the vanilla pod itself for maximum flavor.
   
• Next, pour 400 grams of heavy cream into the saucepan. If you're opting for vanilla bean paste instead of a whole bean, stir it in now, blending it well with the cream.
   
• Warm the mixture over low to medium heat just until it's warm to the touch but not boiling, to avoid scalding the cream or losing too much to evaporation.
   
• Once warmed, remove the saucepan from the heat, cover it, and allow the mixture to steep at room temperature for about 1 hour. This step is optional but highly recommended if time allows, as it significantly enhances the vanilla flavor. If you're pressed for time, you can proceed with the recipe as needed.

White Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
 

• When preheating the oven use the ‘top and bottom heat’ setting. Please avoid using the fan-forced option. 30 minutes before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325F° (165C°) 
   
• Line two 12-cupcake pans with 24 standard-size cupcake liners, 20 if using jumbo cupcake liners.
   
• Bakers note; Working with semi-cold (pliable but cool) butter produces a better cake texture; if the butter is too soft, it essentially melts into the flour, which can result in a greasy cake. The butter needs to be pliable (slightly softened) but cool. Take it out of the fridge for about 20 minutes before you bake this cake. The right temperature is about 16°C to 18°C /  60°F to 65°F. The best way to know for sure is by using a digital thermometer.  
   
• Bakers note: however the egg whites and vanila infused cream should be at room temp about 20°C to 23°C / 68°F to 73.4°F if yours are too cold, the cupcake batter will go from smooth and creamy to looking split and clumped. The cupcake might turn out okay, but the texture will be affected and may not be as tender and moist as you like.
   
•  Add the 285-gram cake flour, 395-gram superfine sugar, 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 18-gram baking powder into a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, and Let it spin for a few seconds to incorporate it together.
   
• Add the 170-gram unsalted butter a few piece at a time, about every 10 seconds. This step takes 2 minutes. Once all of the butter is added, the mixture should resemble almond flour, and when you run your hands through it, it feels kind of sandy, and there should be no large lumps of butter left.
   
• After the steeping period for the infused vanilla cream, remove the vanilla bean pod from the heavy cream. Before discarding it, ensure you've extracted all the flavorful, gooey vanilla seeds by squeezing them out of the pod and stirring them back into the cream. This step maximizes the vanilla essence in your infusion. Give the mixture a quick whisk to evenly distribute the seeds throughout the cream. Lastly, measure the cream to confirm you have the required 350 grams of infused vanilla cream for your recipe, adjusting as necessary to meet this precise amount.
   
• Baker Note; In this next step you need to add 350 grams of vanilla-infused cream, Make sure to do this slowly to create the perfect emulsion, if you add it too quickly, your cream will separate from the butter and sink to the bottom of the cake and give you a gummy layer and create a dense texture.
   
• With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the 350-gram vanilla-infused cream in small increments, this step takes about 30 seconds. Then continue mixing on medium speed (speed four on KitchenAid) for 90 seconds to develop the structure. Set a timer! 
   
• The batter should have gained volume at this point and should look thick like buttercream, and all the ingredients should be incorporated. If you don’t mix it for 90 seconds, your cupcakes could be under-mixed, collapse in the center, and won't be as tender and fluffy as mine.
   
• Stop the mixer and scrape down the side and bottom of the bowl, remove the whisk or paddle attachment, and shake out the excess batter collected inside. From this point, you need to mix on low speed.
   
• A Note from me before you add the egg whites! As most cupcakes are highly prone to overmixing, when you reach this step where you add the egg whites, it is crucial to mix lightly. This is because your cupcake batter will become tough if you work it to the point that the gluten in the flour starts to form.
   
• Attach your paddle attachment again, with the mixer on low speed. Gradually add the 200-gram egg whites to the batter in three separate parts, beating on medium speed for only 20 seconds each time ( not any longer!) after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Stop the mixer after each addition of egg whites, and scrape down the side and bottom of the bowl. Also, remove the whisk attachment and shake out the excess batter that is collected inside.
   
• Stop the mixer and scrape down the side and the bottom fold once or twice to ensure the batter at the bottom of the mixing bowl is incorporated. 
   
• Divide/scoop the batter evenly among the liners using a standard-size ice cream scoop, filling about 3/4 full. If time permits, let the cupcake batter rest in the pan for 20 minutes before baking, this is optional, but it makes your cupcakes incredibly fluffy.
   
• Bake the cupcakes in the lower rack of the oven for 17 to 20 minutes or until the tops are dry to the touch and a cake tester/toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
   
•  Watch them carefully in the final baking minutes to prevent over-baking. Every oven is different. Start checking for doneness after 15 minutes.
   
• Immediately remove the cupcakes from the cupcake pans and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
   
• These white vanilla cupcakes are best to cool down and then placed in a zip-lock bag for an hour or two before you enjoy them, this way you get even softer cupcakes. These cupcakes keep well for up to 3 days in a ziplock bag at room temp.