White Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting {Sweet Treat Tuesday}

I made these cupcakes for my little bug's 4th birthday party. (I also made chocolate ones.) They were delicious. I love this icing recipe. It is my new go to icing recipe. My favorite thing about it is that there isn't any shortening in it! Yay! 

White Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
icing from Savory Sweet Life

*recipe makes approximately 24 cupcakes

Ingredients: 
cupcakes
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 cups cake flour
2 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot water

icing
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar, SIFTED
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Directions: 
To make cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pan with cupcake liners. 

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Once butter and sugar are mixed well, add in egg. Then add remaining ingredients individually, mixing well after each addition until smooth. Scoop batter into lined cupcake pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely and then frost with vanilla buttercream frosting (recipe below). 

To make the icing:

In a mixing bowl, beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoons at a time.