Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Cupcakes

I am still trying to find the best vanilla cupcake recipe, so in my search I have made quite a few recipes over the past few weeks. Recipes made with buttermilk seem to be my favourites and these cupcakes with buttermilk and vanilla beans form The Sisters Cafe are top of the list.
 

 
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 plumped vanilla beans scraped (vanilla beans plumped in rum for at least 2 weeks)
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350.

In a small bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, add the vanilla, half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined.  Add in the buttermilk and mix, then mix in the rest of the dry ingredients.

Fill lined muffin pans 2/3 full and bake for 18 minutes.

Vanilla buttercream frosting:

3 cups icing sugar

1 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons heavy cream

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter for about 3 minutes.  Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute.

Linked to: I should be mopping the floor, Couponing and Cooking, Serendipity and Spice, Eye Heart, Create with Joy, Sumos Sweet Stuff, Crazy for Crust, Mandy's Recipe Box, Bru Crew Life