Mmm, cupcakes...

I thought I'd take a break from my usual posts of political discontent to talk about a happier subject that everyone can agree on: cupcakes.

This is what I know about cupcakes: they have been around since the 1800s. The name comes from the amount of ingredients used in early recipes (a cup of flour, a cup of sugar, a cup of butter, etc.) and the fact that they were baked in small cups. The shift from weighing to measuring ingredients saved a lot of time in the kitchen, and the small size made for more convenient and consistent baking in traditional hearth ovens.

What else I know about cupcakes: they're sweet, portable, fun to decorate, easy to share, and require no cutlery to enjoy.

I have been on a cupcake-baking kick lately. In the past month I've attempted chocolate cupcakes, cinnamon puff cupcakes, and crumb cupcakes. I also discovered what is perhaps the perfect recipe for classic yellow cupcakes. They're light, easy to make, versatile, and call for oil instead of butter (great for those of us who are too impatient to bother with softening butter).

Classic Yellow Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line regular-sized cupcake tins with paper liners. Sift together dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until lightened, for about 2-3 minutes (essential for achieving the right texture in the end). Mix in the oil and vanilla, followed by the sour cream. Add the flour mixture and continue to beat until the batter is smooth. Fill each cup about 2/3 full of batter and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 24.

I love these.