Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 12 ounces sour cream
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 3 cups cake flour, sifted
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line 24-28 standard muffin cups with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs, one at a time, on medium speed until well-incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract and sour cream until blended.
- Mix together the baking powder, salt, and cake flour with a whisk in a separate bowl. Slowly mix into the wet ingredients but only mix until JUST combined.
- Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for about 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Frost accordingly and serve!
Ingredients
- 12 slices 1/4-inch thick bacon
- Finely ground pepper
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Put bacon slices in a bowl, season them with pepper and toss with the brown sugar. Cover a baking sheet with parchment or foil and arrange the bacon in a single layer on top. Sprinkle any sugar left in the bowl over the bacon. Top with another layer of parchment or foil and top it, squarely, with another baking sheet. The baking sheet will flatten the bacon as it cooks.
- Place the tray in the center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Check the bacon by lifting the top tray and parchment. If it is not golden brown and fairly crispy, resist the temptation to turn up the oven temperature, and cook it for 10 to 15 minutes longer. Check it again. Keep in mind that when you remove the tray and transfer the bacon to a serving platter or individual plates, the bacon will "crisp" up a little more. Be patient!
