Vanilla Cupcakes - my attempt at perfection

So, I've been on this mission to perfect my vanilla cupcake recipe. The taste is definitely not the concern here - my vanilla cupcakes have this intensely delicious "vanilla" taste to them that prevents you from being able to eat just one...My issue with them is finding that happy medium between density and fluffy-ness! So, I ran a trial -

Trial 1: Too Small, Too Dense, SO yummy!

• Although they came out super cute and small and perfect for the easter baskets cupcakes, they were too small to stick to the large cupcake liners!
• They were also on the dense side...onto Trial # 2...

Trial 2: Perfect Size, SO yummy....still too dense - ugh!

• This time, I added a bit more baking powder and mixed my batter for a bit less time (just enough to incorporate the flour)..the result - the perfect sized cupcake! These ones, I topped with a super yummy purple tinted buttercream (did I mention yet how much I LOVE buttercream frosting? I'm pretty sure this will evolve into the Signature Pipedream Cupcake)..mmm
• The verdict from two of my most trusted taste-testers: a dense but yummy cupcake (with great frosting ofcourse). One of the testers prefers a lighter cupcake and the other didn't mind the "heavieness"..onto Trial #3..

Trial 3: Less butter, a bit of oil, and a tad more milk

• Okay, this time, I substituted half of the butter with oil and added an extra splash of milk
• These cupcakes turned out great! They have the perfect balance of density, strength in vanilla, and "fluffyness"!
• This batch also evolved into one of the newest members of the Pipedream Bakery Cupcake Family - Vanilla Chocolate Chip..check it out:

My next mission - Cookies n' Cream Cupcakes...stay tuned!

Stay Slim, eat cake