These vanilla cupcakes are filled with strawberry jam and topped with homemade sour cream frosting. Purchased icing flowers add a simple decorative touch.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1⅓ cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅔ cup buttermilk
• 1 recipe Sour Cream frosting, recipe below

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line twenty-four 2½-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups.
2. In large mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium-high for about 1 minute. Add sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add flour mixture in two additions, alternating with buttermilk, and beating on low after each addition until combined.
3. Fill lined muffin cups about ⅔ full. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
4. Fill and/or frost as directed, right. After frosting, refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Sour Cream Frosting: In large mixing bowl beat ½ cup (1 stick) softened butter with mixer 30 seconds; beat in one 8-ounce carton sour cream. Gradually beat in one 2-lb. bag powdered sugar. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 Tablespoon milk. Use at once or refrigerate up to 3 days. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before using. Frost cupcakes with a knife, or spoon frosting into large self-sealing plastic bag. Snip one corner of bag and squeeze to pipe onto cupcakes.