Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3 cups baker's sugar (superfine)
• 3 eggs
• 3 egg whites
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with baking cups.

2. 2

   In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs/whites together with an electric mixer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium mixing bowl. Add the flour mixture, milk, oil, and vanilla to the eggs. Split the vanilla bean from end to end and scrape the seeds out with a knife. Add to the mix and incorporate the ingredients together slowly, just until the batter is smooth. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full.

3. 3

   Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.