Basic White Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 
  
  1 (18.25-oz.) package white cake mix with pudding
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted 
• 2 large eggs 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• Vegetable cooking spray 
• 
  
• Preparation

1. 
   
2. 1. Beat first 6 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer just until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase speed to medium, and beat 2 minutes or until batter is smooth, stopping to scrape bowl as needed.
3. 2. Place paper baking cups in muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter evenly into baking cups, filling each two-thirds full.
4. 3. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from pans to wire racks, and cool 1 hour or until completely cool.
5.  
6. Coconut Cupcakes: Prepare Basic White Cupcakes as directed. Spread evenly with Coconut Buttercream, and sprinkle with sweetened flaked coconut.

Note:

We call for using a mixer, but you can stir these together by hand with great results. Because the mixer adds more air to the batter, you'll end up with 17 cakes rather than 24 when you stir them by hand. For testing purposes only, we used Pillsbury Moist Supreme Classic White Cake Mix.