CUPCAKES

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-count cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. To the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, add the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla and oil. Mix on medium speed to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Stop after each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl and under the paddle attachment. Once the last addition of dry ingredients is added, do not over mix.
4. Fill cupcake liners halfway full (no more or they will overflow). You will have batter left in your mixing bowl. You will bake more cupcakes when the first ones come out of the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes until the tops spring back when touched. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in pans for at least five minutes and transfer to a wire rack to completely cool.
5. Line one of the cupcake pans again with about 6 or 7 paper liners. Fill the liners with the remaining batter and bake again for about 20 minutes.

VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

1. Add the butter and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium-high speed until smooth. Reduce the mixer to low and gradually add the sugar 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the bowl as you go. If it begins to get thick, stop and add some of the half & half, alternately with the sugar. Add the vanilla and mix on medium speed to incorporate the vanilla and until the frosting is smooth and creamy. It should also be the perfect piping consistency. If it’s a little too thick, add a little more half & half, one teaspoon at a time. If it’s a little too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
2. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favorite piping tip and frost the cupcakes. I used a Wilton 1M here. 
3. This recipe makes 31 cupcakes if you fill the liners 1/2 full. You will need to double this frosting recipe for these cupcakes, especially if you’re piping the frosting pretty high on each cupcake. I piped quite a bit on each one, therefore I doubled this recipe.  Click on the metric conversion at the top of this recipe card to double or triple this recipe. One batch of this frosting will frost 16 cupcakes if you’re piping it on high.