Vanilla Cupcakes with a Double Vanilla Frosting

Cupcakes:

 Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and light. Add the eggs; beat in one at a time. Add the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Alternately add the buttermilk and flour. Add one third of the flour; mix well. Add half of the buttermilk; mix well. Beat in the second third of the flour. Then add the rest of the buttermilk; mix well. Add the rest of the flour and mix well.

 Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a light finger imprint is left in the middle of the cupcake when lightly touched. If the middle springs back, the cupcakes are over baked. Even a moist cupcake recipe can produce a dry cupcake if it is overbaked!

Frosting:

In a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add half of the powdered sugar. Beat well. Add the milk, vanilla extract and vanilla seeds (scraped from a vanilla bean.); beat well. Add the rest of the sugar and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a pastry bag for frosting the cupcakes to let the frosting set and firm up a bit.