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Bake until puffed and slightly firm to the touch, until a toothpick or a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool on a wire rack to room temperature before frosting.

Sour Cream Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes

24 paper cupcake liners

1¾ cups cake flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons cool unsalted butter, cut into chunks

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup regular sour cream (do not use low-fat or fat-free)

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a standard 24-cup muffin tin or two 12-cup tins with 24 paper muffin cups. If using silicone muffin tins, set them on a large baking sheet.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl until creamy, light, and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla until smooth.

Beat in the sour cream. Turn off the beaters, add the flour mixture, and beat at low speed just until moistened. Scrape down and remove the beaters. Use a rubber spatula to give the batter a few stirs, just to make sure the flour is all dissolved and even in the batter. Spoon the batter into the cups, filling them about two-thirds of the way full.

Bake until puffed and slightly firm to the touch, until a toothpick or a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

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Frosting Cupcakes

The easiest way to divide a frosting onto cupcakes is to use a flatware tablespoon. You can better tell you’re getting about the same amount on each cupcake; when you use a spatula, your accuracy is often off. Mound the frosting in the middle of the cupcake, then use the back of the tablespoon to pull the icing down toward the edges, swirling the spoon a bit to make a decorative wave as it pulls down off the top center.

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Coffee Cakes

Coffee cakes are part breakfast, part midday snack, and part dessert. Some people would never eat them before noon; others, never after. It’s all a matter of taste, but nothing beats a good cup of hot coffee or tea to melt the crumbs into pure bliss.

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Blueberry Buckle

A buckle is an old-fashioned American treat—with so much topping, it buckles under the weight. Makes 8 servings

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus additional for greasing the pan

11/3 cups cake flour

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

¼ cup heavy cream or half-and-half

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups fresh blueberries (see Note)

½ cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 10-inch round baking dish and set it aside.

Melt 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter in a small saucepan set over low heat or in a small bowl in the microwave; set aside to cool while you prepare the batter.

Whisk the cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter with a fork or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal, pressing the butter against the flour mixture and through the tines to break it up into smaller and smaller pieces.

Whisk the eggs, cream or half-and-half, and vanilla in a small bowl. Stir this mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon just until a wet batter forms; then gently fold in the blueberries. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Stir the brown sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the melted butter. Sprinkle