Brown Butter Cupcakes

1. First make the brown butter. Add the cup of butter to a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, whisk occasionally as it goes from loud and bubble to quiet and foamy. Add the dry milk powder right at the start of the foaming stage and whisk continuously until it turns a deep brown color. Immediately remove from heat and give it a stir as you pour 1/2 cup (112g) into a wide and shallow dish (this will be for the cake batter) and set aside. Pour the remaining brown butter into a measuring glass or similar container and transfer to the refrigerator to chill until opaque but soft (this will be for our frosting). 
2. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cupcake tray with 12 paper liners.
3. In a small bowl, use a fork to beat together the oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Then in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the milk mixture along with the brown butter, scraping in every last brown bit, and whisk smooth. 
4. Scoop the batter into the liners, filling each about 2/3 full. The recipe technically makes 13 cupcakes, so if you have an extra pan you can bake one more. I usually just discard the last bit of batter. 
5. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes or until evenly puffed and a toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Allow the cupcakes to remain in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting. 
6. After transferring the cupcakes, check on the butter in the fridge. Give it a mix and it should be thick but soft so leave it out at room temp until the cupcakes have completely cooled. If it’s not there yet, continue chilling. 

Chocolate Frosting

1. In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, mix the brown butter until creamy and lightened a shade, about 30 seconds. Then mix in 1 cup (110g) of powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk. Once smooth, mix in another cup of powdered sugar and another tablespoon of milk. Then mix in the last 1/2 cup (55g) of powdered sugar with the vanilla extract. If the frosting is looking a little dry, mix in the optional extra tablespoon of milk. 
2. Last, mix in the cream cheese until smooth. Spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes and enjoy! Store the completed cupcakes in the refrigerator.