Yellow Cake Cupcakes
Prep Time: 30 to 45 minutes
Bake Time: 18 to 20 minutes
Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 1 ⅓ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 5 extra large eggs, at room temperature
- 4 cups cake flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 ⅓ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Cupcake liners
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2, 12 cup muffin pans with cupcake liners.
- Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Combine the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix with a wire whisk.
- Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup.
- With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating until well blended.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and incorporate any unmixed batter if necessary.
- Beat the batter for 7 minutes on medium speed.
- Divide the batter evenly between cupcake pans. Tap the pans on the counter to ensure there are no air bubbles.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Test doneness by touching a cupcake top. If it springs back, it is done.If the indentation stays, it needs 2 to 3 minutes longer.
- Cool the cupcakes for at least 10 minutes on a cooling rack before removing from pans.
Cream Cheese Icing
Prep time: 15 minutes
Yield: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 pounds confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
- Cream the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer for 3 minutes. At the end of the 3 minutes, scrape the bowl extremely well.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, beating on low to ensure the sugar does not fly out of the mixing bowl.
- After each addition of confectioners’ sugar, scrape the bowl extremely well.
- Once all the confectioners’ sugar is incorporated, beat on low speed for 3 minutes.
- Ice the cupcakes using a piping bag with a swirl tip.
New Year’s Eve Watch Treat
Prep time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- Sour belt candy
- Vanilla icing
- Vanilla wafer cookies
- Number sprinkles
- Sprinkles
- Toothpick
- Knife to spread icing
- Kitchen shears
Directions:
- Start by spreading the icing on your vanilla wafer cookies.
- Place the number sprinkles on the cookie like a clock. “12” at the top, “3” on the right, “6” on the bottom, and “9” on the left.
- Make the hands for your clock by using a long sprinkle and a short sprinkle. Place the sprinkles in the middle of the cookie. The long hand is pointing at the 12 and the smaller hand is pointing between the 11 and 12.
- For the strap, take a piece of sour belt candy. Using kitchen shears or a knife, cut a triangle at the tip of one end of the sour belt candy.
- Use a toothpick to make 5 evenly spaced holes in the opposite end of the sour belt candy. Do this along the center of the candy belt. Space out each hole about ½ inch apart.
- Attach the watch face to the strap using a small amount of icing.
- Place the watch on the cupcake as a topper. Roll the ends of the watch strap so they do not hang off of the cupcake.