Happy Easter!

Ever since I received cute cupcake liners and toppers for my birthday last month (see pics below), I’ve been wanting to make cupcakes. Since spring finally arrived this week and tomorrow is Easter, this seemed like as good a weekend as any. Originally, I was planning to make red velvet cupcakes, but I couldn’t find a recipe I really wanted to use. Instead, I decided to make yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting. While I’ve made these from a box many times in the past, I’ve never made either the cupcakes or frosting from scratch. Both of these recipes were great to follow. My favorite part was actually frosting the cupcakes. This frosting was super easy to work with and really went on the cupcakes easily. I haven’t tasted either the cupcakes or frosting yet (saving them for tomorrow), but Shane was a huge fan of both the cupcake batter and the frosting. We’re definitely looking forward to trying the cupcakes!!

Yellow Cake
from Blonde Ambition in the Kitchen

2 ½ cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line the cupcake pan with liners.

Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add sugar and, using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed to blend. Cut butter into 4 or 5 chunks and drop into the bowl with the flour. Blend on low speed until mixture looks sandy and no large chunks of butter remain, 1-2 minutes.

In a large measuring cup, combine eggs, milk and vanilla. Beat lightly with a fork until combined. With the mixer on low, pour 1 cup of the egg mixture into the bowl. Turn speed up to medium and beat for 1 ½ minutes. Reduce speed back to low and pour in the rest of the egg mixture. Continue to beat at low speed for an additional 30 seconds, until liquid is fully incorporated.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for a few more seconds, if necessary. Pour into prepared cupcake tins, spreading batter evenly.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting
from Hershey’s

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

Makes about 2 cups frosting.