cupcakes for Christmas

so... the school year is officially over for the kids around SA! (but not for the teachers. my mom and i'll be working at least another week... whee!) for a special treat, i decided last night to whip up a batch of cupcakes for my mom's class. so out came the handy cupcake magazine my mom gave me a little while ago... (which i think came courtesy of my gran or my aunt over in the States... LOVE!)

i got to work straight away, mixing up some margarine and sugar - exciting, right?

after a few more steps (i'll share the recipe at the end of this post), i could decant batter into little cupcake wrappers! for some reason, i LOVE this part of making cupcakes. probably cause i get to lick my fingers when i'm done. ha.

look at this ooey-gooey goodness, won't you?

there was stacks of batter, so i made two full batches of 12 cupcakes each, and then baked the remaining batter, which made another 4 cupcakes. (this sounds like a maths word problem for my mom's class ;) )

(don't mind the spelling of "deliciousness" - i watched Ramona & Beezus for the first time today and can't get over her epic way of spelling the word. so it had to make an appearance. that's all.) 

...and then they emerged from the fiery furnace! 

(and a little bit... erm... sunk. but never mind that.)

we left 'em to cool last night and woke up early to give them a little bit of frosting, which my mom made green to compliment the little flower candies i had to put atop them. 

yes, i promise it's green frosting... and then the little flowers... like a lawn, with little flowers. derp.

i got creative after decorating all the cupcakes in this gloriously minimalist fashion. since we ran out of icing for the final cupcake, i made it a trunk... for a very different kind of Christmas tree ;) 

my mom's kids loved them - i even got photographic proof!

and i, of course, loved them too... 

...and couldn't quite bring myself to eat the thing when it was in front of me in all its glory...

...that didn't last too long, though.

GOODBYE, CUPCAKE! my belly sends thanks :)

i still have stacks of cupcakes stored up in our kitchen, so if you're in town, come hang out and eat cupcakes; if, however, you're too far away, here's the really easy recipe i used (seriously... if i can handle it, ANYONE can) so you can whip up a batch of your own if you so wish!

Yellow Cupcakes

stand: 30 minutes

prep: 40 minutes

bake: 18-22 minutes

cool: 45 minutes

oven: 350F / 180C

makes: 24-30 cupcakes

ingredients

3/4 cup butter

3 eggs

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 

1 1/4 cups milk

1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (or warm the butter up just slightly in the microwave - but really, just enough to make it a little soft, not melted). meanwhile, line two muffin trays with paper-bake cups. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder and salt.

2. Preheat oven to 350F / 180C. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat about 2 minutes more or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin trays, filling each cup one-half to two-thirds full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups. 

4. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centres comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin trays on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin trays. Cool completely on wire racks. Frost with desired frosting. 

...and there you have it - a fairly simple, and super scrumptious, cupcake recipe all for you courtesy of yours truly (via Homes & Gardens special interest cupcake edition... ha.)

and before i leave you for the night, let's all laugh at my cat, who has found a bed in and amongst my socks and undergarments:

CASUALLY.