Cupcakes continued...

Remember how I said I was going to make three kinds of cupcakes today?  HA! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!  HA!  I forgot that I have an almost one year-old who is a busy, toddling, complete momma's boy plus I have Christmas gifts to wrap and a house to clean since my housekeeper couldn't get up here because of the weather.  What in the world was I thinking?!  

I did manage to get one batch made - Magnolia Bakery's vanilla cupcake and chocolate buttercream icing.  And boy, they turned out GREAT. I am in love with this recipe. I have never made this particular recipe before and usually find homemade cupcakes to be dense but still good. These however, are divine.  Fluffy and light but soooo buttery and vanilla-y.  They are just scrumptious.  I think it's the addition of self-rising flour that gives the cupcake its airy yet still satisfying quality.  The chocolate buttercream also tasted delicious but I was impatient (and had a crabby baby in tow) so I didn't let the chocolate cool enough before adding it to the butter mixture and so it didn't turn out as fluffy as it was supposed to.  Instead it was creamy and shiny.  But oh so tasty.  Not too sweet but rich and melts in your mouth. Overall I'd chalk it up to a success and I think I'll be able to perfect it for Piglet's bash in a few weeks (or is it just days)?

Tomorrow or maybe the next day, I'll endeavor to do a batch with vanilla buttercream icing which I'll dye many pretty colors which will hopefully make them resemble the cupcakes in the picture a little more.  If the weather lets up and I am finally able to escape my house, I'll go buy that fancy spatula too and then the games can really begin.  For now though, I am licking the bowl - Magnolia has won my home cook heart right over.  If you don't already have it, go get the Magnolia Bakery cookbook. It's a keeper for anyone who loves old-fashioned desserts.

Merry Christmas Eve and Happy Hanukkah everyone!!!  

xoxoxo