10/30/08

Happy Halloween! Mini- Cupcakes and More!


Ok so it goes something like this- what's cuter than a cake?

A cupcake, right?

What's cuter than a cupcake?

A mini- cupcake, right?


I made these adorable little mini-cupcakes using Martha Stewart's recipe for One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes. I had never used her recipe before and I was very impressed with the results. The cupcakes were light and airy and had a very chocolaty flavor. I can't say that I like them more than Dorie's cupcakes though, because the chocolate didn't have as much depth. These made a lovely little shiny dome at the top- and doesn't that shape just scream cupcake?


The pitfall was when I whipped up the buttercream frosting for the tops. Against my better judgment , I used a buttercream recipe that called for shortening as well as butter. I don't know why I did it, but I can assure you that I will never do it again! The frosting looks pretty and it was easy to work with but when I took a bite of it the consistency was so greasy and the flavor was just not as good as it could have been. Anyway- live and learn. I do need a good buttercream recipe though so if anyone has suggestions please leave me a comment!! I've always used a really basic one with butter and confectioner's sugar and a bit of vanilla and milk- the taste is very nice but it doesn't hold up that well for decorating. They still turned out darn cute so I sent them to school with my high school junior of a sister.


So, what could possibly be cuter than a mini-cupcake?



Ta-Da!

8 comments:

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

That baby is so cute! Happy Halloween!

Cristine said...

Cute cupcakes and cute kid!!!! Happy Halloween!

Emily said...

AWWWWW!!!! SO cute! I'm dying!

The cupcakes are cute also. I did the same thing recently, with using shortening in a frosting. I went ahead and used it, but yeah - did not like it.

Shari said...

Ok, I thought your mini cupcakes were cute, but your baby "takes the cake"!

Wandering Coyote said...

Yeah, shortening-based buttercreams are no good at all; they are used very frequently in grocery store products because shortening is much cheaper than butter and less finicky when it comes to storage. But I don't touch the stuff anymore at all - butter all the way!

Dana Treat said...

The cupcakes are cute, but your baby is far cuter!

bridget {bake at 350} said...

She is SO sweet!!! Helen Mae looks like such a happy little candy corn!

Adventures in Gluttony said...

oh my golly! that has got to be the cutest custome ever! You're daughter is adorable!!! The cupcakes are cute too.