I was a busy girl tonight and also made cupcakes for one of my friend’s birthday tomorrow.   I don’t like to make boxed cupcakes because I don’t think they taste as good.  Depending on how much time I have I either make them from scratch and or make what I like to called the “souped-up version of boxed batter”  My mom found this cookbook a couple of a years ago called The Cupcake Doctor by Anne Byrn.  The recipe I use repetitively from this cookbook is call “Birthday Cupcakes” and it makes the best yellow cupcakes.  I frost them with either a butter cream frosting or chocolate.  The frosting recipe I like to use is the butter cream frosting recipe from the side of Domino Confectionary Sugar package (yeah I know how obvious is that.)

Birthday Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 box of golden or yellow cake mix
½ cup of sugar
4 eggs
1 8oz package of low fat cream cheese
½ cup of water
½ cup of vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Combine and stir all ingredients together until well mixed.  (This is easiest to do when cream cheese is room temperature)

Line 24 cupcake pan (or two 12 cup) with baking paper and pour in about ¼ cup of batter into each cup.

Cook in the oven for 24-27 minutes.  To check if done, stick a toothpick in one and if it comes out clean, plus the center bounces back when you touch it, they are done.  Let cool on wire rack before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
1 – (1 lb.) pkg. Domino® Confectioners Sugar (approx. 3 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup – butter or margarine, softened
3 to 4 tablespoons – milk
1 teaspoon – vanilla

Instructions

Combine in large bowl, with mixer at low speed, confectioners’ sugar, butter, milk and vanilla.

Beat at medium speed 1-2 minutes until creamy. If desired, add more milk until frosting is spreading consistency.

Makes enough to fill and frost 2-layer cake, 13x9x2-inch sheet cake, or 24 cupcakes.

*Note- If you are an awful froster like me I highly recommend the Wilton’s 12-Piece Cupcake Decorating Set (from Bed Bath and Beyond or Michaels). I used the Star Tip 1M, and it doesn’t say this on the package but you need to put the larger coupler to use the larger tips.

Enjoy! ( I sure did)

-K