cupcakes

Cupcakes represent most of what I love in life...they're pretty, whimsical, cute, and delicious. Really, what else do you need?

Give me a vanilla cupcake with buttercream icing in an inspired color (pink!), and in my point of view, all is right with the world :)

This past week was in need of "righting" so it's no surprise that when the weekend came, I tied on my favorite cherries patterned apron and baked the simplest, prettiest cupcakes I know.

The best part of any cupcake is the icing. I like it pretty, piped and swirly! Even if the cupcakes themselves came from a box (these didn't), there are few excuses for not making your own icing, and no excuse for not piping it ;)

Buttercream icing:

1 stick of butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 T milk
1 t vanilla extract
food coloring

In a small bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until it's white and fluffy. Gradually beat in half the sugar, the milk and vanilla, then the other half of the sugar. Mix in food coloring a few drops at a time, until it's the perfect color. This delicate pink only required 2 drops of red for the entire bowl.

I piped the icing onto the cupcakes using a large star tip. I started at the outside and worked my way in and up!

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