Pinkalicious Cupcakes

We are big Pinkalicious fans in my house! We have all the books, including the newest one, Silverlicious. It is such a cute book, with a great storyline! When I found this recipe for the Pinkalicious cupcakes I knew I had to make them! Check out http://www.thinkpinkalicious.com/ for more fun pinkalicious activities (as well as the actual recipe). The website is just as cute as the books! :)

Getting to the cupcakes...These were very easy and fun to make. Make sure to recruit little helpers for this one. They will love adding the 20 drops (or more) of food coloring as well as the decorating part of the cupcake. The pink definitely makes everything more fun as do the sprinkles and whatever else you decide to add. Pink not your color? Substitute for a different color! I think next time we're going for blue cupcakes. The possibilities are endless...have fun!

Pinkalicious Cupcakes
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
pink food coloring (I used McCormick)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a large size bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar together until it's light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well after each egg. Then add the vanilla.
3. In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture and milk using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to the wet mixture and combine thoroughly.
5. Add 20 drops of food coloring to the batter and stir.
6. Evenly fill the liners with batter and bake for 18-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the muffin tin and cool completely on a wire rack.

Buttercream Frosting
3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk (or water)
pink food coloring

1. Combine the confectioners sugar, butter, vanilla and milk in a medium size bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Mix in a few drops of pink food coloring into the frosting to create the perfect shade of pink.
2. After the cupcakes have completely cooled, decorate the cupcakes with frosting. And, of course, sprinkles or candy (I used pink cake sparkles and tip 12 to pipe the frosting).
**I prefer to use water when making the frosting, that way I don't have to worry about refrigerating the cupcakes. Also, I did not use 1/4 cup water...I used my teaspoons and measured very small amounts until I reached my desired consistency.

A few things about this recipe...First, it only makes 12 cupcakes and enough frosting to frost those 12 cupcakes. Second, the cupcake itself is very good, but not very sweet. However, the frosting makes up for that! The cupcakes are moist, but not nearly as light as a cupcake made from a box cake mix. If I was making these for a large group of kids, I would probably use a box mix and just add the food coloring. However, for a smaller group of kids this recipe is perfect...or if you're just in the mood to make cupcakes.