Pink and Pretty Cupcakes

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Serving size:48
Total Time:
Pink and Pretty Cupcakes

Ingredients

  • 2 quantities vanilla buttercream (see recipe below)
  • 2 quantities (48) almond cupcakes (see recipe below), baked in pink baking cups
  • plenty of pink heart sugar sprinkles
  • plenty of sugar pearls
  • 11/4 cup lightly salted butter, softened (2 1/2 sticks)
  • 11/2 cup superfine sugar
  • 2 tsp almond extract
  • 5 egg
  • 2 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoon of self-rising flour
  • 1 cup ground almonds
  • 2 tbsp milk

FOR THE VANILLA CUPCAKES Use two 12-cup muffin pans, baking those on the lower shelf of the oven for a few extra minutes if necessary. If making larger quantities, mix and bake them in separate batches. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper baking cups and preheat the oven to 350?F (180?C). Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat with a handheld electric mixer until smooth, creamy, and pale in color. Divide among the baking cups, filling them about two-thirds full, and bake for about 25 minutes until risen and just firm to the touch. Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool.


TO PREPARE THE CUPCAKES Beat a little pink food coloring into the buttercream to a very pale shade of pink. Using a spatula, spread a little buttercream over the cupcakes in a fairly smooth layer.

 

TO FINISH Put half the remaining buttercream in a paper, nylon, or plastic pastry bag fitted with a small star tip. Use to pipe shells around the edges of ?the cupcakes. Refill the bag (or use a new one if using paper) and pipe the remaining buttercream.


While the buttercream is still soft, scatter pink heart sugar sprinkles and sugar pearls around the edges of the cakes so they fall mainly over the piping.

 

 

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
    • 3 cup confectioners' sugar
    • 1 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
    • 1 tbsp boiling water

    FOR THE VANILLA BUTTERCREAM Put the butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with a handheld electric mixer until very pale in color. Add the boiling water and beat again until light and fluffy.
    Buttercream keeps well for several days in the refrigerator stored in an airtight container.

     

    Recipe courtesy of Wedding Cupcakes by Joanna Farrow, 2012. Published by Spruce a division of Octopus Publishing.