Mini Cupcakes and a Recipe for Good Frosting

Love this easy frosting-very delicious!

4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter(softened)
3-4 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla
food coloring(optional)

Mix all (except milk) ingredients with electric mixer-add milk until it reaches desired consistency. Enjoy! Good luck!

Wilton.com has a fabulous recipe for buttercream frosting that my kids who are now adults insist that I use for any cake we make. It calls for 1/2 crisco and 1/2 butter which makes a great consistency for squeezing out of a ziploc bag with the corner cut out if you want to write anything on the cake.
They have lots of decorating ideas, and you can get their pans at Walmart, Michaels, and lots of other places. Have fun

The cutest cupcakes I've ever seen were made by my neighbor. She baked the cupcake in an ice cream cone! Buy the "name brand" box of cones at the grocery store, and the instructions for making them are on the box. But it's VERY simple: you have to wrap every cone in foil (this is the time consuming part). But then you just pour your batter into the cone and bake! The cake bakes up and looks like an ice cream cones! After cooling, frost them and top them with sprinkles. So cute!

This is a cute idea and looks ADORABLE when served.
Go out and buy some ice cream cones - just the regular cones with the flat bottoms. Joy makes different colors.
Anyway - pour the cupcakes into the tins and push a cone in each one at the top. Bake as you would. When the come out of the oven and cool - you can remove the papers and stand the cones upright and it looks like ice cream cones. You then frost/sprinkle the tops - it is ADORABLE and kids love them. Best of all - it is easier for them to eat like this rather than a plain old cupcake because they can hold the cone.
Good luck!
M.

I am a regular baker for my family and this is a great, easy frosting:
1/3 cup softened butter or margarine
3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
about 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons milk - make sure you have enough so that it is fluffy, not too much so it is runny.Don't be afraid to add enough milk - if by chance you add too much, add more powdered sugar.
Blend butter and sugar. Blend in vanilla and milk, beat until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency.
To make them cute, add sprinkles and color the frosting - wilton makes a great paste type food color - colors very vivid. Buy a couple of different colors and make some of each.
Good luck!!

T.,

For cute and fairly easy cupcake decorating ideas go to bakerella.com and click on the different months on the left side of the page. Her specialty is cake pops and they are adiorable. Even if you don't use it for this party, it will give you adorable ideas for other events.
Good luck!

For my son's bday, I made 24 cupcakes, and put them very close together on a platter in the shape of a ball. I made orange frosting (white canned w/ food coloring) and made a giant basketball using black icing to draw the lines. The idea is to make it look like one big cake. I saw this idea at the Target bakery. Maybe you could do a cute flower, like a daisey, or something.

Hi, I have a real cute idea. I made them for my daughters 1st b-day and they were a hit with the kids and the adults. It's also very simple. All you need are ice cream cones the colorful ones. A box of Pillsbury confetti cake (follow box directions) Just pour batter in cones. Do not fill to the top. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 mins. depending on your oven, Until golden brown. Leave to cool then frost. As for frosting i just use the Pillsbury Funfetti frosting. Then decorate with sprinkles. Enjoy!!

For my son's birthdays, I've made ice cream cone cupcakes and they are a huge hit! Just buy the mix for cupcakes or a cake and you put the cones right into the cupcake pan. (Use one for smaller cupcakes...they stand up better). Then you just pour the cake mix right into the cone (I think about half to 3/4 full) and put it in the oven for the amount of time for cupcakes. They fluff up over the top of the cone, you frost it and it looks like an ice cream cone! Plus, they're not as messy as regular cupcakes and the kids love them! I just use frosting from a can in the baking aisle, usually a whipped one is easiest to spread. But I also make my own frosting sometimes. I have a few different recipes you can get online. Search "cream cheese frosting" and those are pretty good! I'd be happy to send you the recipe if you can't find one you like. Good luck!! Oh, you can also add some sprinkles and that makes the cones look pretty cute!!

http://www.familyfun.com has lots of neat ideas for decorating

This recipe is something my m-i-l and I came up with 20 plus years ago, when we did all sorts of shaped cakes and wedding cakes.

This buttercream is very simple...

1/2 stick softened margarine
1/4 cup solid crisco
1 tea vanilla (imitation or real)
Beat on high speed with mixer. (medium speed if kitchen aide type) Mixture should be very creamy.
Slowly add at reduced speed powder sugar. Add milk to keep softened. (1 to 2 lb bag)
Add the milk slowly as needed to keep frosting "soft peak" consistency.
If you want to make some chocolate...add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder. you will need to add alittle more milk to get back the soft peaks.
Have fun...

Okay, this may sound like a cop out, but Sam's, Costco, even Jewel make good ones. So, if you aren't a seasoned pro, consider faking it - you can even put them on a plate and smudge a few if you really want to pass it off. The cost is minimal and the reduction in stress is measurable.

I have to tell you those Pillsbury brownie trays at Sam's are so awesome - they taste better than any homemade brownie I've made or had - don't know what it is - I slice them up and everyone thinks I've made them and raves about them ;-)

M. G.
AH

What about arranging all the cupcakes in a big #1. You can make the regular cupcakes the outline for the one and the mini cupcakes can fill in all the holes. Good Luck and have fun!

Box mixes are good for a not very good baker. I would recommend for frosting, going to Michaels or Walmart and buying the vanilla whipping icing. It is very lite and really good.

http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E311491-...

Or look at the wilton website for the icing recipe. This icing is great for little tummies. The buttercream is very rich and heaving for little kids.

Check out Family Fun magazine (they have a website, too) for some great ideas!

T.

If you go to the Wilton.com website there are recipes for every flavor cupcake and frosting you can imagine. Lots of ideas for decorating too. Im making a cupcake tree for my daughter this year and i get alot of ideas from the site!
Sorry if this is a repear suggestion.
Good Luck!

An idea for decorating them is to stick a small piece of candy on the top or a sucker sticking out. Little pieces of colored candy sprinkled on top is good too.

Hi! This happens to be my business out of my home. You can check out my website at cakescookiesandmorebyericka.shutterfly.com

I would not use a recipe with crisco, it changes the taste. Yes it holds up well, but I prefer sticking with butter. If you would like my recipe I will share. email me at ____@____.com you would like other tips I could help. As far as the display if you do not want to buy the metal reusable stand there are cute cardboard ones you can buy that are really reasonable in price. Good Luck!

Here is a recipe for a strawberry swirl cake form Kraft. Basic cake box recipe divided. In half of the batter add strawberry Jello powder and mix well. To make into cupcakes, put a scoop of white batter into one side of cupcake paper and pink on the other side. Then use a butter knife and gently swirl the two colors together (not too much or it will all turn pink). Then bake. You could probably do the same with store-bought frosting. Of course you can use whatever color Jello you prefer.

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/strawberry-swirl-cak...

I love Mom LK's idea below about baking the cupcakes in an ice cream cone!! I tried it this weekend and they were a hit! One suggestion if you try them...if you store the cupcakes in an air-tight container, the cone will not be crisp. I took them out of the tupperware and the cones became crisp again overnight.

Hi T., If you can check out Martha Stewart Living from last month I think you will have all your answers solved. It was a cupcake issue. I just checked and they have already put all those ideas on the webpage. Here you go. Have fun with this. Check out the summer cupcakes link also.

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/our-best-cupcak...

I am actually going to follow one of these for my own birthday celebration.
Best,
VK

Ruth H gave a good frosting but I wouldn't use margarine - I would substitute butter instead of margarine. I love the Wilton cupcake and more stand - the size I have is for 24 cupcakes. You can buy it at Michael's with a 40% off coupon or Bed, bath and beyond with a 20% coupon.
http://www.foodnetworkstore.com/ProductDetail.aspx?R=5849...

Wilton's also has "First birthday" cupcake liners that are cute.

http://www.shopbakersnook.com/m5_view_item.html?m5:item=4532

Stick some cute little sugary edible decorations or even a non-edible pick or umbrella, in each - those can also be bought at Michaels, and sprinkle some colorful jimmies (sprinkles) on it and it looks so cute! Also, if you are using white or yellow cake, if you put some colorful jimmies in each cupcake batter before they bake, they come out as confetti cupcakes.

You don't have to be a great baker to look like a pro! Good luck!

I did a cupcake theme for my daughter's second birthday using a box cake and whipped premade frosting. I frosted the cupcakes and put sprinkles and candy hearts on top. I displayed them on a cupcake tree. It was super cute and really easy.