Lucky Charm Cupcakes

Wow! It sure feels good to be back here again!  We've had viruses GALORE sweeping through our home.  It stared with the stomach virus, then the flu, and moved on to allergies/colds.  UGH!  After taking a look at the mountain of kleenex that we all blew through...ha ha, get it...we blew through.  Ok, it was bad humor, I know.  But I couldn't resist.  Anyway, we should own stock in Kleenex!

And just when we thought all was clear, my father-in-law landed himself in the hospital.  NOT COOL!  Can I just say that taking a trip to the ICU ward is NOT the proper way to spend time with your loved ones?  I can talk lightly about it now because he came home today; but I gotta say, we were really freaking out slightly scared. 

It's been a tough couple of weeks thats for sure. 

Sooo...to say the we are glad to be out of February and moving on to March is a bit of an understatement.

My dad has been after me for several weeks to make him a white cake with vanilla frosting.  

Nothing fancy mind you. 

Just a simple white cake...even the boxed kind would do.

But could I do that?  Just whip up a white cake out of a box and slap some canned frosting on it? 

Um...can I get a HELL NO!?

Since I have married into an Irish family (uh, hello, McCarthy...how much more Irish can one get?)   Well, perhaps O'Brian is more Irish, but really, who's checking right!? 

I decided that we needed a bit of the Luck of the Irish in our household.

So I topped these deliciously moist white cupcakes (that are not from box THANK you very much) with a sprinkle of Lucky Charms!

With their pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars, and
green clovers....

They are Magically Delicious!

 

Lucky Charm Cupcakes

by Angi McCarthy

Keywords: cupcake spring

 

Ingredients (24 cupcakes)

Moist White Cupcakes

• (recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour)
• 2 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour Blend
• 1 2/3 cups sugar; superfine sugar is best
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 large eggs whites plus 1 whole large egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Vanilla Buttercream frosting

• 3 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 tsps. clear vanilla extract (if you want bright white frosting)
• 1 1/2 lbs powdered sugar
• 4-6 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk

Instructions

Moist White Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two 8" x 2" or 9" x 2" round pans; a 9" x 13" pan; or 2 standard cupcake pans (20 to 24 cupcakes) by greasing and flouring; or lining with parchment, then greasing the parchment. Note: Make sure your 8" round pans are at least 2" deep; if they're not, use one of the other pan options.
2. Mix all of the dry ingredients on slow speed to blend. Add the soft butter and mix until evenly crumbly, like fine damp sand. It may form a paste, depending on the temperature of the butter, how much it's mixed, and granulation of the sugar used.
3. Add the egg whites one at a time, then the whole egg, beating well after each addition to begin building the structure of the cake. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the milks with the vanilla and almond extracts. Add this mixture, 1/3 at a time, to the batter. Beat 1 to 2 minutes after each addition, until fluffy. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes for 8" or 9" rounds; 36 to 42 minutes for a 9" x 13" x 2" sheet cake; or 18 to 20 minutes for cupcakes. A toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center will come out clean when done. Remove from the oven, remove from the pan, if desired (not advisable for a 9" x 13" sheet cake), cool on a rack, and frost.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1. In a large bowl, cream butter until fluffy.
2. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the powdered sugar and continue beating until well blended.
3. Add in vanilla and 3 Tablespoons of heavy cream or milk. Blend on low unitl moistened.
4. Add an additional 1 to 3 Tablespoons of heavy cream or milk until you reach desired consistensy. Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy.

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