Happy New Years Eve! And a New Frosting Recipe
In case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t made many cupcakes recently. I don’t know if I just got burnt out or what, but I’ve been making more bars and cookies recently. Bars are especially low maintenance which makes them so much easier to make than cupcakes. But cupcakes will always hold a special place in my heart. And I’ll continue to make them.
I actually made these cupcakes earlier in the year for a weekend getaway to a friend’s family lake house. I thought these photos with the sprinkles were perfectly festive for New Years Eve! Hubby and I are off ringing in the new year in Las Vegas with a big group of friends!
Since it’s our first trip to Vegas, I’m sure we’ll have a bunch of fun and plenty of stories to share when we get home. But for now, lets talk more about cupcakes. For these cupcakes, I used a classic chocolate cupcake recipe but I decided to try a new frosting recipe.
I used the new neon colored cupcake liners that have been in the grocery store this year. I love them because in general, the Wilton cupcake liners that come in a bag at stores like Michaels are cute, but they always seem to be a bit off in size. The cupcake liners that I order online are great – vibrant colors and the perfect size – but they’re a bit pricey. By default, I mostly use the classic pastel colored liners that come in the round plastic container, but recently, they’ve had these neon colored ones that are great. I can’t get enough of them!
This frosting has a great bakery-frosting flavor. It’s very sweet and everyone really enjoyed it. It had a decent amount of stiffness that was perfect for piping onto cupcakes as well. I will definitely be making this frosting again.
Dawn's Buttercream
Ingredients:
1 cup Crisco
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons meringue powder
Directions:
Cream shortening, water and flavoring.
Add powdered sugar and meringue powder. Mix until blended.
Add additional water until you reach the desired consistency. If you want really white icing be sure to use a clear extract. Vanilla extract will make the icing off white.
Recipe from Cooking with Carrie
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
You chose a great recipe! I’m glad you liked it. Did your friend like the recipe from Smitten Kitchen? I liked that one too, but it was a little more chocolately than I was looking for.
What a cool way to frost! That is so nifty – can’t wait to try. Thanks, Jen!
Amy said her sister enjoyed them so they seemed to be well received. I wanted something bright red and without a ton of food coloring. Those are the main reasons I chose the recipe I did. Then I saw your comparison post while the cupcakes were in the oven, I saw your post and it reassured my choice!
Ooooooh brown sugar cream cheese frosting! I’m intrigued.
Those look great!
Ooooooh brown sugar cream cheese frosting! I’m intrigued.
Those look great!
this looks great! I’ll have to try this to bring to work because my CWs only eat CMR’s red velvet cake!
Ooh that frosting technique looks amazing! Give you most frosting to eat, too!
That gives me an idea! What if I put something else in the cone? Maybe a melted chocolate or something. Hmmm have to think about that. Beautiful post.
Yep Sheila – I do that all the time. If you look at the other cupcakes in my blog, I’ve stuffed bananas, peanut butter, jams etc in cupcakes. It’s probably my favorite way to make a cupcake!
I love removing the cone from my cupcakes as well. More yummy frosting!! 🙂
Oooh I’ll have to try out this red velvet recipe and compare too. I think it’s so interesting that every RV recipe that is slightly different but basically the same can give you different taste results. Love the new frost method!
/Clara
So…I realize I’m seriously late to the party, but I’m so glad you like the red velvet recipe! The frosting sounds delish 🙂