As much as I love to bake I have NEVER made cupcakes before today. So, this was an experiment of sorts but given my inexperience I have to say I think I did pretty well! I can't take all of the credit, my 4 year old son, Mekhi was a big help in the kitchen. So, although the cupcakes are not perfect, the experience of cooking together and the final product was amazing!
Before I could actually start making the cupcakes I had to get the right utensils. Wilton sent me a package of goodies including recipes to inspire me but I was missing a key component - a mixer! And although arm power and a wooden spoon can work, mixing batter and icing by hand was not something I wanted to do. So, courtesy of Walmart I picked up the Arm & Decker 6 speed 250 Watt Mixer.
I love that it comes in its own storage case and has attachments but the best part was the price, only $19.88! Armed with a mixer (I burned out my last mixer and considering it was over 30 years old, I guess that was be expected!) I was ready to rock and roll.
My son and I mixed the batter together. I used a Wilton recipe for butter cupcakes but substituted Jules Gluten Free flour for regular flour. And just a note, if you are looking for a "healthy" cupcake and icing, be forewarned, this is not it! I used both butter and Crisco solid vegetable oil in the recipe when I'm more proficient with baking cupcakes I'll try something else but in the meantime I'm sticking to the basic recipe. I also used vanilla almond milk instead of regular milk - being lactose intolerant almond milk is a staple in my house!
We lined the cupcake pan with liners from the Wilton Halloween cupcake kit. And placed them in the oven to cook. Meanwhile, I went to work on the icing. I made a buttercream frosting which was simply confectioners sugar, butter, vegetable shortening, vanilla, and some milk. I followed the recipe and here is the buttercream icing.
Okay, admittedly it wasn't THAT easy, since I was missing a key tool - a sifter. So, I had to McGiver it and used a grater as my sifter and it worked!
I finished off the icing by adding some icing coloring. Word to the wise, only use a toothpick worth and blend until you get your desired color. A little really goes a long way!
Next my son and I got to decorating!
His works of art!
Overall I am happy with my Halloween cupcakes. We only made 12 because who is going to eat all of that sugary goodness? Not me! And my son is currently running around here with a ton of energy after eating two cupcakes. But he was a great helper and he deserved the treat!
All of the products I used with the exception of the gluten free flour are available at Walmart and the recipes I used are also on the Wilton website and at Walmart for free. These basic recipes were really easy to make, later in the month I might try my hand at cookie decorating....that is a bit more advanced but we will see!
Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and I was compensated for this post but as usual all opinions are 100% my own.
