As our end of summer BBQ was showered down upon by the chily city rain, I thought what better a way to brighten up the bash than a good oldfashioned cupcake covered in sparkling sprinkles. With determination, I set out in the storm to buy my goods and hunker down in my little kitchen for what would be a favorite weekend afternoon in my book...cupcake frosting. Yeah, the mixing part, the baking part and the licking the bowls part is pretty fun, but the frosting part takes the cake - pun intended!
I dont know if its the delecate nature of the sugar mixed goodness, or the endless decorating possibilities that it gives you, but frosting is my numero uno. It's the frosting that perfects the whole cake, and for me, its all about the buttercream. I have tried a few different variations on this tried and true recipe, even a merange buttercream (which is the what they use at cafes like Buttercup Bakery and Crumbs), but I always end up coming back to the basic: Confectioners Sugar Buttercream. This type of frosting is spread over the likes of the famous Sprinkles and Magnolia Bakery and I favor it as my topping to be. Everyone has a different oppinion though and cupcake connesours are a plenty out there...so whip up a batch or two of this vanilla buttercream frosting and try for yourself...I bet you'll find this recipe actually tastes better than your $4 treat down the street!
1 cup butter (softened to room temp)
3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
Recipe
1. In a bowl, combine butter and salt. Beat until blended, light and fluffy (I use the whisk attachment on my KitchenAid mixer)
2. Gradually add sugar until incorporated (stopping occasionally to scrap the sides of the bowl)
3. Add milk, vanilla and beat for and additional 3-5 minutes or until smooth and creamy (don't over mix and add too much air, frosting should be thick and creamy)
4. Grab you piping bag and go crazy, or just roll the edges in sprinkles like I did. Its such a dramatic effect with little effort!
*Something to remember - you MUST have your butter softened or you will get lumpy frosting and no one smiles at lumpy frosting
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