Sweet-cakes!

My children LOVE cupcakes, as I suppose most children do.  I mean, what's not to love?  Whether whimsically decorated or iced with a can of Betty Crocker frosting, these four-bite mini-cakes elicit feelings of comfort and fun for any child, all the while tasting so yummy.  

I call these cupcakes sweet-cakes, as they are just that...pure sugary sweetness in the form of the sweetest looking treat.  Iced so simply with nothing more than a mixture of icing sugar and milk, even the youngest little chef can whip this up in no time with nothing more than two ingredients, a bowl, mixing spoon and colouring agent, if desired. No exact measurements are required.   

Perfect for class parties, after-school snacks or in place of a birthday cake, these sweet cakes are sure to be loved by every child.

Sweet-cakes

As many cupcakes as desired, whether from a cake-mix or homemade (easy recipe below)

Frosting

1 cup icing sugar

1.5 tbsp milk

Colouring paste

~ Mix all ingredients together until you reach the desired consistency (more icing sugar will give you thicker icing, less will give you a thin version).

~ Add some amounts of colouring paste (I prefer this to food colouring) until desired colour has been achieved

Easy Cucpcakes

I'm not sure where this recipe came from, so I can't give credit to the author, but I do know I found it on the internet a few years ago and it has been our go-to recipe ever since.  Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes.

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

~ Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

~ In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

~ In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

~ Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

~ Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. 

~ Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

~ Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.