Cupcakes For A Party Of Two

Photo by What's Up Cupcake
I have many friends and relatives born in the month of March.  So to save time, as well as, our waistlines, I only bake 2 cupcakes at a time.  Not only is it fast and easy, but if you don't have a big family to feed, who needs 12 cupcakes?  Sometimes all you want is a serving.  And by making them from scratch, you can use premium ingredients: real vanilla, butter and whole grains.  Here is my recipe:

2 Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients: 
¼ cup whole wheat flour 
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg white [save the yolk for an omelet]
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoons milk
[Add a tiny punch of baking soda if you use buttermilk or honey instead of milk or sugar, or if you use lemon juice/zest to make lemon cupcakes]

Directions:
1) In a mixing bowl whisk the ingredients together, one at a time until smooth.
2) Line a muffin pan with 2 cupcake liners, filling each one with the batter.
3) Bake at 350 F for 10 – 12 minutes until golden brown and the centers bounce back. 

Vanilla Icing

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
½ cup powdered sugar, plus extra

Directions: 
(1) Put the butter into a mixing bowl; melt in the microwave.
(2) Whisk in the vanilla and milk.
(3) Add the powered sugar a little at a time, as much as necessary, until the icing is stiff and creamy.  Note: I usually use milk, but cream in this recipe is divine.

For chocolate cupcakes, add 2 teapoons of real cocoa powder, or melted bittersweet chocolate to both the batter and icing.  Plus, cut the vanilla in half and add a pinch of baking soda to the batter.  [Baking soda helps cakes rise when combined with an acidic ingredient like buttermilk, honey, lemon, chocolate, vinegar or yogurt.]  You can make a vanilla and chocolate cupcake to satisfy tastes.  Decorate with colored sprinkles, chocolate shavings or shredded nuts, if you wish.

Making one cupcake is simple too: Follow the directions above, cutting the ingredients in half.  But with cupcakes, much like drinking, do you really want to indulge alone?  C'mon, invite a friend over.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Madewell Summer Dresses

Image
It's a scientistic fact: The Earth is getting warmer.  New York City is expected to hit 94 degrees F today!    Madewell , a sister company of J. Crew, has summer dresses to keep you cool during any heat wave ahead. The style is casual smart. In a nutshell: Comfortable, flattering and effortless. Here are three to consider because we like looking at dresses, don't we?: 1) The  Fern Silk Faux Wrap Dress above ↑ in spiced rose has slender straps, a v-neck and pleats with a stylish flowing bottom. 2) Lakeshore Button Back Dress - A brilliant royal blue shift dress with a V-neck back and oversized buttons make the viscose fabric dress super cute. 3) Strawberry Print Pintuck Ruffle Dress - Chic black canvas featuring strawberry prints. It's 100% cotton. A split square neck with a ruffle outline makes it fun to be a lady! Simple ... with unexpected details, no? Stylin' in the summer heat! Do you have a favorite? You may also enjoy: Lulus Is On Trend Fashion   ...
Read more

Irish Soda Bread: Sweet Or Savory?

Image
Photo by  All About Food I can't claim much Irish ancestry, but aren't we all Irish on St. Patrick's Day?  I do love meat and potatoes, Irish stew, cabbage, root vegetables and Irish soda bread.  I started making soda bread because it tastes similar to buttermilk biscuits, but you can substitute healthier ingredients: like butter instead of lard and whole grain flour in lieu of all white flour.  Soda bread is delicious served warm.  Here is my recipe: Irish Soda Bread For Savory Ingredients: 3 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup all purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 eggs, lightly beaten 4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed 1 ¼ cups buttermilk -  I use low fat (1.5% milkfat). optional: 1/3 cup caraway seeds For Sweet You will add  ½ cup sugar, 1 cup raisins. (= Irish American soda bread) Directions: 1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. 2. Stir the first 5 dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. 3. Mix ...
Read more

PureFlow Q17 Fan

Image
The PureFlow Q17 fan is an investment, but at $99 it is about 1/3 less than other bladeless fans. Although compact, it puts out a powerful airflow. In lieu of only 3 fan speeds, there are 12 speeds. You can easily sit it on the floor, or on top of a piece of furniture. And sans blades, no need to worry about curious children or pets getting hurt. The fan is designed to circulate air throughout an entire room. It vertically tilts 90 degrees and has a 90 degree horizontal oscillation. This keeps the air flowing in every direction. Moreover, a heavy smoker lives above me, who oddly enough, smokes at 3:00ish am and 5:30ish am every morning. What a nightmare at such vulnerable hours. The cigarette smoke migrates into my apartment and makes it hard to breathe, so I sleep with the fan sitting on a foot stool, pointed up at the ceiling. It does only some good (and I worry she will burn the place down during hours the rest of us are sleeping.) How I wish this mindless,   nocturnal being ...
Read more