My Most Controversial Cupcakes EVER!

Look at these sweet, precious little cupcakes:

Vanilla cupcake dotted with rainbow sprinkles, topped with blue
and pink tinted vanilla buttercreams and pastel sprinkles

Did they make you smile...just a little? 

Did they bring a tear to your eye? 

Did they make you wanna claw someone's eyes out?? If you answered yes to the last one, you might have been offended by my previous post. 

Why, praytell, would cupcakes turn a seemingly normal, content human being into a vessel of rage and terror?? Because apparently some of the DC cupcake community (by NO MEANS all...) has a reallllllll problem with honesty and constructive feedback. 

Here's the deal blogosphere: I'ma say what I want, when I want, how I want. This is MY blog, lest anyone forget. If you don't like it, you can, in the words of Lady Gaga, go home. If you can't see the humor in this, find this in poor taste, and think that everything really is wrong with this guy, well, then, I guess we'll never be friends. (Friends are the ones you go out drinking with, right?)

So to be very clear, I do NOT apologize to anyone for what I've previously said, I AM considering starting my own cupcake event called "I Eat My Feeling Anonymous", and  I WILL share my controversial S'mores and Funfetti cupcake recipes with you, should you feel rebellious yourself! You're welcome. 

RISE UP, CupcakesOMG! Fans and UNITE for FREEEEEEEEEEDOMMMMMMMM!!!!! Because if you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything. (Leave a comment showing your support--I'll choose a winner at random October 5th to receive the first "IEMFA" tee shirt!!)

Graham cracker crusted chocolate marshmallow cupcake topped
with marshmallow frosting and a square of graham cracker

Funfetti Cupcakes

Adapted from CakeSpy

Makes approximately 12 large cupcakes

For the cupcakes

• 2 cups AP flour
• 1-3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 12 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg + 1 egg white, room temperature
• 1 1/2tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 tbsp rainbow sprinkles

For vanilla buttercream

• 3 sticks butter
• 7-8 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pink and blue food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
3. In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a stand mixer, fitted with flat beater, beat the sugar and butter until well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Add egg and egg white, one at a time, beating on low.
4. Then add vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk in 2 additions, ending with the flour mixture. Fold in rainbow sprinkles.
5. Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full. After you put your cupcakes in the oven, immediately turn the temp to 350F. Bake for about 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.

To make buttercream

In a stand mixer, fitted with flat beater, beat butter until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add 5 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, beat until combined. Add more powdered sugar until you get to the consistency you want (it's should be creamy, but firm)

Divide buttercreams in half, tinting one half pink and the other blue. Using a piping bag, layer the colors on top of each other. As you pipe, they will swirl creating a beautiful effect. Top with sprinkles to taste.

S'mores Cupcakes

Adapted from Homemade by Holman

Makes approximately 12 large cupcakes

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups graham crackers (approx. 1 pkg out of the Honeymaid box)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 T unsalted butter, melted
• 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• Marshmallows (you'll need about 100 mini marshmallows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. In food processor, pulse graham crackers until they are fine crumbs. Add sugar and melted butter and mix until well combined. Add approximately 1 tablespoon of crumbs to the bottom of each liner. Use a small circle object (I used the back of a small spoon) to press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of each liner. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from the oven. Divide the chopped chocolate evenly among the cupcakes. Add approximately 4 marshmallows to each tin.

I did not have good luck with the Homemade by Holman chocolate cake, so I would recommend the one I've had previous success with, available here.

Frosting*:

• 8 egg whites, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 squares of graham cracker

In a clean stainless steel mixing bowl or double boiler, combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. Whisk frequently, heating the mixture over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 160 degrees (or until the sugar is completely dissolved--should feel smooth when rubbed between the fingers). Transfer egg mixture to stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Begin mixing at low speed, gradually increasing to medium-high speed as the mixture becomes thicker. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add in the vanilla and mix until just combined. Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and frost as desired. Garnish with a square of graham cracker.

*I did not have a kitchen blow torch, nor an effective broiler to toast the marshmallow icing as I would have liked, but feel free to do so if you have one!