Bake for Barack!

cute as a

cupcake storage bag set?

I'm baaaaack...

Well, sorta. Not really. I'm not even totally sure what to do here. Maybe I'll bake something once a month and blog it, but will anyone even look? I'm not baking cupcakes like I used to, I'm not doing anything like I used to. I really just need a place to reflect upon and store my recipes. So I'll be back from time to time with party cakes and other baked treats.

These baby cakes were my first attempt at cupcaking postpartum so I went to super easy cheater's route - I bought a box of Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix and used butter instead of oil and milk instead of water. Oh and added a splash of vanilla. I frosted with the super easy cheater's buttercream (1 stick unsalted butter, splashes of vanilla and milk, confectioner's sugar until it is right).

I was asked recently for some help in the cheater's cake department - someone was requesting homemade cupcakes but the baker didn't have time for all that nonesense. Here are the tips I have, that I know I have given here before but will repeat just so I have something else to say while I'm here.

Cheater's Baking Tips:

Use a boxed cake mix and add a box of pudding - I prefer Duncan Hines Devil's Food with chocolate fudge pudding, Duncan Hines Strawberry with vanilla pudding, or any mix that doesn't come with the pudding already in it, then you get to add the pudding yourself (it's better, I promise).

Use melted butter instead of oil.

Use one of the following instead of water: milk, buttermilk, 1/2 sour cream 1/2 milk, coffee, white wine (really! you don't taste it and it makes it nice and moist).

Soup it up with spices - cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, lemon or lime zest, get creative

Add flavor bombs - chocolate, butterscotch or peanut butter chips add a surprise inside - or you can add sprinkles and make your own confetti cake

Frost with easy cream cheese frosting - 2 sticks cream cheese, 1 unsalted butter, confectioner's sugar to taste; lighten with milk if you need to. Add vanilla, almond extract, a pint of raspberries or blueberries, pomegranate juice, flavored syrup, or just brighten it up with food coloring.

Use pretty cupcake liners. Put your cupcake tins on baking sheets so the bottoms don't burn. What else? I don't remember, I haven't even finished my coffee.

xoxo