Honey, I'm Home!

ne·glect (nĭ-glěkt')
1. to pay no attention or too little attention to; disregard or slight
2. to be remiss in the care or treatment of
3. to omit, through indifference or carelessness
4. to fail to carry out or perform (orders, duties, etc.)
5. to fail to take or use

So, um, yeah.  Sorry about that.

Things have been a little crazy around here lately.  Crazy wonderful and just crazy crazy...  Sweet new friends who make life a whole lot sweeter, late night dinner dates, long afternoon hikes, banana pancakes, car mechanic wrangling, ruthless job searching...  There's been a lot going on.

You may have noticed that the "Latest Celebrity Sighting" feature on the right side toolbar has been replaced with a slideshow/ link to my Tumblr profile.  I've been giving that little extra attention-- it's where I'll upload a picture I think is pretty, or jot out a thought or quote that's been circulating in my head all day.  Much more spontaneous and rapid-fire than this here blog which actually requires coherent thought...  Check it out every once in a while for a little tidbit of what's going on in my brain that day.

But now that we've got that covered, let's get down to business.  I baked you cupcakes.  What can I say?  I'm sorry it's been so long.  And I'm here to woo you back with frilly, festive, frothy cupcakes.  Pink and blue, purple and yellow...  Sprinkles and swirls of homemade buttercream sit atop moist vanilla cake.  

I'm glad you're here.  I'm sorry I was gone so long.  Please stay.

Perfect Spring Cupcakes

The best cupcakes I've ever had or made.  A tight, moist crumb with just the right amount of sweetness, topped with a creamy twist on traditional buttercream.  This is a recipe I go back to time and again, and am never, ever disappointed.

Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.

In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, making sure they become fully incorporated.  Then add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

Fill muffin cups 1/2 to 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Frosting

1 1/2 sticks (12 oz.) unsalted butter, softened

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 box (16 oz.) powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

liquid or gel food coloring (optional)

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese together until combined.  Slowly add the powdered sugar until fully absorbed, then add vanilla.

Frost cupcakes when fully cooled and decorate with the cutest sprinkles you can find.

** For colored frosting: separate frosting into small bowls and stir in a few drops of the food coloring of your choice.  Have fun and go slowly-- you can always add more.  But don't be afraid of color either!