Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras - traditionally the last gasp of partying, frivolity, drunken revelry and gluttony before Ash Wednesday ushers in Lent. At least it is if you celebrate or observe these traditions. Technically I don't but ever since I'd visited New Orleans, I have marginally more awareness of Mardi Gras.
I say marginally because I actually didn't realize until last night that tomorrow was Mardi Gras. Ha. I'd barely been aware of Valentine's Day then Mardi Gras comes along 3 days later.
No problem - we just switch over from red and pink to purple, green and gold (er, yellow). Traditional Mardi Gras dessert is King Cake but I didn't have time for that. There's probably no such thing as Mardi Gras cupcakes either so I'm calling these what they are: butter cupcakes who dressed up for Mardi Gras in the requisite colors. Thank goodness for colored sugars.
These are nice, simple, straightforward butter vanilla cupcakes under their gaudy colors. I liked the texture and the vanilla flavor so you can make these any time of the year. I made up my own frosting since the original recipe called for chocolate frosting but the colored sugars stand out more against a vanilla frosting so that's what I made. Laissez les bon temps rouler.
Cupcakes
1
¼ cups cake flour
1
teaspoon baking powder
1/8
teaspoon salt
½
cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1
cup sugar
2
large eggs
1
teaspoon vanilla extract
½
cup whole milk
Frosting
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoons whole milk, more or less depending on desired consistency
1.
Make
the cupcakes: Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake
liners.
2.
Sift
the cake flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on
medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until smoothly blended and creamy,
about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and
scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until
each is blended into the batter. Add the
vanilla and beat for 2 more minutes. On
low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions,
beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing just until the flour is
incorporated and the batter looks smooth.
3.
Fill
each paper liner with ¼ cup of the batter, to about ½ inch below the top of the
liner. Bake just until the tops feel
firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22
minutes. Cool the cupcakes for 10
minutes in the pan on a wire rack.
4.
Carefully
place the wire rack on top of the cupcakes in their pan. Protecting your hands with pot holders and
holding the pan and rack together, invert them to release the cupcakes onto the
wire rack. Turn the cupcakes top side up
to cool completely.
Frosting: Cream butter until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and beat until combined. Add vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with colored sugars for decoration if desired.
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