a birthday! and cupcakes!

Today is a special day. Today we celebrate one of the, if not the most, specialist person in my life's birthday. That person is my momma.

I'm told we look a like. I kind-of see it, in that not-so-kind-of-way but hey, I will take it as the highest compliment because if I can be half as beautiful and half as wonderful, compassionate, caring as she is, I will be one happy camper. Thanks for always putting our needs ahead of yours, always giving us the best and loving us unconditionally. I love you, momma bear!

We celebrated on Sunday with cupcakes and presents because daddy is off gallivanting in the state of New Hampshire today. When I asked what kind of cake she wanted, she told me she didn't need a cake and instead asked if I would make her team muffins for Monday because they would appreciate that. She is always thinking of others and doesn't ask for anything in return. Of course we didn't take no for an answer and so I made cupcakes!

Chocolate Sheet Cake-Cupcakes

source: The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour

2 cups Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Salt

4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa

2 sticks Butter

1 cup Boiling Water

1/2 cup Buttermilk

2 whole Beaten Eggs

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 and line 2 cupcake trays with liners or spray with non stick spray.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

3. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
4. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

5. In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. 

6. Pour into cupcake pans and bake 15-20 minutes.

Frosting:

source: MissyDew on Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients: 

5 Tablespoons Flour 

1 cup Milk (any type, I used 2%)

1 teaspoon Vanilla 

1 cup Butter 

1 cup Granulated Sugar (not Powdered Sugar!)

Directions:

1.Pour 5 tablespoons of flour into 1 cup of milk. 

2. After adding the flour, whisk it together until combined, then place the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk it as it heats up and thickens, and stop when the mixture is very thick (thicker than cake mix- more like brownie mix) Cool the mixture completely. 

3. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the cooled flour/milk mixture. Stir to combine.

4. Pour one cup of sugar into a bowl with one cup of butter.

5. Whip it around until it’s light and fluffy, scraping the bowl once or twice to make sure it’s all mixed well.

6.  Add the cooled flour/milk/vanilla mixture. Make sure it’s not warm at all!

7. Whip it on medium-high until the mixture resembled whipped cream. About 45 seconds.