Mother's Day Cupcakes

It seems like every time there has been a holiday recently I have made cupcakes, I don't quite know why. Maybe it's because they travel better than a cake or maybe just because they have a charm about them that no other treat has.
What makes these Mother's Day cupcakes? You might be asking about now, and the answer is, nothing but the fact that I'm making them for my Mom, my Grandmom and my Grammie.   

For Cupcakes:

11/4 Cups Cake Flour 

11/4 Teaspoons Baking Powder 

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda 

2 Eggs

3/4 Cups Sugar

11/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract 

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 Cup Buttermilk

For Frosting:

4 Cups Powdered Sugar

2 Sticks Softened Butter

2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

2-3 Tablespoons Milk

Red Food Coloring

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 350f

 Step1# 
In a large mixing bowl fluff together the flour, the baking powder and the baking soda with a whisk.
Step2#
In another large mixing bowl beat together the eggs and the sugar until the eggs are completely combined. Then add the buttermilk, vanilla and the vegetable oil.
Step3#
Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, and beat on a medium speed for about two minutes.
Step4#
Line your cupcake pan with your choice of liners, I prefer to use foil ones because I find the condensation doesn't effect them as much as the paper ones.
Step5# 
Fill the liners about 3/4 full of the batter. I found that my ice cream scoop is just the
 Step6#
Bake the cupcakes for 10-13 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and a tooth pick comes out clean.
Step7#
Place the cupcakes on a cooling rack, and let them cool completely before decorating.
right size to fill the cups.

Frosting

Step1#

In a large mixing bowl beat the softened butter until it is a smooth creamy

consistency.
Step3#
Add the powdered sugar to the butter and mix on a medium speed until the powdered sugar is completely mixed in. I would highly recommend covering your mixer with a dish towel or some such thing to prevent the sugar from going everywhere.

 Step4#
 Add the vanilla and the milk. You may need a bit more milk if the frosting is to thick.
Step5# 
Once you have the frosting the way you want it add 2-4 drops of the red food coloring, just enough so that the frosting is a light pastel pink.
Step 6# 
 Once the cupcakes are cool you can begin to decorate them. I used Dean Jacob's Hearts & Flowers sprinkles, and the Bows are made by Willton.

 I hope you have a very happy Mother's Day!
And a wonderful weekend.
Anna.