WTF, Cupcake?

I must confess, I love box cake mix. When my birthday would come around, I would always request that my mom skip the bakery and just whip me up a chocolate box mix cake. My fave. Like for real, yo. I am wanting to whip one up just thinking about it!

Anyway, although I love my cake mix, I feel like I should be more legit and make them from scratch. In my first attempt I ended up karate chopping it and turning it into cake balls (you can read about that here). I finally felt healed from that experience and was ready to give it another go. I made the You Rock Cupcakes from 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know.

You Rock Cupcakes
makes 18 cupcakes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 c whole milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened (10 tbs)
• 1 1/4 c sugar
• 3 large eggs

1. To start, preheat oven to 350 and put liners in pan.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a different medium bowl mix together the milk and vanilla.
4. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until fluffy with an electric mixer on medium, about 5 min.
5. Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth and evenly mixed.
6. with the mixer on low alternate adding the flour and milk mixture (2 batches each) until just combined (don't over mix!).
7. separate into the 18 cups and bake for 20-24 min, or until you have a clean toothpick.
8. Set on cooling wracks and remove once completely cool, then remove and frost!

Wilton Buttercream Icing

• 1c solid white vegetable shortening (not crisco brand!)
• 1 tsp Wilton Flavor (Vanilla, Almond, or Butter...or you could use 1tsp of each like me!)
• 2 tbs water (add more to thin it out to your preference)
• 1lb (4 c) powdered sugar
• 1 tbs Meringue Powder

Mix all wet ingredients (shortening, flavor, water). Then slowly add in dry ingredients. Blend until creamy.

I took some to work and sent some with B. The reviews were good, but I'm just not loving it. Maybe if I had followed step 5 with the eggs correctly it would have made a difference? I don't know. I felt that they were too dense and maybe not sweet enough? Even though they were a hit, I'm continuing the search for a recipe that I will love as much as funfetti box mix.

The icing was a whole other situation. I have made buttercream tons of times (literally tons of times), and it's always perfect. This time it tasted the same, but the texture was off. Maybe I was having a Mandy Moore moment from the movie Because I Said So. Who knows. Someone said it's because I'm a perfectionist so I just need to relax. Anyway, my taste testers enjoyed it, so you should give it a try too.

Do you have a favorite vanilla/white cake recipe? Please share!!!