Weddings? Birthdays? Why not the joy of both!
Wikipedia states that the first text referencing cupcakes dates back to 1796 however it is not difficult to imagine that the cake eating aristocracy of Europe hadn’t had a relative of the cupcake prior to 1796. With an hour and a half you too can feel like Marie Antoinette … perhaps a poor example.
As a diabetic my mother would make cupcakes with less carb-dense ingredients for me to gorge on. Along with making slime cupcake, baking gives parents an interesting activity to help teach their children science with meticulous directions and a beautiful leavening experience that allows for interesting discussions about reactions.
This recipe is special as it pairs well with more decadent foods like our fondant potatoes and our roast chicken. Truly a wedding or special event type of food this dish should be reserved for our family’s most intimate moments. As an overwhelmingly sweet dish we want to be extra careful that our full meal has a very ‘salty’ very ‘meat and potatoes’ taste. The structure of the main dish will overwhelmingly change the experience of this amazing dessert.
Smooth and Uniform not thick and dense
In step 4 we say to mix the wet ingredients (eggs, vanilla extract and buttermilk) into the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and a pinch of salt) until smooth and uniform. The goal is to not have clumps in our batter and we are given leeway to do this but be wary of your batter becoming uncomfortably thick. A general rule when mixing batter is to remember that going slower is better than having to start over. Mixing your batter until smooth and uniform and not until it is overly thick and dense will aid in adding moisture to your cupcakes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 6-8 drops pink food coloring
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons half-and-half or heavy cream
How to Make Easy Pink Cupcakes
Step 1: Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining a cupcake pan with paper liners. This sets the stage for your cupcake baking.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar until well combined.
Step 3: Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
Step 4: Mix in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and buttermilk, until the batter is smooth and uniform.
Step 5: Add pink food coloring to the batter and mix until you achieve a consistent pink color throughout.
Step 6: Fill the cupcake liners with the batter, about half to two-thirds full, to allow room for rising.
Step 7: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or the tops spring back when touched.
Step 8: While the cupcakes cool, prepare the frosting by beating together the softened cream cheese and butter until creamy.Step 9: Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla to the cream cheese mixture, then beat in the half-and-half until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Step 10: Once the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe the frosting onto each cupcake and add any desired decorations.
FAQs & Tips
When storing cupcakes it is important to remember that you have made a baked product. Unlike meat or vegetables that can go bad very quickly, when stored properly baked goods stay fresh for a long time, especially unfrosted. If you plan to keep the cupcakes for more than 5 days it is recommended to freeze them. Frozen cupcakes can last two to three months but the best way of ensuring that cupcakes do not go bad is to understand how much you will need for any given event.
To make a similar cupcake that is vegan I would recommend our vegan vanilla cupcake recipe. For a more chocolate-y flavor we also have a vegan chocolate cherry cupcake recipe.
Many different festive ‘pink’ cupcake recipes are either paired with or made with champagne. I would recommend something like a sauvignon blanc if you will be pairing the cupcakes with meat. Kids can have a white grape sparkling water or an apple cider drink with the cupcakes.
Serving Suggestions
Other drinks and meals that can go well with these cupcakes are a pink tropical ‘punch’ drink and our filet mignon recipe. For drinks, generally, we want something that will be both smooth and very lightly sweet. For foods we want a rich and dense red meat or a white meat roasted. To add grains and make a full meal I would suggest our beans, rice and sausage recipe. A spicy Louisiana dish similar to a gumbo this dish is less of a stew which allows the meat and beans to shine in a way which pairs well with the decadent, almost dainty cupcake.
Easy Pink Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold, cut into pieces
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 6-8 drops pink food coloring
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons half-and-half or heavy cream
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining a cupcake pan with paper liners. This sets the stage for your cupcake baking.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar until well combined.
- Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- Mix in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and buttermilk, until the batter is smooth and uniform.
- Add pink food coloring to the batter and mix until you achieve a consistent pink color throughout.
- Fill the cupcake liners with the batter, about half to two-thirds full, to allow room for rising.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or the tops spring back when touched.
- While the cupcakes cool, prepare the frosting by beating together the softened cream cheese and butter until creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla to the cream cheese mixture, then beat in the half-and-half until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe the frosting onto each cupcake and add any desired decorations.
