fun.

Made these little goodies for the sweetest 7 year old girl I know. Aubrey has the sweetest heart, and is SO great with little ones even at her young age. She is going to be an amazing Mother one day :)

It was fun to experiment with doing the rainbow thing but I think I may do a cake next time as it will layer better. {Evan enjoys one without frosting...he's not a big frosting fan}

It was a fun little thing to do to celebrate her birthday with our Community Group last night :)


vanilla cupcake recipe {adapted from Martha Stewart}
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg whites, room temperature

{preheat oven @ 350.}

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, until just blended.

Seperate the batter into six smaller bowls and make these six colors:
blue, purple {9 red, 6 blue}, yellow, green, red, and orange {12 yellow, 4 red}.
{then I even layered them in rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple}

bake for about 22{ish} minutes until they spring back at you when you touch them {do not overbake!}


buttercream frosting {the original recipe I was looking at used 2{TWO!} sticks of butter so I decided to scrap that and just make it up...totally easy peasy}
1 stick {slightly firm but not cold} butter
milk {about 1/4cup}
1/4 teas. vanilla
conf. sugar {about 2.5 cups}

I didn't actually measure anything but the butter. I don't like a lot of butter and one stick was still a lot for me. I added about two cups of conf. sugar and a little vanilla and milk and just added to as I tasted it along the way to get the desired thickness I wanted. Worked like a charm.