Funfetti Cupcakes

Believe it or not, I try to limit my daughter's sugar intake. I say "try" because I usually fail.

The goal is that she gets one treat a day, usually after dinner. If she has her treat after lunch, she has to forego it after dinner.

{Says the woman who stuffs her face with baked goods all hours of the day. Can you spell H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E?}

You know what ruins the goal? School.

As Jordan is eating her sucker/cookie/candy after dinner she often lets it spill that it was so-and-so's birthday at school today and they had BIG cupcakes.

She usually waits to share this tidbit after she is over halfway done with her treat, thus making it silly (and impossible) to wrench it out of her sticky hands while laying down the "one treat a day" law.

It seems that it's always someone's birthday/holiday/special occasion/second Tuesday of the week in class.

Pretty soon it'll be Valentine's Day. Did you know V-day was the new Halloween? Except instead of staying up late to get bags full of candy, she comes home with it in her backpack.

So, of course I had to do my part. And it wasn't even for Jordan's birthday. (Which is right after Valentine's day, BTW. Between the party, V-day, and her actual birthday we land in a sugar coma that lasts through Easter.)

I made these cupcakes to celebrate Jordan's teacher's birthday.

But at least I made little mini cupcakes. To match the little mini kids in class. (Can I still classify six- and seven-year-olds as little mini kids? *Sigh*)

This recipe is from How Sweet It Is. I must say, I have searched long and hard for a good not-a-box vanilla cupcake recipe and have not had much success. But these cupcakes?

They are the BEST dang cupcakes. Ever.

The frosting is awesome too. Sweet but not overwhelmingly so. The perfect pairing.

The kids got mini cupcakes. But I got a large one. At noon. And one after dinner.

But don't tell Jordan.

Funfetti Cupcakes

Recipe from How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes:

½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles, plus more for decoration

For the Frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon milk (if needed for consistency)

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350°. Line muffin tins with liners and set aside.

2.       Whisk flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3.       Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Add half the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until combined. Add the milk and stir, then add the remaining dry ingredients. Fold in sprinkles.

4.       Pour into prepared pans (fill 2/3 full). Bake 18-20 minutes for large cupcakes, 14 minutes for minis. Let cool completely before frosting.

5.       To make frosting: Beat butter in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Mixing on low speed, add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time. Mix in vanilla. If frosting is too thick to spread, add the milk 1 teaspoon at a time until it has reached the desired consistency. Frost cooled cupcakes and top with additional sprinkles.

Yield: 12 regular sized cupcakes or 36 mini cupcakes

This recipe may be linked with:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts, Creative Monday (Clairejustineoxox), Mix it Up Monday (Flour Me With Love). Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training), Trick or Treat Tuesday (Inside BruCrew Life). Wednesday: Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party (Mrs. Fox's Sweets) Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks, Cast Party Wednesday (Lady Behind the Curtain).  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy), Tastetastic Thursday (A little nosh), Sweet Temptations (Talking Dollars and Cents), Taking a Timeout Thursday (Mom on Timeout), Things I've Done Thursday (BearRabbitBear). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate), Bacon Time, Fusion Friday (Jane Deere Blog). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Strut your Stuff Saturday (Six Sisters' Stuff), Moms Crazy Cooking