Mini cupcakes

I've had a pan for mini cupcakes for ages, but had never made them. I used it for mini muffins right after it was given to me. Despite being non-stick, the muffins stuck. I didn't have little liners back then. After cleaning the pan, I stuck it up in the seldom-used-items cabinet.

Cupcake mania seems to have hit America a year or more ago and isn't showing any sign of easing up yet. Cupcake cookbooks, TV programs and specialty bakeries are everywhere.

I've always liked cupcakes and decided it was time to get that pan out and buy the appropriate size liners. Duncan Hines lemon cake mix was used along with my own butter cream frosting. I was surprised at how many one cake mix made: 6 dozen! I ran out of butter cream frosting and didn't have more butter softened so I cheated and used canned chocolate frosting to finish decorating them. I knew Bill wouldn't mind a few chocolate ones. He would have preferred the entire cupcake be chocolate. All of them!

I used star tips on five colors of icing plus the chocolate. Since making these I used a Michaels coupon and bought a really large star tip. I think one big star will cover these little cuties.

The size is great. Two bites (three if you're polite, one if you're a ravenous piggy) and a yield of 6 dozen means you can share them with many people. I took two dozen to my knitting group, gave some to both sons, took some to the cottage to share with neighbors there and we still have 8 here, a week later. That wouldn't have happened with full sized cupcakes. They'd be long gone. It isn't that we like these less, it is about portion control.

If you're wondering what they are sitting on in the above picture, it is a Wilton cake and cupcake carrier. This was one of my best purchases via a 50% off coupon at Joann's a year ago.

I bought it to use when transporting a decorated 9x13 cake. The cupcake insert is a separate tray that holds 12 regular sized cupcakes or 24 minis. I think it is around $20 full price.

They only take 8-10 minutes to bake. Let me know when you're headed this way and I'll stick some in the oven while starting the coffee, or would you like a cold glass of milk with your snack?