I am tempted to add the word “For Dummies” after this title, because my tutorial will probably be the simplest to follow compared to others floating around Pinterest! These cupcakes almost had me spiraling into a mental breakdown while decorating and preparing for my Grandma’s surprise birthday party! Despite my ginormous hurtles, I conquered and got the job done! They may not be the prettiest, but they all eat the same!!

Pinterest Inspired

Ingredients and Supplies:

• 1 ( 15.25 oz.) box cake mix of your choice
  • eggs + 2 more than box says
  • replace oil with melted butter and double
  • 1/2 water on box and 1/2 milk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
• 16 oz. canned frosting, thicker the better (recommendation: buttercream)
• 2D closed star piping tip
• piping bags
• cupcake pan
• cupcake liners
• nonstick cooking spray
• blue and red food coloring

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Place a cupcake liner in each cup and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Place to the side.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, melted butter, milk, and water. Use an electric hand mixer to blend until smooth. Use a 1/4 c. measuring cup and carefully fill each cupcake liner 3/4 up.
3. Knock the oven temp down to 325 (trust me) right before putting the cupcakes into the oven. Bake according to the cooking time on the box mix. Check that a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean to determine if ready.
4. Remove from the oven and place on cooling racks. Allow to completely cool before decorating.
5. Using a spatula, scoop the icing into a large mixing bowl. Add about 8 drops of blue food coloring and about 6 drops of red food coloring. Mix until combined. Add another 6 drops of blue food coloring and just barely mix so that there are blue streaks throughout (this can be adjusted to your liking). The original tutorial I found said to mix blue and then purple separate and place them side by side in the piping bag, but I had to make 75+ cupcakes, so I opted to skip that step!
6. Cut tip of the piping bag (smaller than the diameter of the tip so that it doesn’t get pushed through the opening) and insert the closed star 2D piping tip securely. Place the bag, tip down, inside of a tall drinking glass and tuck the top around the sides so it stays open, this can be secured with a rubber band.
7. Spoon the icing into the bag. gather the sides to one area of the cup and place a rubber band around the circumference of the cup and holding the bag off of the bottom of the glass. Place into the fridge for about 15-20 minutes until the icing is almost firm. This piping technique can use up the frosting pretty quick, I recommend counting on 1 1/4 cans of icing per box of cake just to be safe.
8. Once icing is a thick consistency, carefully pipe stars onto the cupcakes. I found that  keeping the top as close to the cake as possible and then quickly bringing my wrist up helped with producing the right shape. I started around the sides and worked my way towards the center. Stars can be overlapped as well!
9. Once all cupcakes are completed, chill in the fridge so that icing remains stiff!

Yields approximately 24 cupcakes.

Eat, Bork, and Be Merry!

~ Kate