Neapolitan Cupcakes

This is, hands down, one of the most exciting recipes for me to post. "Why", you ask? Well, let me tell you..because these cute little cupcakes were chosen by, prepared by, baked and iced by my "baker-in-training", precious daughter, Megan.

Our dear friends, the O'Briens' (yes, same O'Brien's as Sundays For Sarah) invited us over to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with them. Sarah fixed an amazing meal of brisket, potato latkes, cheesy rice and Challah bread. Mmmm, it was all so delicious! When we exchanged gifts, Megan received a cupcake cookbook and immediately began looking through it. She was so excited to have her own cookbook and couldn't wait to bake her first cupcakes.

Megan chose these adorable Neapolitan Cupcakes as her first recipe. I remained in the kitchen with her, but made sure to allow her to do things her way. She had a few questions along the way, but in all she did a phenomenal job. The batter is mixed in one bowl and then divided out into three batches. One is colored pink with food coloring, cocoa is added to another for the chocolate and the remaining one is left alone as the vanilla. Megan asked me to help her in filling the muffin cups since there were three bowls to dip from. We had a ball working side by side sharing giggles and grins.

When the cakes were cooled it was time for the icing. It took awhile to get the right consistency, but once she got it, she divided it up and colored the icing in the same manner as the cakes with food coloring and cocoa. Then she proceeded, very carefully, to ice the cupcakes. Didn't they turn out wonderfully? I'm very proud of her!! I did get a kick out of this last little bit I'm about to share with you...once Meg got her cakes done, I was shocked that she didn't immediately want to taste her creations. It wasn't close to dinner time and we had only "snacked" for lunch, so I was a little befuddled. So I asked her, "Megan, honey, why don't you want to eat one of your cakes?" Her response made me laugh..."Mom, I ate too much icing off my fingers as I was working on the cupcakes and now my stomach kinda hurts. I really don't feel like eating any more icing, even if it's on the cakes" Cute huh? Don't worry, the cakes were for our family, so whatever germs she shared while licking her fingers remained within our home. :) I'll be sure to share the "cleanliness" rules next time we bake together.

From the heart of my kitchen to yours, may your experience be fun and your food always flavorful! Enjoy!

Neapolitan Cupcakes

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups self-rising flour
1/3 cup milk
pink food coloring
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa-powder
2 teaspoons milk, extra

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 6-hole oversize (Texas) or 12-hole standard muffin pan with paper baking cups.
2. Beat butter, vanilla, sugar and eggs in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in sifted flour and milk, in two batches.
3. Divide mixture evenly among three bowls. Tint one mixture pink. blend sifted cocoa with extra milk in cup, stir into another mixture. Leave third mixture plain.
4. Drop alternate spoonfuls of the three mixtures into baking cups. Pull a skewer backwards and forwards through mixtures for a marbled effect, smooth surface.
5. Bake large cakes about 30 minutes, small cakes about 20 minutes. Turn cakes onto wire rack to cool.
6. Make butter cream.
7. Spread cakes with the three colors of butter cream.

Butter Cream

1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
pink food coloring
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons milk, extra

Beat butter in small bowl with electric mixer until as white as possible, beat in sifted powdered sugar and milk, in two batches. Divide mixture evenly among three bowls. Tint one mixture pink. Blend sifted cocoa with extra milk in cup; stir into another mixture. Leave third mixture plain.

Source: cupcakes