Mardi Gras Cupcakes

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• CUPCAKES:
• 1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 2 to 3 pecan halves (optional)
• GLAZE:
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
• GARNISH:
• Purple, green, and yellow or gold sprinkles
• Gold dragees (optional)
• Chocolate gold coins (optional)

Details

Servings 24
Adapted from howtoeatacupcake.net

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350°. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set pans aside.

2. Prepare cupcake batter: Place cake mix, cream cheese, water, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla and almond extracts in large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop machine and scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down sides again if needed. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it 3/4 full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove empty liners, if any.) If desired, push pecans deeply into center of 2 or 3 cupcakes so they cannot be seen. Place pans in oven.

3. Bake cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 16 to 20 minutes. Remove pans from oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run dinner knife around edges of the cupcake liners, lift cupcakes up from the bottoms of cups using end of the knife, and pick them out of cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on wire rack to cool completely for 30 minutes before glazing.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: Place confectioners' sugar and milk in small mixing bowl and whisk to combine until smooth.

5. With soup spoon, drizzle glaze over cooled cupcakes. Immediately garnish with sugar sprinkles, shaking on colors in three separate strips. Add chocolate coins and gold dragees, if desired. Cupcakes are ready to serve. (Remove dragees before serving the cupcakes.)

Store these cupcake in cake saver or under glass dome at room temperature for up to 3 days or in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze them, wrapped in foil or in cake saver, for up to 6 months. Thaw cupcakes overnight in refrigerator before serving.

Whipped Buttercream
Makes 2-3 cups (enough frost 12 cupcakes)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup heavy cream

Cream butter and sugar in electric mixer on low to medium speed until fluffy. With mixer on low, add extracts, then slowly add the cream. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.