Project Cupcake

I wanted to try something new so I decided to bake cupcakes. This has been on my mind for a long time and I thought it would be fun to put it into reality. My original plan was to make classic vanilla cupcakes. So I researched about its ingredients then I found this at cooks.com:

1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup cold milk

Preheat oven to 350°F
Bake time: 18-24 min.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
In a separate bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Add to butter mixture; stir in milk

I also checked other websites’ suggested vanilla cupcake recipes but this was by far had the most simple procedure.

I went to hypermarket and nearby stores to gather the ingredients I need. I bought flour, baking powder, eggs, butter, sugar and condensed milk. I also bought food coloring and small stik-o because I might have a use of them. Vanilla extract was unfortunately unavailable. There were only orange, almond, banana, strawberry, buko pandan, ube and mango flavors. Instead of putting off the plan, I came up with the decision to just try using strawberry and buko pandan flavors.

After completing the ingredients, it was now time for me to prepare the materials for baking. Oven, electronic mixer, oven, spatula, cupcake paper. I was not able to find proper cupcake tins to use. I just used small round tins used for making gelatin and leche flans instead. Resourcefulness counts!

It was already a hot afternoon when I started working. I modified the procedure since there had been a change of plan particularly in the flavoring. I halved ingredients so that I could do both strawberry and buko pandan cupcakes. In two separate bowls, I stirred all dry ingredients with milk together with the butter mixture, that was creamed butter, sugar and eggs. Then added the flavoring.

After mixing all of the ingredients, I let my tongue check if I was on the right track. I add sugar or flavoring while my taste buds sends a message to my brain that I should put some more. By the time I run out of sugar, I told my brain that it was already okay and it already tasted right!

I put the mixture on the paper cups then on the round tins. Then they went on the oven by themselves. I forgot to mention that there were tiny legs which mysteriously appeared under the round tins. Each of the foot had their neon red colored shoes with neon green ribbon knitted white laces. Good thing they know the way to the oven.

Going back, I was making sure the soon-to-be delicious strawberry and buko pandan cupcakes won’t get burned. I didn’t want them to get wasted. So almost every three minutes I was checking the oven. I used fork to test if the first front cupcake still needs more time. After few minutes of waiting, they were already done.

Well, truthfully the cupcakes looked awful. I was disappointed with the outcome. Not like those mouth watering cupcakes I have seen before. But I didn’t give up. I still had the chance to save them. Luckily I remembered I bought stik-o’s so I stuck them on slanted. After that they looked more desirable! For the strawberry cupcakes, I thought of putting strawberry syrup used for ice creams. I didn’t dare try to put strawberry syrup on the buko pandan cupcakes coz they might look not so much good.

Now, it was time for my family to taste my stunning and delectable creation. Praying that they’d gonna like it. After their first bite, they didn’t say anything so I guess it was just ok. After they finished a cupcake, they got another one. Well, maybe my cupcakes really did taste nice and not just because they were hungry at that moment. Happily, before the sun set, all of my cupcakes were already eaten.

Overall, it was a fun experience. Well, I am still trying to figure out what caused my cupcakes not to go flat. Maybe because the ingredients I used didn’t mix quite well. Anyways, if I have extra time, I’ll be looking for cupcake tins. Or maybe find someone to teach me how to properly bake a real cupcake. Then search for new recipes and toppings for my next cupcake project!