Birthday Celebrations

Tomorrow is my birthday, the big old 2-6. Well I guess not really that old, but it is still another year closer to thirty, a number which I am dreading.

Historically in my family birthdays are celebrated with a store bought Safeway birthday cake, complete with icing flowers. Now this cake must be from Safeway! Not Superstore, or Save-On, or the cute little bakery down the street that uses only the finest ingredients. I can't really explain it. The average person would find the icing way to sweet in eat, and the cake probably not the moistest they had ever tasted. But, for us it represents the definition of a birthday. They funny thing is I have even converted my in-laws on this matter, and now birthdays in both houses are celebrated with the Safeway cake.

Unfortunately for me though tomorrow will not be celebrated with the coveted cake, as nearly everyone is working! On my birthday everyone, including my Hubby, is working and leaving me alone :( The festivities will be postponed until the middle of the week, but that still leaves my actual birthday slightly empty. So to compensate I decided to make myself birthday cupcakes tonight...what a better way to make a girl feel better.


Now, I deliberately didn't make chocolate cupcakes either to ensure that my Hubby would not over indulge in my birthday treat to myself...aren't I sneaky! These burnt-butter cupcakes are straight from Nigella Lawson's How to be a domestic Goddess. I have to admit I was a little scared to try them, based on the name. But I felt adventurous, and went for it. Lets just same I am really glad that I did, as these are absolutely delicious. There really is no way to explain the taste from the burnt butter, as it isn't 'burnt' at all, but rather rich and incredibly aromatic. The recipe itself is very simply and straight forward, and I highly recommend them!

Burnt-Butter Cupcakes: (Nigella Lawson)
Makes 12 cupcakes

• 150g unsalted butter
• 125g self raising flour (is you don't have it is easy to make, check it out here)
• 60g sugar
• 65g brown suger
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2-3 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 390F.

Over medium heat melt butter, stirring constantly until it is a dark, golden colour (You will really be able to smell it when it is at this point, it isn't a burnt smell thought). Remove from heat and strain butter into bowl to remove sediment. Let butter solidify again.

In a food processor combine all other ingredients except for the milk. Process into a smooth batter. Pour milk down funnel while pulsing batter.

Spoon in to paper cup lined muffin tin. Bake for 15-20 minutes. These don't make big cupcakes at all. I was barely able to fill the bottom of each tin.

Burnt-Butter Icing:
Makes enough icing to very generously cover all cupcakes, and then some.

• 150g butter
• 250g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2-3 tbsp milk (I used cream, I felt like being extravagant)

Repeat process with butter. Add half of icing sugar and beat until mixed and stiff. Add a tablespoon og the milk, followed by more sugar. Alternate until desired consistency is acheived. Finally add the vanilla.

Smooth icing over cupcakes, and ENJOY!!!

Cupcakes

I have a major sweet tooth, it really isn't much of a secret. What my sweet tooth craves most of the time though isn't candy, or pop or even a chocolate bar. It is cake, with mountains of icing on top! I might have something to do with the way birthdays were celebrated in our house growing up. Every year, there was a Safeway cake, with flowers on top, and of course being the birthday girl you always got a flower. Um, I still need the flower off the cake.

Anyway, what a better way to indulge my sweet tooth than with cupcakes! Perfect little cakes, topped with swirls of flavored butter cream icing! My mouth is watering again. I found this wonderful site completely devoted to cupcakes, and then there is this awesome little cupcake bake shop in our city, www.thecupcke.ca. They have the moistest cupcakes, and an icing that isn't overly sweet so you can enjoy every single bit. They inspire me. I want to whip out my kitchenAid and recreate the little mounds of cake, but alas I think that my waist line would severely regret that. If I have been more organized I could have tried to whip up a batch for the shower I hosted on the weekend. But who am I kidding, I don't have that kind of time! So for the time being I am leaving the work to the experts, and just going to enjoy!