It seems to me all I hear about lately is cupcakes. I’m in the grocery store last Sunday and see this cute little cupcake on the cover of a mini-cupcake magazine at the check out. Actually, It caught the eye of my 4 year old first, and he has taken up an interest in everything I do in the kitchen. Why wouldn’t it? On the cover was a tie-dye cupcake. Plenty of bright colors and it looked simply delicious. So we bought it. When I got home I sat down and looked through all the recipes and each one appeared better than last. So I decided to cook my way through this cookbook. Now I’ve made cupcakes before out of a box, using the icing out of the jar, but this is going to be different. Many of these recipes are from scratch and I’m going to have to use a few new things.  Two of these new things are a pastry bag and a cupcake frosting tip.

So my first cupcake recipe is Tie-Dye Cupcakes.

This was fun to make with Kyle. The recipe was surprisingly simple, and the challenge became  ”will mine look like the picture?”  Putting the frosting in the pastry bag was not as much fun.  Icing was everywhere and I noted that when I make them again, I  would make two batches of icing.  When you split the icing into separate bowls in order to create different colors, you loose a little on the spoons, bowls and such and I’m a believer in better to have too much than not enough.  Also, I learned that when trying to place the frosting in the bag – it’s good to try and be neat about it, but when you pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, it all blends together and looks great regardless!

I think we succeeded.

• 1 box Betty Crocker Supermoist White cake mix
• water, vegtable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box
• Betty Crocker gel food colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple)
• 2 containers (1 lb. each) Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy White frosting

1. Heat oven to 350 F (325 F for dark or non-stick pans). Place white paper baking cup in each of 24 regular size muffin cups.  Make cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes using water, vegetable oil and egg whites.  Divide batter evenly among 6 bowls.  Add a different color to each bowl.  Add 1 teaspoon of each color batter into each muffin cup, layering colors in order of the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.  Do not stir.  Each cup will be about 1/2 full.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes. Remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.

2. Divide frosting evenly among 3 bowls. Tint 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 blue with food colors.  Refrigerate about 30 minutes.  In a large disposable decorating bag fitted with a #6 star tip, place spoonfuls of each color of frosting side by side in bag, alternating colors and working up from tip of bag.  Do not stir colors together.  Starting at 12 o’clock on outer edge of each cupcake and using constant pressure on bag, pipe frosting clockwise for 3 rotations, working toward center and ending in small peak.

Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker, Best cupcakes & cakes magazine March/April 2011