Best Celebration Cupcakes Recipes

LEMON CHAMPAGNE CELEBRATION CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil. Spray with cooking spray.
• Make cake batter as directed on box, using cake mix, water, champagne, oil and eggs. Stir 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel into batter. Pour into pan.
• Bake 17 to 23 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not remove cake from pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Place pan of cake in freezer. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
• In small bowl, mix lemon curd and sour cream until well blended. Set aside.
• To assemble cupcakes, remove cake from freezer; using foil, lift cake from pan. Using 2 1/4-inch round biscuit cutter, cut 24 rounds from cake. Place 12 rounds top side down. Spread each with about 1 teaspoon lemon curd filling. Top with remaining cake rounds, top side up.
• In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar, melted butter and lemon juice until well blended. Spoon about 1 tablespoon icing over each cake, allowing icing to run down sides of cake.
• To serve, place each cake in decorative cupcake liner, and garnish with lemon peel curls, if desired.

SMALL-BATCH CELEBRATION CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 6 hollows of a standard muffin tin with paper baking cups, skipping every other cup to allow for extra air circulation. Whisk together milk, egg, and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
• Drizzle in butter and beat until crumbly. Slowly beat in milk mixture, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Divide evenly among baking cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
• Bake until light golden and a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then remove from tin and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
• For the Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and salt and continue to beat until completely incorporated and frosting is smooth and creamy. Frost cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles; enjoy the same day they're made.

GLUTEN-FREE CELEBRATION CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups. In large bowl, beat all cupcake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. (Batter will be thick.) Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each half full.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to cooling rack; cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and cocoa. In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter on medium speed 2 minutes or until creamy. Add powdered sugar mixture alternately with 1/4 cup milk, beating on low speed until blended. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Frost cupcakes. Garnish with candy sprinkles. Store covered in refrigerator.

CELEBRATION CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line 2 x 12-hole muffin tins with paper cases. Put the eggs, yogurt, vanilla, sugar, flour, almonds and butter in your largest mixing bowl and beat until smooth and lump-free. Divide between the paper cases and bake for 25-30 mins (swapping the trays after 15 mins if you have to use 2 shelves) until a skewer poked into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. They can be frozen for up to 1 month or kept in an airtight container overnight.
• To decorate, beat the butter and icing sugar together until smooth and light. Use a teaspoon to spoon a heaped dollop into the centre of each cake or, for speed, spoon into a food bag, cut about 2cm off the corner and pipe a dollop onto each.
• Divide the icing into as many colours as you want - plus a piece left to be white, or to brush with glitter, if you like. Knead a little colouring into each piece until you have a good colour, then roll out onto a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. Use a 6.5cm fluted cutter to stamp out rounds and press down onto the icing to flatten it a bit. Repeat with the other colours to cover all the cakes. Now decorate as you wish, or see our ideas, below.

CELEBRATION CUPCAKES WITH CITRUS FROSTING

Steps:

• Cupcake:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.
• Stir together flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat sugar and 3/4 cup butter at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until creamy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add 1 tablespoon vanilla.
• Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition, just until mixed.
• Divide batter evenly among cupcake cups and bake for 23 to 28 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
• Cool on wire racks 10 minutes and remove cupcakes from pans. Cool completely.
• Frosting:.
• In a large bowl, beat 3/4 cup butter at medium speed until creamy.
• Gradually add powdered sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt alternately with half & half and 1 teaspoon vanilla, lemon or orange peel, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.
• Stir in corn syrup.
• Frost cupcakes.

LEMON CHAMPAGNE CELEBRATION CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil. Spray with cooking spray.
• Make cake batter as directed on box, using cake mix, water, champagne, oil and eggs. Stir 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel into batter. Pour into pan.
• Bake 17 to 23 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not remove cake from pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Place pan of cake in freezer. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
• In small bowl, mix lemon curd and sour cream until well blended. Set aside.
• To assemble cupcakes, remove cake from freezer; using foil, lift cake from pan. Using 2 1/4-inch round biscuit cutter, cut 24 rounds from cake. Place 12 rounds top side down. Spread each with about 1 teaspoon lemon curd filling. Top with remaining cake rounds, top side up.
• In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar, melted butter and lemon juice until well blended. Spoon about 1 tablespoon icing over each cake, allowing icing to run down sides of cake.
• To serve, place each cake in decorative cupcake liner, and garnish with lemon peel curls, if desired.