Mission: Graduation Cupcakes....3...2...1

For my REBS students, I threw a party (I'll call it a graduation party.) It was a sad affair. I've been with these students for 3 years. We have had many opportunities learn, laugh, and eat. REBS is a mentor program at my school. We met every other week on Thursday for some housekeeping of important info and character education. Today was our last meeting, but our last office meeting was last week. Of course, that means a graduation celebration was in order. Now that the setting has been given, I made them cupcakes.

It was a southern vanilla cake. See the pic  <-----------. It was cooling in its nifty graduation smiley wrapper. I have too many wrappers. I really do, but that is beside the point. This recipe is an old family recipe that I have slightly customized.

Every time I look at this cupcake, I see it with its muffin body bouncing trying to signal to me to pick it while saying "Oooo me, me. Pick me. I want some icing. Me, me please. Come on." Maybe it was the strong aroma of the vanilla wafting through the kitchen, but I could see it happening.

I chose to ice the cupcakes with a Wilton star tip (number unknown.) I made a vanilla buttercream, which was a little fussy this time. Major rule: You can aways add to, but you can never take out. With these being graduation cupcakes, I added school colors (Rally 'round the grey and blue.) I found an interesting sparkly gel icing I used a drizzle. It added a flavorful taste that enhanced the texture of the buttercream. I topped the cakes with silverly grey sugar. Mission graduation cupcakes complete. The kids loved them.

Funny note: I had one student wanting to buy a couple cakes I had left over. However, those cakes already knew where they would end up ;-)