School Spirit Cupcakes

My cousins are seniors on their varsity soccer team and each year the younger girls do something for the seniors as sort of a senior appreciation at their last home game. This year, the last home game actually got cancelled and they rescheduled a scrimmage in it's place. But because it wasn't a real game, the girls didn't plan anything for them! So to perk up some school spirit and help the girls stay up beat I made mini cupcakes and brought the cookies from this week's Christmas cookie project.

They are the Highland Huskies and the colors are blue and yellow. I made chocolate and vanilla mini cupcakes with chocolate and vanilla buttercream. I dyed the vanilla cupcakes blue and the vanilla buttercream yellow. They were very festive and delicious. I'm sharing the cake recipes today, stay tuned to tomorrow for the buttercream recipe!

Dark Chocolate Cake
Makes 3 dozen mini cupcakes

1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini cupcake pan with pan liners.
In the bowl of a stand mixer mix together sugar, four, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix on low (careful - it can poof out!) until well blended.
Add in egg, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract then mix them into the batter. Once well combined add in the hot water.
Batter is very liquidy, I put it into a liquid measuring cup to pour into cupcake pan.
Bake 11-13 minutes until baked throughly

Best Vanilla Cupcake
Adapted from Smitten Kitten
Makes 3 dozen mini cupcakes

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 extra large eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer. Mix together vanilla extract and eggs and add into butter mixture. Once very light and fluffy add in baking power, baking soda, and salt. Mix in flour, alternating with buttermilk. This is when I added in the blue coloring.
Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the pan half way through.