7 More Sleeps!

In 7 more sleeps I go in for my 18-20 week ultrasound, and I get to see my tiny turkey! I am still not feeling movement :( So I am very much looking forward to seeing him/her move around, hearing the heartbeat, and having that peace of mind that everything is fine!

So to keep my mind off the ultrasound and the possibility of learning if we are adding a boy or girl to the family, I am making Grandma's Chocolate Cake mini cupcakes, with pink and purple Cream Cheese Icing on them! Why pink and purple? Because my two adorable nieces LOVE pink and purple, so when I pop by today with mini cupcakes with icing in their fav colors, it will make their day :) Plus, it is February now and they are very Valentine's Day appropriate colors :)

Cream Cheese Icing -the recipe!-

4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened (125 g.)

1/4 cup Butter, softened

1 tsp. Vanilla

2 cup Icing Sugar

• Cream together cream cheese, butter and vanilla
• beat in icing sugar, a little at a time
• Add color, if desired

Milk or cream can be added if to thick :) Delish on Grandma's Chocolate Cake!

A few tricks I have discovered for icing over the past year of making a boat load of cupcakes:

• Neon food coloring! It does awesome bright colors, with far fewer 'drops'

  

• Ziplock bag for piping, just tuck the tip you want to use through a tiny hole in one corner, fill using a wine glass to support it, and viola! You have a clean bag, with the tip in, that is cheap!

  

Grandma's Chocolate Cake - the recipe! -

1/2 cup Butter, softened
1 1/2 cup Sugar
2 Eggs

1 cup Sour Cream

2 cup Flour
2 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda

1/2 cup Cocoa
1/2 cup Hot water
1 tsp. Vanilla

• Combine Butter and Sugar, cream together. It won't actually 'cream' together, but be more of a fluffy mixture. Add Eggs, mix!
• Alternate sour cream with flour, baking soda and baking powder.
• Mix cocoa, hot water and vanilla into a paste of sorts. Add to above. Scrap sides to ensure even mixture.
• Bake at 350, 30 minutes for a cake, 18 minutes for regular cupcakes, and 12 minutes for mini cupcakes. (all times approximate, just gotta check with a toothpick, adjust time based on your own oven! )

Recipe can be doubled! :)