Pink Velvet Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Just in time for Valentine's Day. These cupcakes are sure to make your sweetheart melt. 

Ingredients:
-for the cupcakes-
* I have a simple trick to make a box cake mix taste like it's from scratch. Here's what you do: Look at what the box calls for and add 1 more egg than it says, use milk instead of water, and double the amount of butter or oil it calls for. The cake will turn out yummy every time!*

• Duncan Hines Pink Velvet Cake Mix
• 2 sticks of butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup of whole milk
• 4 eggs

-for the frosting-

• 1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 7-8 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup milk
• Strawberry extract, to taste (add in 1 teaspoon at a time)
• Pink or red food coloring

Directions:

-for the cupcakes-

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pan with liners
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, butter, eggs, and milk and mix until all ingredients are fully combined. 
3. Pour batter evenly in to lined cupcake pans. 
4. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

-for the frosting-

1. In a separate mixing bowl, combine butter and shortening. Mix well until light and fluffy. Approximately 3 minutes. 
2. Slowly add sugar, once all added crank up speed on mixer to med- high and whip it up for approx 1 min.
3. Add milk and strawberry extract, depending on your liking: stiffer~ less milk, creamier ~ more. If you add too much,  just sift in a little more sugar.
4. Add in food coloring a few drops at a time until your desired color is reached. 

Glorius Cookie Butter Cake

Cookie. Butter. Cake. Oh my goodness. This cake is so amazingly delicious I can't put it into words. The cake is a simple yellow cake. The recipe I use is from Bakerella- it's the only yellow cake recipe I use. Once you try it, you'll never use another one again. It is that good. The butter cream frosting is the same recipe I always use, I just added a big scoop of cookie butter to it this time. It's easy to make and tastes great. (Click  here for the original recipe.) The basic recipe is so versatile you can change it up however you want. I hope you guys try this one. It is fabulous!



Ingredients:
-for the cake-
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
3 cups self-rising flour, sifted
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring

-for the butter cream frosting-
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup cookie butter (I use Biscoff spread)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
7-8 cups (2lbs) powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup whole milk


Directions:
-for the cake-

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Grease and flour (3) 8 inch cake pans
3. Using a mixer, cream butter until fluffy
4. Add sugar and continue to cream for about 7 minutes
5. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well after each egg is added. 
6. Add flour and milk (alternating to creamed mixture), beginning and ending with flour
7. Add vanilla and butter flavoring to mix; until just mixed.
8. Divide batter equally into three cake pans. 
9. Hold each layer about 3 inches above your counter and carefully drop the pans flat onto counter several times to ensure release of any air bubbles. This will help you have a more level cake.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until done. 
11. Cool in pans for 5-10 minutes. 
12. Remove and immediately wrap each layer in plastic wrap to seal in moisture. Cool completely on wire racks.
13. Once cooled, you are ready to assemble your cake.

-for the butter cream frosting-

1. Cream butter, cookie butter spread, and shortening together until smooth, approximately 3 minutes.
2. Slowly add sugar, once all added crank up speed on mixer to med-high and whip it up for approximately 1 minute. 
3. Add milk, depending on your liking: stiffer-less milk, creamier-more. If you add too much, no worries just add in a little more powdered sugar. 

* If you would like to learn how I created the design of this cake shown in the photo, click here.