Cupcakes rule.

I certainly didn't feel that way last night. Sam needed to bring something for a thing at work and I assumed (yes I am an ass) that I was getting paid. Needless to say, I was a little grumpy when I got around to making the cupcakes last night. Instead of sucking it up and doing a good job, I let my bad attitude ruin my cupcakes. Here's how it went:

1. Instead of using the tried and true recipe for White Velvet Butter Cake from The Cake Bible, go with the Buttermilk Country Cake because you have buttermilk in the fridge and why not?



2. Realize that you have no cake flour and figure All-Purpose should work just fine.



3. Instead of using a spoon to scoop and sweep method of measuring flour, just dip the measuring cup in the bag and shake off the excess.



4. When the recipe calls for 4 large egg yolks, fail to double check that this matches the weight and volume measures that Rose has so helpfully included for you.



5. Sure Rose's cake mixing is different, none of that creaming business for these cakes! But even though you are very familiar with how her cakes mix up, ignore the fact that it looks more like dough than batter in the first step. Chalk it up to using a different recipe. Even Rose makes mistakes sometimes. Her advice? "...follow the instructions in The cake Bible, especially if you wrote it."



6. Fail to go to the store when you realize that you only have 9 pretty foil cupcake wrappers and you're supposed to have 10 cupcakes. Sam can live without a cupcake.



7. Feel guilty for thinking that and dig out mini pans and little pink and blue wrappers so you can make adorable baby cupcakes with the extra batter. (They are for a baby shower, how perfect!)



8. Fail to notice that the recipe is for a single layer cake so you end up with 9 regular cupcakes and 2 baby cupcakes. Doh!



9. Undercook the cupcakes.



10. Since you have no corn syrup, use honey in the passion fruit curd buttercream (it's worth buying the book for this recipe alone!!!) and learn that even though passion fruit is a powerful flavor, honey is even stronger.

The one thing I didn't do is make the mistake that Top Chef wannabe Emily did- if there's something wrong with your food, fix it or don't serve it! I also don't make creme brulee in a bikini, but that's another story. (Thanks for the links Pim!)
I got up at 6 AM to go to Woodman's for cake flour and cupcake wrappers (is there another word for these?) and the second time was the charm. Sam said a co-worker declared it possibly the best cupcake they had ever had.

Oh, and even though I went running in shorts yesterday and took my fleece off half way through, Today it looks like this: Thanks a lot Indian Summer!