Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting From Scratch + How to Decorate for Easter

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 °F and line a cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups  flour , 1 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt.

Set flour mix aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 2 eggs with the whisk attachment on medium speed (15-20 seconds).

Add 3/4 cup sugar and continue to beat on medium speed (30 seconds)

Add vanilla and oil and beat on medium speed (1 minute)

Reduce mixer speed to medium/low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture.

Now add half of the milk, then the rest of the flour mix and the rest of the milk.

Beat until just combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl

Add the marshmallows and fold into the mix

Pour batter into a lined muffin pan.and fill to about 3/4 full

Bake for 12 -14 minutes at 350 °F.

Let them cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then remove

INGREDIENTS (Cream Cheese Frosting)
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, at room temp

1.5 cups powdered sugar

1.5 cups cold heavy whipping cream

½ tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS 
Cooks Tip: For best results with whipped cream, freeze your mixing bowl and whisk attachment 10-15 minutes before using. Also keep the heavy whipping cream refrigerated until ready to use.
Whip the cream on high speed (1-2 minutes) until fluffy.
In a second mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar (start on low speed unless you want to be standing in a cloud of powdered sugar), then beat in ½ tsp vanilla extract

Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix. Keep it covered in the fridge until ready to use on these cupcakes.

DECORATING 

Sanding sugar in Pink

Peeps in pink or Yellow

Hold the cupcake in one hand and grasp the pastry bag in the other.

Make sure you have twisted the top of the pastry bag moving ALL icing towards the bottom. You can also use a chip clip to secure the open part of the pastry bag is closed.

Now start on the rim of the cupcake and begin to squeeze the icing onto the cupcake in one movement ice the cupcake all the way around and move to start the second layer by placing the icing on the inner ring of the layer you just did. Complete the process till you closed the gap.

Now twist the icing on the top to make a peak. Similar to how you would get frozen yogurt

Take your freshly iced cupcake and dip it in the bowl of sanding sugar lightly twisting to cover all areas.

I hope you enjoy the Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting! It’s our go to recipe for making cupcakes and the frosting is my absolute favorite!!