Mardi Gras Cupcakes

This week, wing night fell on Fat Tuesday! What a perfect opportunity to put a little extra effort into the decorating aspect of my cupcakes. I am definitely no cake decorator. In my cupcakes, flavor is always the first priority. So for me, extra effort just means adding a little color to the frosting and piping some stars. The cupcakes are from the "Mardi Gras Cupcakes" recipe in Cupcakes From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn.

From the book:
"What better day than Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, the day before the Christian season of Lent begins, to forget about calories? Whereas King Cake might be the traditional sweet on Mardi Gras, these fun cupcakes are an easy version. Instead of a time-consuming yeast bread dough, you make a quick cream cheese-pound cake batter."
(More about the King Cake)

The original recipe calls for a simple confectioners' sugar glaze, but how totally boring! Instead, I made a whipped buttercream to go along with the flavor of the cupcakes. I'll always use this recipe when I don't feel like getting let down by another from-scratch vanilla cake recipe. These were FAN-TAS-TIC! Seriously... make these... right now... get in the kitchen!

Mardi Gras Cupcakes
Makes 24

CUPCAKES:
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 to 3 pecan halves (optional)

GLAZE:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons milk

GARNISH:
Purple, green, and yellow or gold sprinkles
Gold dragees (optional)
Chocolate gold coins (optional)

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.
2. Prepare the cupcake batter: Place the cake mix, cream cheese, water, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla and almond extracts in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it 3/4 full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) If desired, push pecans deeply into the center of 2 or 3 cupcakes so they cannot be seen. Place the pans in the oven.
3. Bake the cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 16 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely for 30 minutes before glazing.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: Place the confectioners' sugar and milk in a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine until smooth.
5. With a soup spoon, drizzle the glaze over the cooled cupcakes. Immediately garnish with sugar sprinkles, shaking on the colors in three separate strips. Add chocolate coins and gold dragees, if desired. The cupcakes are ready to serve. (Remove the dragees before serving the cupcakes.)

Store these cupcake in a cake saver or under a glass dome at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze them, wrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Whipped Buttercream (my recipe)
Makes 2-3 cups (enough frost 12 cupcakes)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup heavy cream

Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer on low to medium speed until fluffy. With the mixer on low, add extracts, then slowly add the cream. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.