happy birthday cupcakes!

February is a big month in our family for birthdays - it's even my blog's birthday! Feeling in a festive mood, I whipped up some of these sour cream cupcakes with my favorite pink frosting, then gave them away to friends. It must be the child in all of us, because everyone chuckled and smiled as I gave them out. So what better way to celebrate February? And if I could hand one to Bode Miller and the rest of our Olympic medal winners, I would. It's been an exciting Olympics and I'm proud of our team!

To make about 15 medium cupcakes:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 cups King Arthur flour

1 t. baking soda

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 cup sour cream, room temp

2 t. vanilla

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Preheat oven to 350F.

Place paper liners in medium cupcake tins.

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Cream the butter and sugar and beat until fluffy and light.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg is added.

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together, then add to the butter and sugar mixture.

Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat briefly.

Using a regular size ice cream scoop, place scoop of dough into each paper liner.

Bake about 35 minutes, or until golden on top and gently firm on top - or you can use a kebab stick to insert in the middle of a cupcake. It should come out clean.

Remove to cooling rack for a few minutes, then remove cupcakes from tin to another cooling rack. The cupcakes need to be completely cool before frosting.

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The Frosting:

one 8 oz. bar of cream cheese, room temp

2 sticks unsalted, room temperature butter

1 box confectioner's sugar

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1 t. vanilla

Decors and sprinkles for tops

Beat all ingredients until smooth and creamy, then scoop into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Starting at the outside of each cupcake, swirl the frosting generously onto cupcakes.

Enjoy - and Happy Birthday to all you February babies!

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What I'm reading:

Strange Terrain: A Poetry Handbook for the Reluctant Reader by A. Fogel