happy bday leah!

this page came up on my google reader and inspired a batch of birthday cupcakes for my favorite/bestest sister ever

doodles

looking a little creepy and powdered sugar crack-y

faces!  btw.  what the hell do real bakers use for black lines?  i bought these in the hope they would ...work.  but to no avail.  mostly the markers have dried out [they need to be refrigerated???] and smoosh the fondant around, even after it has dried for an hour.  i ended up with my fall back.. cheap black gel icing from the grocery store that leaves blobs and drips like no one's business and is sticky as shit.  do i need to learn how to do chocolate piping?  cos that seems like a pain in the ass. 

but they turned out ok in the end.

babo

uglyworm

ox

note to self-do not attempt to make colored underlays for letters again.  pain. in. the. arse.

the ugly doll cupcakes ready for transport [on butter-chocolate cake with dark cocoa and peanut butter frosting]

lone ox.  cos i cant add.  and i am a math/sciences grad student.  umm.

the best frosting ever:
1 stick butter [room temp not melted]
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teas vanilla
2 tablespoons milk or soy milk
1/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
powdered sugar [around 2/3 pound]
yield: 24 cupcakes [and 2 snacky roommates]

cream butter and peanut butter until well mixed.  add vanilla, soy milk, cocoa, and several cups of powdered sugar.  mix on low until powered sugar is combined [to avoid horrific explosion].  mix on high until color lightens slightly.  add more powdered sugar as needed until frosting is fluffy and able to form peaks

eat with spoon.  i mean..