Daisy Cupcakes

I co-hosted a bridal shower for a good friend over the weekend. The friend who I helped out (the other host) requested these cupcakes which I'd made for an all-girls' brunch a couple years ago. They are really cute! The last time I made them, I used green frosting and yellow spice drops to look more like actual daisies. This time, I decided to use pink frosting and pink and purple spice drops since the wedding colours are pink, chocolate brown, and gold.

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Quick Vanilla Frosting recipe (see below)
12 spice drops
Large marshmallows

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Add the butter, sour cream, egg, yolks, and vanilla and beat the wet ingredients into the dry at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and stir by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.

3. Divide the batter evenly among the cups of the prepared pan (an ice-cream scoop works wonders for this!) Bake until the cupcake tops are pale gold and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Use a knife to lift the cakes from the tin and transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Cool to room temperature before decorating.

Quick Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2/3 tbsp. milk
2/3 tsp. vanilla extract
dash salt

Method:
1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl until fluffy, about 30 seconds. With the mixer on low speed, add the sugar and mix to combine. Increase speed to high and beat until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add milk, vanilla, and salt. Increase speed to high and beat until fluffy, 30 more seconds.

2. Add food coloring, if desired, and mix until all is incorporated.

To Decorate:
1. Frost the cupcakes with the butter frosting.

2. Using a clean knife, cut each marshmallow into 4-5 pieces (it helps to dip the knife in warm water to clean it). Place the marshmallow pieces onto the frosted cakes.

3. Place a spice drop in the center of the marshmallow "petals" to form the center of the flower.

Reference:
I used the "Yellow Cupcakes with Simple Chocolate Frosting" recipe from Baking Illustrated for the cupcakes (but I did not use the chocolate frosting, obviously!) For the frosting, I used a butter cream frosting recipe I've had for years. The idea for the daisy decorations came from a Cupcake-Decorating Contest article in an issue of Cook's Country magazine (I think that just came in the mail one day, totally random! Glad I kept it, though!)