One Way Ticket to Heart Attack Cupcakes

I have recently started trying the art of baking cupcakes. Yes, I do consider this an art. It takes a perfect balance of ingredients just like a painting requires a perfect balance of color/gradient/shapes/etc. However, I am so not an ARTIST (although I like to try!) One of my student's mothers baked these yummidelicious treats for the class and of course the recipe was a must have, because on that very day two cupcakes were added to my already-need-to-lose-baby-fat thighs.

So, I decided to capture one of my conquered cupcake battles to share as my first undomestic blog post. Yay me! I didn't lose a digit, catch anything on fire, or make anyone sick (although I did let my daughter lick the spoon and beaters that contained raw egg in the cake batter.)

Above is one of my favorite MUST-HAVES from Pampered Chef. It is their silicone mix-n-scraper. Heat resistant and gets every little bit out of the bowl. The cheap Wal-Mart type just don't compare!

These are my cupcakes. It is important to use the cake mix (yes, the one that comes in a box) that has the pudding in the mix. I used the confetti cake mix. As you can see, my Pampered Chef Muffin Pan broke in half...Tear tear...But, it didn't stop this gal from using it!

Here are my muffins on my cooling rack. Look how the tops rose on the ones from the stone pan, but the ones from the metal pan are flat topped like the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Now, if you were wondering why I call these the Heart Attack cupcakes, it's all in the icing baby!

Recipe is: 1/2 cup Crisco, 1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 tsp. milk, 1 box powdered sugar.

Of course I used a bag of sugar and put too much. .Man was it too thick. Easy to solve-added more milk, Crisco, and vanilla! It was so scrumptious!

Here comes another one of my handy, dandy PC tools - the easy accent decorator. Man I love making my deviled eggs with this one!

Time for sugar sprinkles!!! My daughter helped along the way.

Voila! :)