{Project 52} Columbus Day

We are preparing to celebrate Columbus Day at our house (Monday October 11th). My kids have been busy with word puzzles, coloring pages, and painting all centered around Columbus Day. I remembered these great Martha Stewart cupcakes that would be perfect for the party! Look how great these will look with our celebrations! Oh....they will taste good too!

I'll use my favorite basic chocolate cupcake recipe- recipe follows

Martha uses her Swiss Meringue Buttercream for these cupcake- I think it taste like cardboard (SORRY MARTHA)!

I'll use Sweet Revenge "Pure" Buttercream- click here for the recipe.

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tins

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for tins

2 1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/8 teaspoon slat

1 cup sugar

1 cup dark-brown sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat to 350. Brush standard muffin tins with butter (mine still stuck, to I gave the batch a spray of Pam and butter); dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on medium- high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add brown sugar, and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in sour cream. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and mixing until just combined after each.

3. Divid batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until tops are firm to the touch and tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

Shark and Sand Dune Cupcakes:

Make Sharks: Cut out fin shapes from blue construction paper or card stock (one for each cupcake). Tint half of buttercream blue with food coloring. Using a small offset spatula, frost a dozen cupcakes, swirling and swooping into small peaks to resemble waves. Just before serving, press fins into frosting.

Make Sand Dunes: Frost the remaining cupcakes with untinted buttercream, smoothing into dome shapes. Place graham-cracker crumbs in a small bowl. Dip each cupcake into crumbs, coating completely. Just before serving, insert a paper drink umbrella into each cupcake.

Happy Baking!!