Grudges Yield Cupcakes

I am convinced that there is nothing in the world like event planning to make stress eating take place. Case in point: the massive 90's bash I was throwing for work last night resulted in the week-of-event "coping consumption" of Buc-ee's fudge, piña colada cupcakes, and about a pound of Everlasting Gobstoppers, Warheads, and Ring Pops (you know, as part of said 90's event swag). As a tiny little ball of Type-A anxious energy, too many unknowns and unplanned disasters come with creating and executing events. My survival mechanism usually leads me to a good shower cry and inhaling a pint of ice cream--sometimes even at the same time. I knew I was going to need a fresh batch of cupcakes for what came after the end of the 90's throwback event: the Game of Thrones series finale tonight. I am well aware I am most likely going to experience massive disappointment one way or another that is going to require another large batch of sweets. Considering I am still bitter about the How I Met Your Mother series finale over 5 years ago, I know a thing or twenty about grudge holding. And nothing in the world goes better with a grudge than a cupcake. 

Except maybe a cupcake spiked with alcohol...

These summertime floral arrangements of roses and hydrangeas in light and bright shades of pink are, no surprise, packed full of alcohol. The cupcakes themselves are actually pink lemonade cupcakes, and biting into one even without any frosting tastes exactly like a sweet, refreshingly tart glass of Country Time Pink Lemonade (accept no substitutions--this is the only pink lemonade that matters). The frosting is a pink lemonade buttercream spiked with Triple Sec. I was honestly going to make these booze-free, but let's face it, Game of Thrones is probably not going to end the way anyone wants it to after this disastrous season, so the Triple Sec was definitely a needed addition. This gives an added layer of citrus and boldness to the frosting that is just sinfully delicious while also somehow heavenly and light. No glass of pink lemonade could ever quench my stress-eating thirst, so I gotta say, couple this with the 9,000% humidity outside, and you've got a triple threat cupcake that makes weather, stress, and disappointment simply fade away. They're also only 200 calories a cupcake, and this in and of itself makes me feel pretty darn good about eating one. Or three. It's gonna be rough tonight, guys.

You have plenty of time to whip up a batch to survive the night.

 The ingredient list is super simple. All you need is:

• 1 white cake mix
• 3 TBS Country Time Pink Lemonade
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (replaces the oil called for on the box mix)
• 10 ounces of Sprite Zero (replaces the water called for on the box mix)
•  1.5 TBS of lemon extract
• Hot pink gel dye
   

Start by preheating your oven to 350 and lining two muffin tins with cupcake liners (24). Mix all ingredients except for the gel dye on medium-high for 2 minutes, then add in a few drops of hot pink dye to give your cupcakes a nice pink hue. 

Subtle, but will bake much brighter

  Use a cookie scoop to drop even amounts of batter into each cupcake liner until they're about 2/3 full. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 or until a toothpick comes out cleanly from the center of the cupcake.

Pretty in pink, alright.

 Let your cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove to finish cooling completely on a cooling rack before frosting. Cupcakes cool off super quickly, thank God, because we have little time before optimal feelings eating is going to take place. 

Hence the need for the Triple Sec!

Now, while your beautiful little pink lemonade cakes of relief cool off, make your frosting. You need:

• 1 cup of unsalted butter at room temp
• 2 tsp of lemon extract
• 2 cups of powdered sugar
• 2 cups of Swerve confectioners
• 5 TBS of Triple Sec
• 2 heaping TBS of pink lemonade powder

 Start by whipping the butter in your stand mixer until fluffy, 3 or so minutes. Grab a measuring cup and measure out the pink lemonade powder, dropping in your measuring cup and then adding the Triple Sec to it. Stir until the pink lemonade powder has dissolved, and set aside. Now, add the lemon extract and powdered sugar to your butter. Mix well, scrape down your mixing bowl, and then pour in half the Triple Sec lemonade mix. Blend, scrape, and add the Swerve and second half of the Triple Sec and lemonade mix. I then dyed my frosting a very light shade of hot pink.

Lined with the blood of every viewer's Game of Thrones final season hopes...

I wanted to do some florals for these cupcakes because 1: they're pretty, 2: they're summery, and 3: they look hard but are super fast and easy to achieve. I was throwing these together before heading off to my big event last night, so time was of the essence. I took several piping bags fitted with 2D tips and then used a paintbrush to paint stripes of hot pink gel dye in 4 lines inside of each bag before filling with my light pink frosting (pictured above).

Bright and cheerful--the exact opposite of everyone's mood tonight after GOT, I guarantee it.

I piped out a bit of frosting to get the gel dye to start blending with the light pink frosting. Then I piped 2D hydrangeas (left and right) by simply placing the piping bag straight up over my cupcakes and applying gentle pressure on the bag to form little hydrangea stars. I got a large blend of bright pink and light pink as the frosting mixed with the gel, and I love how this varies and makes them look like real flowers.

So cute I almost can't stand it. Almost.

 As my gel dye started to fade, I took this opportunity to pipe small 2D roses by starting 2/3 of the way into the cupcake and swirling out and around to form roses with a nice faint pink edge. Then I needed to switch to another prepared bag of frosting as this one ran out. I finished these by piping 3-4 little hot pink hydrangeas beside the roses. This helps to cover the edge where you end your rose. 

Although this looks peaceful, I was churning these out like a mother with only 5 minutes before I needed to get ready to go to my event. So there's something to be said about photos vs. real life!

Honestly though, this style ended up being my favorite, hands down. It combined such excellent colors I am saving them to eat for last because they're so pretty to look at in the fridge. Priorities. The third and final style, pictured right, was achieved by doing the traditional 2D rose technique--start in the center of the cupcake and swirl out and around. Finish off with a tiny hydrangea on the end of your rose and add 3-4 pink sugar pearls to the center of the hydrangea to give off an extra level of floral fanciness. Nothing is EVER complete without a sprinkle or two...

Real flowers die. Cupcake flowers, while also aren't forever, they are for eating. So, winner, cupcakes.

These really were a sinch to throw together, but after inhaling one post-event last night, they absolutely taste like something that was slaved over all day. I save my slaving for event planning, and my cupcakes for pure enjoyment....or in this case, a much needed relief from whatever shocking deaths, continued insanity, or totally out-of-left field plot lines happen tonight on the series finale of GOT. I am pretty much planning on keeping a cupcake in each hand for the entirety of the episode--and if Sansa doesn't end up on the Iron Throne, cupcakes will fly. They'll be flying into my mouth though because they're wayyyyy too delicious to end up smattering the TV. Pink lemonade has always been my summer beverage of choice, and make no mistake, these cupcakes are a dead ringer for an ice-cold glass of tart, sweet, refreshing pink lemonade with a nice little zing from that Triple Sec to top it all off. So no matter what happens tonight, I am eating like a queen. 'Til next time, my fellow eaters!

They also have a nice calming effect when you look at them, and I have a feeling that is really going to come in handy tonight.