Bake through a cookbook week 2 - Classic Birthday Cake(s)

The title of the recipe is officially Classic Birthday Cake, but I made cupcakes.  What better way to use up left-over frosting.

Does that happen to you?  I ALWAYS have frosting left-over.  ALWAYS.  Are all the recipes I use for frosting too big or am I just not using enough?  Whatever the case, this is a frequent problem in my house.  Left-over frosting.

I hate to say it, but many times it just sits in my fridge and rots.  Or at least it sits in there long enough so that I am no longer willing to use it.  And sadly I end up throwing it away.  It's the ugly truth.

So in an attempt to do better with this, I am making cupcakes for the express reason to use up some of the frosting I still have lingering in my fridge.  I had originally thought I would use one of my many favorite recipes from Confetti Cakes Cookbook...But then realized that maybe, just maybe my Williams-Sonoma cookbook, the one I am trying to cook through, would have a cupcake recipe.  And sure enough, it does!  Well, sort of.

Claissic Birthday Cake (in cupcake form)
From:  Williams-Sonoma Desserts Cookbook

2 1/2 c (8oz) sifted cake (soft-wheat) flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c (6 oz) unsalted butter at room temp
1 1/2 c (10 1/2 oz) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c (8 fl oz) buttermilk (I don't keep buttermilk around so I use 1T. lemon juice and enough milk to equal 1 cup)

PREHEAT over to 350 def F.  Line your muffin pan with baking cups.  In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
BEAT the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl on medium speed until it is light and fluffy.
ADD the eggs one at a time, beating well adter each addition, until just blended.
BEAT in the vanilla.  Add the flour in batches alternating with the buttermilk, beating on low speed until well combined.
DIVIDE the batter evenly between the baking cups.  Bake until a toothpick insert comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.
COOL completely and frost with your left-over frosting.
ENJOY!

And since I had some time and fondant on my hands I thought I'd attempt a rose.  This is the first rose I've done in a long while.  Not bad, but not great.  More practice.

These cupcakes turned out very flat.  ZERO dome.  Not that there's anything wrong with a flat cupcakes...It just surprised me a bit.  It's probably my method or something that I inadvertently did.  They tasted pretty good.  Tender and moist.  Overall, I'm pleased with the result.  I think you will be too.  You should make these and report back whether your's domed.

OK.  Get to it!