Home Is Where The Cupcakes Are

Early Thursday morning I set out to drive from Missouri to Massachusetts with a carload of stuff and my GPS to guide me.  It was raining and pitch black and it looked like this:

Yuck!

Then daylight came but the rain didn't stop and the next 12 hours looked like this:

 Yuck!

I stopped for the night and checked the weather for the next day and really didn't have very high hopes for the 9 more hours that I had to drive Friday, but as it turned out it was a beautiful sunny day and other than some intense winds across New York State, it was an easy drive.  

All that to say, I'm here!  In Massachusetts, and it is lovely.  Fall is by far my favorite season and New England does fall well.  There will be some pictures of that later; but today I thought I would post some pictures of my new apartment.  It is in an old warehouse that was converted into apartments and it is beautiful.  Hardwood floors, brand new appliances, plenty of space...I think I'll stay!

So, that's the new place (please pardon the messy counter).  

I always feel like a place isn't home until I've baked there, and since yesterday was my birthday; I decided to christen this apartment with cupcakes.  I busted out my Joy the Baker cookbook and found a recipe for vanilla cupcakes and then whipped up some chocolate buttercream icing to top them with.

 I had to watch some Big Bang Theory while I baked.

This batter is no good.  You should just not make these, ever.  

Bazinga! 

You've just fallen for another one of my classic practical jokes.

You can see I licked the bowl clean.  If there had been a way to just put my head completely inside the bowl to get every last bit without getting batter in my hair I would have totally done it.

Happy Birthday to me!

Here's the recipe:

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out (I didn't have a vanilla bean so I just didn't do this)

1/2 cup whole milk (I used skim, they still turned out delicious)

Preheat to 350. Whisk dry ingredients together. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating 1 minute in between.  Add vanilla and vanilla bean seeds (if you have them I'm sure that would make these even better).  Add half the dry ingredients, beat on low until incorporated.  Add milk, blend.  Add the rest of the dry ingredients.  Fill muffin cups (makes 12).  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Let rest in pan for 10 minutes then remove to wire rack.  Make your favorite frosting.  Once cupcakes are completely cooled frost them and eat them.