Baking cupcakes is a fantastic way to celebrate Galentine’s Day with your best friends or to spend some creative quality time with your date! Here’s an easy, made-from-scratch cupcake recipe to back your best MasterChef impersonation.

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (optional: for chocolate cupcakes!)
• cupcake baking cups

Buttercream Frosting:

• ¼ cup butter, softened
• A pinch of salt
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (for chocolate frosting)
• ½ cup melted chocolate (for chocolate frosting)
• Food coloring (optional)
• Sprinkles, candy, etc. (for decoration)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 F.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla extract, white sugar and cocoa powder (if making chocolate cupcakes) while adding in the softened butter. Add your batter gradually into the bowl with the whisked eggs and sugar. Slowly begin mixing in milk to reach optimal batter consistency, mixing thoroughly and folding the batter into itself.

Empty your batter into baking cups for the cupcakes.  Now to make the frosting: combine the softened butter, a hint of salt and powdered sugar, mixing well. Then, add in the vanilla extract and milk, along with the cocoa powder and melted chocolate, if making chocolate frosting. Once your frosting has reached a thick, creamy consistency, you are done.

Add in any food coloring you desire and mix to achieve optimal coloration. If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add a few drops of milk (don’t overdo it!) Bake cupcakes for approximately 15 minutes. Check on them from time to time to make sure they aren’t too wet or dried out. When the cupcakes are done, let cool for half an hour or so. Otherwise, the frosting will melt right off the surface. And … you’re done! Decorate as you please and have lots of fun!

We hope you enjoy making this fun little recipe with the people you love, and that you end up loving the cupcakes too! Feel free to send us any pictures of your creations or tag us on social media! Have fun and remember … keep calm and cupcake on!