Cure for Spring Fever-Cupcakes

IN JUST
by e.e. cumings

spring when the world is mud-

luscious the little

lame baloonman

 

whistles far and wee

 

and eddieandbill come

running from marbles and

piracies and it's

spring

 

when the world is puddle-wonderful

 

the queer

old baloonman whistles

far and wee

and bettyandisbel come dancing

 

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

 

it's

spring

and

the

 

goat-footed

 

baloonMan whistles

far

and

wee

it's possible to make your own cake flour?

Directions
1. Measure out the flour that you'll need for your recipe.
2. For every cup of flour you use, take out two tablespoons of flour and return it to the flour bin.
3. Replace the two tablespoons of flour that you removed with two tablespoons of cornstarch.
4. Sift the flour and cornstarch together and proceed with recipe.

But what is cake flour?
Cake flour contains less protein than all-purpose flour and forms weaker gluten, which means it will produce a more tender product. It has also undergone a special bleaching process (distinct from the process used for other white flours) that increases the flour's ability to hold water and sugar. When used in baked goods with a high ratio of sugar to flour, cake flour is better able to hold its rise and less liable to collapse. As the name suggests, it's the preferred flour for many kinds of cakes, as well as biscuits, and some pastries and cookies.

Spring Butterfly Vanilla Cupcakes

Cook's notes: All-purpose flour works, it just won't produce a cupcake quite as soft as using cake flour. Recipe makes 12-18 cupcakes and inspired from
http://thriftyjinxy.com/spring-butterfly-cupcakes-recipe-perfect-easter/

• 1 1/4 cups cake flour 
• 1¼ tsp baking powder 
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3 TB. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract  
• 1/3 cup milk
• 3-4 drops green food coloring
• pastel M and M's 
• Flipz White Fudge Pretzels (found at Walgreen, Costco or Walmart) 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350° degrees and line a cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together 1¼ cups cake flour, 1¼ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda and ½ tsp salt. Set flour mix aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 2 eggs with mixer on medium speed.
• Add ¾ cup sugar and continue to beat on medium speed (30 seconds).
• Add 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla and oil. Beat on medium speed (1 minute)
• Reduce mixer speed to medium/low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture. Add half of the buttermilk, then the rest of the flour mix and the rest of the buttermilk. Beat until just combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl. The batter should be thin.
• Pour batter into a lined muffin pan. Fill to about ½ full.
• Bake for 12 -14 minutes.
• Let them cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then remove.
• Once the cupcakes are cooled to room temp, frost and decorate.

Frosting and Decorating:

• In a bowl add powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, food coloring, butter and milk. 
• Beat at low speed adding in more milk as needed for correct consistency. 
• Beat at medium speed until well blended. 
• Frost cupcakes, add M and M's and pretzel wings. Antennae from edible Easter basket grass or use slim piece of black licorice.
• Refrigerate for 1/2 hour to set.