Fairy Princess Cupcakes

This weeks cupcakes are special because the recipient of these cupcakes is very special to me!  It occurred to me that I hadn't made special cupcakes for one of the most important people in my life, my daughter!  Sometimes its so easy for me to get caught up in projects and life that I forget about the little people.  Being a stay-at-home mum doesn't mean that I am 'home' with my kids.  I so often get wrapped up in needing to get something cleaned or something baked or something organized that my daughter is at my side begging me to come to her room or sit down with her.  I find myself saying 'let me just get this done' or 'let me just do this'.  My constant battle being a mum at home has been to actually be present with my kids.  I felt pretty convicted of this and have been consciously trying to set aside special time for my kids.  Yesterday I decided that I would put on a 'tea party' for my daughter.  We made special invitations for her friend and walked to her house and put the invite in the mailbox.  Then today we got dressed up in pretty dresses, made beautiful fairy crowns, had yummy fairy princess cupcakes and pink fairy princess tea.  It was so much fun! The girls loved it and it held their attention longer than most things which for two year olds can be a challenge.

For the fairy princess cupcakes I used the previously published Zebra Cake but instead of adding the coco I kept the cake entirely vanilla.  I split the batter into two bowls and coloured one bowl with pink food colouring and the other with teal.  I lined 18 cupcake tins and I then put one tablespoonful of the pink colouring in the bottom of each liner.  I then followed by putting one tablespoonful of teal colour in the centre of the pink.  I then followed with one tablespoon of the pink and then approximately or slightly less of the teal again.  (you want the cases to be 3/4 full).  I baked these in a preheated oven 350 degrees F/180 degrees C for 18-20 minutes or until the tops sprung back.  On the top of the cupcakes I put the previously published buttercream icing and placed butterflies made from modelling chocolate.  The cupcakes themselves taste ok BUT they look incredibly fun and the icing tastes great which to two year olds is all that matters!