Cupcakes

*1 box 16.75 ounce Angel Food Cake Confetti Mix, like Betty Crocker, make according to directions on the box and use Ice-cream scoop, cupcake liners and muffin/cupcake pans. Bake cupcakes 25 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges of the cupcake.

*Rainbow Sprinkles, for the top of the frosted cupcake, optional.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

*Note this is a Light and Fluffy Buttercream for cakes or cookies

Ingredients:

*1 cup Butter, room temperature

*3 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted

*1 to 2 tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream

*3 tablespoons mashed and pureed Strawberries or 1/4 cup Sliced Freeze Dried Strawberries, blended fine

*1 tablespoon, Vanilla Extract

*Pinch of Sea Salt, literally

Instructions:

Cream together, in a stand mixer on medium low speed, the butter and powdered sugar adding the powdered sugar in thirds. Mix until mixture is a pale yellow 2 to 3 minutes.

Add to the creamed mixture the heavy whipping cream, vanilla and sea salt. Mix for 6 minutes or until light and fluffy on medium high speed.

Mix in red food coloring, optional

Use Pastry Bags and Tips use decorative cake tips as desired for cake decorating. I like the star tip, 1M tip and round tips of all sizes.

This is a small Batch of Buttercream Frosting, you will need to double this recipe for frosting a 4 layer (6 inch Round Cake (Pans) or 3 Layer cake (8 inch Round cake (Pans) and you will need to make a third Batch of frosting for more decorated cake.

Chocolate Cactus Mold

*Green Candy Melts, like Wilton, melted according to directions on package

*1-2 Red Candy Melt Disks, like Wilton, melted according to directions on package

*1-2 Blue Candy Melt Disks, like Wilton, melted according to directions on package

*1-2 Orange Candy Melt Disks, like Wilton, melted according to directions on package

**Wilton Candy Molds, I found these at Walmart, I bought 2.  They also had them at JoAnn’s Fabric Store

Directions:

Red, Blue and Orange Flowers;

I used a 3 toothpicks (one for each color) to color the flowers in the molds with the melted wafers doing one color at a time.  Do them in batches depending on how many you want for your cupcakes. Note:  These take time to fill each flower as you can tell I wasn’t very patient in filling them.  I did them quickly but take your time if you wish to have them perfect!

Green Cactus:

By the time you have finished with the flowers they will be set enough to add the melted green wafers, I used a Wilton silicon  decorating bottle with tip lid.

Enjoy!

Lindy