Green, green, green - Vanilla Cupcakes with green topping

This weekend I was invited to some friends' party which was themed "A hint of green". Thankfully Saint Peter was in a good mood and the weather was fairly good, as the party was supposed to happen in my friends' backyard and they were expecting over 100 guests! I offered my help to my friend H. who said cupcakes would be great as they always look so cute and are easy enough to eat.

Since the theme was green I though vanilla cupcakes with green buttercream and a little clover leaf would be perfect. 

My friend A. who was visiting from Berlin this weekend suggested a little bit of edible glitter would look great "it looks like a fairy from the forest visited your kitchen".

Said and done - 47 green forest fairy cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes with green icing

Ingredients for 24 cupcakes:

2 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking powder
200g softened unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 dash of vanilla extract
1 cup milk 

Ingredients for green buttercream:

250g softened unsalted butter

350g icing sugar

green food colouring (I always use Wilton Gel Colours)

Preheat oven to 170C. 

Line two 12-hole muffin trays with cupcake papers.

Sift together the flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl cream the butter for 1-2 minutes.

Add sugar a third at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition.

After the last addition beat until the mixture is light and fluffy and the sugar has almost dissolved.

Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each egg or until mixture is light and fluffy. After the last egg has been added beat until it has all come together nicely.

Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Add a third of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add half of the milk and beat until combined. Repeat this process.

Add the remaining third of the flour and beat until thoroughly combined; do not over-beat or the mixture will toughen.

Spoon mixture into cupcake papers, filling each about three-quarters full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the trays immediately and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before frosting. 

For the buttercream cream butter and slowly add icing sugar, using a toothpick add only a tiny little bit of green colour and mix until well combined. Pipe mixture onto cupcakes and top with a clover leaf made of fondant. Sprinkle a little bit of edible glitter on top and you're done!