MARSHMALLOW BUTTERCREAM FROSTING & HOW TO MAKE BOXED CAKE MIX TASTE BETTER

We had a birthday recently and I always like to try new recipes and techniques when I make my kid's birthday cakes. My oldest daughter's birthday falls just after Christmas and unfortunatley for her, I'm always still tired from the holidays to do anything really elaborate! Luckily you can take a few simple steps to create a really fun birthday cake in no time at all.

I saw posts from the Pinterest Test Kitchen and Livestrong on Pinterest that both give instructions on how to make a boxed cake mix taste "better." Now I may be alone in this, but I think boxed cake mixes taste okay on their own. Is it just me? The only thing is, I wished they had a less crumbly texture. I love that the cakes are soft, but I can tell if a cake is homemade because it tastes richer and holds up better.

So here's what I did. Take any cake mix and change the following:

Replace the oil in the recipe with real butter. {1/2 was what my box called for}
Replace the water in the recipe with milk
Add one (or two) more eggs than the box calls for- so I added 4 eggs to my cake
Also add 1 small box of pudding mix to the cake batter.

I baked the cupcakes as the box directed and they looked perfect! I decided to taste one immediately too because ~~I have no self control~~ I wanted to see if making these changes made any difference. The verdict? Yes, it made a difference, but not as much as I thought it would. There was a very subtle difference in the taste and it was more moist. The cake did hold up better though, so I was pleased. I think next time I'll substitute just the butter and add the pudding- I'm thinking I'll get very similar results.

Now, on to the frosting! I found this recipe several months ago and absolutely love it. LOVE. It's so good. Only thing is, it's not the healthiest frosting in the world, so I don't recommend eating it everyday for a year. Everything in moderation, right?!

The main ingredients for the FROSTING. Marshmallow creme, BUTTER and powdered sugar. YUM.

I used this Princess Cake & Cookie emulsion I found at Ross for $3- I love it! It adds a nice citrusy, sweet flavor. to the frosting, instead of using traditional vanilla.

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting
Modified slightly from Baked Bree

1 cup room temperature butter
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow creme {use the whole thing}
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 TBSP milk

Cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the marshmallow creme.

Whip for 2 minutes.

Add the powdered sugar and continue to beat for 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and milk until it's the texture that you want. If you're frosting cupcakes, a slightly thicker frosting is better because they hold their shape. However if you're frosting a cake, I'd add more milk- 3 TBSP or even 4, so that you can spread the frosting well.

Photo from GLORIOUS TREATS. Go visit her blog- she's awesome!

Now, when it comes to actually decorating cupcakes, I'm a novice at best. I know the basics and I tend to just stick with those because they work and I would much rather eat the cupcake than spend hours making it look amazing and incredible. So, I saw a post about decorating cupcakes from Glorious Treats and look- she even included a fun little video! I love her simple tips and followed them to decorate these cupcakes for my daughter. I used the first and second tips {from the left} and did the rose cupcake technique she showed in the video. I added a dusting of sparkly decorating powder as well, which I found at Orson Gygi here in Salt Lake. {LOVE that store!}

The results? I think they looked pretty good! Even better- they tasted amazing!

ENJOY!