6. Gender Reveal Cupcakes

Ingredients

• !Cupcakes
• 3 cups all purpose flour, Stir flour before measuring, then scoop and level each cup carefully
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into Tablespoons
• 1 cup milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Blue & Pink Food Coloring
• !Icing
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

Instructions

1. !Cupcakes
2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. Using a hand mixer slowly add the butter, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until the butter breaks down and the mixture crumbles, scrap the sides as needed.
4. In a large glass measuring cup, measure the milk and then whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
5. Pour egg mixture into the dry ingredients, Do not overmix.
6. Pour roughly ⅓ to ½ the batter into a bowl
7. Mix in blue or pink food coloring until you get the color you want
8. Pour batter into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool for a good 15 minutes.
9. Press a small heart shaped cookie cutter in the colored cake and gently pull out the hearts. Cut enough hearts for the amount of cupcakes you need.
10. Fill a cupcake pan with paper liners and fill ¼ to ½ full of batter.
11. Stick colored hearts in the center of the batter.
12. Scoop additional cake batter over the colored heart to fill the cups about ⅔ to ¾ full.
13. Be careful not to overfill.
14. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 14 to 18 minutes until cake is baked and bounces back when touched.
15. Allow cupcakes to cool completely.

Butter Cream Icing

1. Make 2 batches of Butter Cream Icing and fit a plastic piping bag with large decorating tip.
2. Draw one thin line of pink food coloring and one thin line of blue food coloring on either side of the plastic bag.
3. Gently fill the bag with icing, being careful not to touch the food coloring with your spatula.
4. Twist the end and squeeze until both colors are coming out the tip.
5. Pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake, from the outside in towards the center, covering the secret colored heart.