How to Make Cotton Candy Cupcakes

Prepare your ingredients. I measure everything out into small bowls, makes it much easier and you don't have the cold stuff out of the fridge the whole time.

In your mixer, cream the butter for a few minutes. I'm using vegetable shortening (Copha thawed overnight for my fellow Aussies) because we didn't have any butter. It works just as well as butter.

Gradually add the sugar and mix well until it's combined.

Add the eggs an beat until mixture is well blended, light and fluffy.

If you're using vegetable shortening like I did, it will look like this at first. Crank the mixer up and beat the bejesus out of it until you get...

This. This is as "light and fluffy" as you get when using vegetable shortening. Don't worry, the cupcakes still taste AWESOME! Trust me, I just ate like four of them =D

Add the salt (if you're using it) and vanilla and mix well.

Add the flour and mix again. Stop immediately once the flour has been mixed in completely.

Add the milk and mix well. Now is also a good time to add any flavourings or colourings you want. At this point I completely forgot I originally intended to make them pale blue ... Oops.

Divide the batter evenly into your 12 cupcake cases. Because this is a thicker type batter, I smoothed them out as best I could with a spoon, you don't have to though.

Pop the tray in the oven, preferably the bottom rack, and cook for 15 mins or until they are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Now is the perfect time to clean up your mess.

Or, if you live at our house, put the dirty stuff in a sink full of hot soapy water and the next time you turn around it will be magically clean! I have the best mother-in-law in the world <3

Sit back, wait for the cupcakes, and laugh at the silly cat who lost a lizard she was playing with under the Christmas tree. And before anyone says anything, she's a Manx, she was born without a tail.

Once you've picked yourself up off the floor and stopped laughing, the cupcakes should be ready. Put them on a wire rack and pop them in the fridge, because you're impatient like me =D

I don't use a recipe or measurements for my frosting, it's a bastardised version of buttercream. I start by creaming approx. 100 grams of shortening with a few tsps vanilla and cotton candy extract.

I add 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar, mix well, rinse and repeat until I have the amount of frosting I need. I also add a few tablespoons of milk (or hot water) at times to get a smooth consistency.

If your mixer doesn't have a cover with a funnel like mine does, drape a dish cloth (tea towel) over the top of the mixer. If you don't, you're going to end up with powdered sugar everywhere.

Once you've got the amount and consistency of frosting you want, add a few drops of colouring and mix well. If the flavour is not as strong as you want, add a bit more of that too.

Made too much frosting? Put the left overs in an air tight container, it will keep in the fridge for up to a week. To reuse, thaw to room temp and whisk with a fork before use.

Ice, ice, baby ... COTTON CANDY! See what I did there? Ice your awesomely tasty cupcakes any way you like.

You can also decorate them. I wouldn't suggest using cachous (little metallic sugar balls), they are the devil! The little bastards go EVERYWHERE except the cupcakes! I had to force these ones on!

Once frosted and decorated, pop them back in the fridge ... That is if you haven't eaten them all already. It's a really hot summer here so the best place for them is the fridge.

And there you have it, tasty little Cotton Candy Cupcakes. They would have looked cuter with blue cakes and pink icing but that's how I roll, all forgetful and stuff.