Astrology has long been regarded as an exact science. For generations mankind has gazed into the heavens to tell us whether or not that dude we are bangin' is gonna be our life-mate, or whether today is a good day to buy that car. It is because of the power of the cosmos that we know so much about our selves and each other. Take a Libra for example:
{
courtesy of Cafe Astrology}
"...Libra natives are generally thought to be sociable, somewhat intellectual souls. They have an almost innocent way about them that makes them very approachable... Libra's enjoy balance in their lives... have a reputation for untruthfulness.... Some more powerful signs may consider Libra's a little on the weak side...Libra's are known for comparing and thinking in relative terms, instead of in absolutes... Harmony is the ultimate goal, but their idealism and high expectations can mean plenty of discontent... A Libra comes across as very civilized and rather refined..."Truthfully, I don't believe this hokum. It's human nature to want to assign order and meaning to life and things but the universe is not always fair. Good things happen to bad people, innocent children die and good people suffer all the time. Some people are assholes because their mommy did not love them enough, some hate women because some pretty girl rejected them in grade school. It's not altogether random or predestined, rather a finely woven tapestry of cause and effect that all of mankind is intricately involved in. For every predicted astrological characteristic, a logical justification can be parallelled to discredit these mystical celestial predictions.
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BUT I digress, this was supposed to be about cupcakes-Birthday cupcakes for an indecisive Libra. So what should I bake for the bitchiest broad (ME) who does not know what she wants??? A little of everything! I got the idea for Neapolitan Cupcakes from one of my favorite baking websites: cupcake rehab. I am glad I did not make these chocolate&vanilla w/strawberry frosting cupcakes for somebody else first because they are lackluster. I followed the recipe to the letter(or so I think) but my finished product was not as tasty as I had envisioned.
*NOTE*
Baking while under the influence is not always a good idea Amy Sedaris!
Why, you ask? Well, I may have doubled the salt on the Vanilla recipe because they ended up tasting like cornbread. And I over baked both batches which made the cupcakes a little dry. Okay, A LOT dry. Also, I may have misread the proportions of flour and sugar because for some reason these cupcakes were not sweet at all. However, thankfully the frosting was, which definitely helps makes these cuppies barely edible.
BLACK-N-WHITE Cupcakes
(courtesy of Cupcake Rehab)
Ingredients:
Vanilla:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup whole milk
Chocolate:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
½ cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup whole milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt (and chocolate powder for the chocolate cupcakes); set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla, and mix until combined. On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, followed by milk; end with remaining flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated (do not over mix).
Fill muffin cups with 3 tablespoons of each batter, side by side.. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
Sprinkles' Strawberry Frosting
(courtesy of Martha Stewart)
1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not over mix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.
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I don't have a food processor NOR do I have a mixer with a paddle attachment. I used a blender on low speed to puree the strawberries and a regular mixer to breakdown the butter.
TAKEAWAY from this recipe. TOO MUCH BUTTER. I had leftover frosting, AGAIN. The taste is awesome, but in the future I will use more strawberries less butter and less sugar.
Merry Un-Birfdee, Every-body!
by Grace Stuart Nutley, Ph.D
