pretty in pink

Go ahead and say it, because I know you're thinking it--I'm like a broken record here. Broken record here. Broken record here. Broken rec--


Okay, seriously. First I made those bewitching black bottom cupcakes.


Then, I used the same technique for some cutie-patootie carrot cupcakes.


Now, I'm at it again with some pretty in pink strawberry cupcakes. When will the insanity end? NEVER! (Insert cackle here.)

Now, I hate to disappoint anyone, but I used a cake mix. Hey--nobody's perfect. (I did add some pureed strawberries to the batter before baking it, just to appease myself.) I wanted precious and dainty pink cupcakes, dang it, and that's a color hard to come by in nature (I left my beet root powder and red cabbage extract in my other pants).

Which cupcake is your favorite?

I had a bit of leftover cake, so I decided to bite the chocolate-dipping bullet and make some cake truffles.


Take your pick of reference sites.


(Come on--just try to tell me the one on the right doesn't look like a little piggy--it's even got an ear! And a snout--I love it!)

As expected, they're delicious. Next time I believe I'll go lighter on the frosting. I'd like them a little more cakey and a little less soft and sticky. Not that I minded licking my fingers, mind you (after I was completely finished, of course--nobody wants cook-slobber in their truffles). The chocolate dipping wasn't too disastrous, either. I added some shortening to the white chocolate before melting it and worked as fast as my little paws would go.

These are both great little treats, even if they're artificially-colored.