Happy New Year!

…I suppose it is a little late in the game to be saying Happy New Year now 14 days into 2020. Oh well, better late than never I guess. I’ve made it a goal this year to keep up with my blog and to share delicious recipes with you on a regular basis! Blogging can become really hard to keep up with, especially in busy seasons of life what with work, events, holidays, etc. But it is something that I really wish to build up and continue doing!

My first recipe that I want to share with you to ring in the new year is a sweet, sparkly, golden cupcake recipe! The cupcake itself is a jazzed up cake mix accompanied by a sweet and fruity buttercream frosting. Should you choose to bedazzle the simple cupcakes with a little something fancy, I would recommend these cute, golden glitter sugar cookie stars to go on top!

If you’re like me, you may like to complete your baking projects in a couple of phases (days). I recommend making the cookies the day before so that the frosting can dry completely and the cupcakes can be fresher. Just whip up your favorite sugar cookie dough, or simply roll out some store bought, refrigerated dough. Cut little stars out, bake, and then decorate with a simple royal icing (colored yellow), and golden sugar sprinkles.

Phase 2 will consist of baking and cooling the cupcakes, preparing the buttercream, and putting it all together. Both the cupcakes and buttercream have just the right amount of pineapple flavor so you get that beautiful blend in the finished product.

After piping the buttercream on the cooled cupcakes, top with a sugar cookie star, and your cupcakes are ready to shine!

Pineapple Star Cupcakes

For the Sugar Cookie Stars:

• Prepared sugar cookie dough
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla
• Water (for thinning)
• Yellow food coloring
• Gold sugar sprinkles

For the Cupcakes:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup crushed pineapple with juice
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs

For the Buttercream:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Sugar Cookie Stars:

1. Preheat the oven and roll out sugar cookie dough on a floured surface.
2. Cut small stars from the dough, and bake as instructed on package. Remove to wire racks and let cool completely.
3. While cookies are cooling, prepare the royal icing by mixing together the powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla. Add water to thin consistency if needed. Beat in the yellow food coloring.
4. To decorate cookies, frost with the yellow icing and dip into the gold sugar sprinkles. Let frosting harden completely.

For the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake pans with liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, crushed pineapple, oil, and eggs for 2 minutes.
3. Pour cupcake batter into the prepared pans and bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Cool cupcakes completely on wire racks.

For the Buttercream:

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter, half the powdered sugar, pineapple juice and vanilla together until smooth.
2. Add remaining powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
3. Pipe buttercream onto cooled cupcakes and top with a sugar cookie star.

Makes about 24 cupcakes