National Vanilla Cupcake Day

The cupcakes above and the recipe below are from Queen Martha. The recipe is for vanilla cupcakes, not chocolate.

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

Makes 24

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl, beat in vanilla.
Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl to assure the batter is thoroughly mixed. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling papers about 2/3 full. Bake on the center rack of the oven until tops spring back to touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Turkey Cupcake How-To

Kids will gobble up these tasty turkeys! Their heads are store-bought coconut marshmallows; make holes in them with a toothpick dipped in water, and insert chocolate sprinkles for eyes. Gummy fish are the perfect shape for beaks and tail feathers. Toasted coconut "feathers" sprout from the turkey's chocolate butter cream bodies.