The Maiden Voyage ~ Easter Cupcakes

I took advantage of naptime today to embark on my cupcake decorating maiden voyage.  I really should have read some instructions first, but instead I simply dove in.  The kids will have fun devouring these pastel cupcakes later on. 

What I used: 

Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix, Wilton ready-made decorator icing, Wilton Lemon Yellow, Pink and Violet in the tiniest amounts humanly possible.  I also used some light purple sugar crystals, yellow sprinkles and an Easter themed sprinkle with tiny bunnies, chicks and eggs.  In the end, I started throwing some pastel M&M's on too.  And lastly, some cute pink cupcake cups because I'm too lazy to grease and flour today.  Time is of the essence and this project is about frosting for me.

What I learned: 

~I figured out how to put a coupler on a disposable bag via trial and error.  I also determined that I don't have a coupler large enough for my huge tips, adding that to the "wish list". 

~I decided that when my instincts tell me to avoid overfilling the cupcake cups with batter, I should listen  instead of worrying about wasting batter. 

~I learned that in the future, I may want to consider looking up some tried and true cupcake designs because when left to my own devices, some of these things turned out a bit funky chicken.

~Last lesson of the maiden voyage, is that I should be careful to center my work.  Lots of lopsided results and off center focal points.

Cake Mix this time.  I'll eventually try my hand at some good old fashioned scratch recipes.

Paper cupcake liners, because sometimes less is more.

I think I overfilled the batter a little.

Looking a little flatish.

This is the icing required for my Wilton cake decorating class.  So I bought the big one with my 50% off coupon.

The stars of the show...Sprinkles and pastel dye.

My dye is brand new, so I just rubbed whatever was splashed onto the foil that I had to peel off.  As you can see, not much required.

Makes you want Easter candy, doesn't it?

Filling the bags.  This is my first coupler ever.

I got through this whole process without so much as a drip of frosting on my fingers.  Miraculous!

More of me filling the frosting into the applicator.  I had to commemorate the maiden voyage!

My three piping bags and tips ready to go!

I wanted to try the huge one to give a big whirl of frosting.  Then two smaller stars that I will be using in my first class.

From here forward, are my final results.