HOW TO DECORATE MINI CUPCAKES RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini cupcake or muffin pans with 48 mini cupcake liners or line regular-size cupcake or muffin pans with 24 regular cupcake liners. 
• In mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl, stir together the eggs and oil. In a mixing cup, mix together the buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla extract and lightly whisk. Gradually add the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture to the egg mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. We are trying to achieve a dark brown, red cupcake color, so add more cocoa powder, if the red is not deep enough. Then add the batter to the mini cupcake liners until they are 3/4-full and bake for 13 to 14 minutes, or until done. Alternately, fill the regular-size cupcake liners and bake 22 minutes, or until done. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
• Combine the sugar, cream cheese, butter, salt, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl and blend for 2 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line the pockets of a muffin tray with muffin cases.
• Beat the sugar, oil and eggs in mixing bowl until smooth, then stir in the grated carrot and, if you like, up to 150g/5½oz chopped nuts, dried fruit, or a mixture of both.
• In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, spices and cocoa so that they're evenly mixed, then tip this into the carrot mixture and stir well.
• Fill the muffin papers to about two-thirds full, then bake for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer poked in comes out almost clean.
• For the frosting, make sure the butter is soft, then, using a whisk or electric mixer, beat it with the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth and light.
• Stir in the icing sugar with a spoon until it begins to come together, then whisk again briefly until light and smooth. Pipe or spoon blobs of the frosting on each cold cupcake. Decorate with sugar-paste carrots or, say for Easter, with mini chocolate Easter eggs.