Cupcakes and a Going Away/Welcome Home Party

Yesterday was the day after my brother Max returned from Australia and the day before our exchange student Tilman returns to Germany. So, of course, we had to throw a party and, of course, I had to make them something delicious for their party

CUPCAKES! Portable and adorable bites of cakey goodness.

Tilman asked for strawberry and Max wanted red velvet and cookie dough.

I wanted them to be perfect so I researched and researched and prepped the day before and woke up early yesterday and threw out two batches of bad frosting and pulled out some of my hair. But...I think that they turned out quite pretty.

A strawberry cupcake with vanilla swiss buttercream.

The cake was full of strawberry bits and very moist. The buttercream on the other hand was way too buttery and not sweet enough. It was not completely overpowering with the cake but I won't make it again without modifying the recipe.

My nephews seemed to really like the frosting anyway. Dante said that it was definitely just butter but he had no problem licking it off the cupcake.

A chocolate chip cookie dough flavored cake filled with egg-less cookie dough topped with cookie dough frosting and a little chocolate chip cookie.

This cupcake was definitely the crowd favorite. I never ate a whole one but I tasted all the individual parts and they were delicious. The frosting was probably the most impressive part. I am considering putting it on some other kind of cupcake. Chocolate maybe?

Mmmmm, cookie dough.

A simple red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting.

The red velvet cake was nothing life changing but it was pretty fluffy and moist. I was satisfied with the recipe. The cream cheese frosting had a perfect flavor but was way too thin to pipe onto the cupcakes as I had planned. I still think that they turned out quite cute and yummy.

The rest of the party also went well. There was a good turn out and everyone had fun playing volleyball and playing on the playground. (They are teenagers but they played tag and climbed on children's toys. I guess they are still children on the inside.)

And now it is time for a bunch of adorable children pictures!

That should satisfy your cuteness quota for the day.