There's no reason to wait around for national holidays to find a reason to bake up scrumptious treats. Revel in any accomplishment or rejoice for the small things that go right in your life by spending some time in the kitchen whipping together some cupcakes.
Cupcakes are the far superior to cake slices because you can take them with you wherever you need to go with no utensils required. Their travel size make them convenient to bring to class, bring over to your friend's dorm, or simply to individually decorate and wrap to give away as presents.
This cupcake recipe comes from Martha Stewart, that queen of everything domestic. Chocolate cupcakes are classic and loved by most people, and go well with just about any topping that you choose (I recommend M&M's, red hots, Reese's pieces, or any gummy candy). The decoration is up to your imagination.
These cupcakes are best eaten within a day of baking, so popping them in the oven the night before will work just fine. The frosting recipe has been cut in half, since the original recipe could have decorated a full cake or more. Just be sure the butter is softened for the frosting, not melted or cold, because it will need to be creamy but not completely liquid. If you catch yourself in a bind with cold butter, go ahead and pop the sticks of butter in the microwave for about thirty seconds while they are still wrapped. Any more than thirty seconds and you risk having to clean melted butter out from your microwave.
— Musgrave is a senior from Evansville, Ind., majoring in classical studies.
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