Cupcake 2: Baby Shower w/ Sugared Almonds

Baby shower parties allow your family and friends to share the joy and excitement of welcoming a new life into the world. To frost these cupcakes, you could choose pink for a girl or blue for a boy.

Makes 24 cupcakes

1¾ cups butter, softened

2 cups superfine sugar

finely grated rind of 2 lemons
8 eggs, lightly beaten

generous 2¾ cups self-rising white flour

Topping

3 cups confectioners' sugar

red or blue food coloring (liquid or paste)

24 sugared almonds

* Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Put 24 paper muffin cases in a muffin pan.

* Put the butter, sugar, and lemon rind in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and, using a large metal spoon, fold into the mixture. Spoon the batter into the paper cases to half-fill them.

* Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

* When the cakes are cold, make the topping. Sift the confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Add 6-8 teaspoons of hot water and stir until the mixture is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Dip a skewer into the red or blue food coloring, then stir it into the frosting until it is evenly colored pink or pale blue.

* Spoon the frosting on top of each cupcake. Top each with a sugared almond and let set for about 30 minutes before serving.

 

side one:
01. Teddy Bears' Parade - The Pan-Harmonic Education Society
02. Study No. 1 - Andres Lewin-Richter
03. Cradle Song - Candy Anderson
04. Old MacDonald Had a Girl - Mel Henke & His Orchestra
05. My Favorite Things - Jane Morgan
06. Dardanella - Borrah Minevitch and His Harmonica Rascals
07. Saggy Baggy Elephant - The Pan-Harmonic Education Society
08. Love Me Tonight - Pink Lady
09. Vocalise - Tzvi Avni
10. Wackadack - Otto Waalkes
11. Sleepy Baby - Doris Day  
[ listen ]

side two:
01. Goob Tooblies - Neon Hunk
02. Ten Gallon Hat - Gail Davis w/ Mitch Miller & His Orchestra
03. Banana Peels - Duane Eddy
04. Mommy, Come See - Kay Lande
05. Bowery Bum - Ilhan Mimaroglu
06. Sing Ho For the Life of a Bear - The Pan-Harmonic Education Society
07. The Jolly Coppersmith - The Nickelodeons at Paul Eakins' Gay Nineties Village
08. I Hate Liver - Philip Fox w/ The Jimmy Carroll Orchestra
09. Three Wheels On My Wagon - The New Christy Minstrels
10. Variations for Flute and Electric Sound - Walter Carlos
11. Song Sung Blue - Claude Denjean
12. Little Joe Worm, Son of Glow Worm - The Pan-Harmonic Education Society
13. Giddy Up My Pony - Heintje
14. I've Lost My Mummy - Rolf Harris
15. This Little Light of Mine - Marcy     
[ listen ]