Happy Birthday to me!

It's my birthday on Monday - Yay! I am lucky enough to have been born the day after Anzac Day so with this year having Anzac Day fall on a Sunday I am spoilt with a national public holiday for my birthday - Yay again!
Now when it comes to birthdays in my house I am the one who makes the cakes (I LOVE this job) so it is up to me if I am wanting a cake for my birthday, which of course, I do!
I decided to make cupcakes for 2 reasons... 1. I won't have a huge cake that will end up on my hips!! and 2. I have been wanting to try out the recipe for marshmallow frosting that a girlfriend gave me for a while now and it looks just so very sweet on cupcakes. So with the help from my two baking assistants, Milla & Harrison we have made a small batch of cupcakes made up this morning then as soon as they went down for a snooze I got to have a little frosting fun!


Here is the recipe for this very sweet and shiny icing that is light, fluffy & tastes just like marshmallows!!
(PLEASE NOTE: this recipe is not 'child helper' friendly)

You'll Need:
* 3 egg whites
* 480g white sugar (the original recipe suggests CSR castor sugar)
* 3 tsp light corn syrup (this stuff is a bit tricky to find - I found it eventually at IGA in the ice cream toppings section)
* 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
* 150ml water
* 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Food colouring of your choice

Method:
In a metal bowl combine egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar & water. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water - (making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water). Beat continuously with hand held electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy and forms soft peaks. Take the bowl off the heat and add the vanilla and a few drops of food colouring. Whisk the mixture until it forms soft peaks.
Using a piping bag frost your cupcakes in a circular motion starting from the outer edge of the cakes and working your way toward the middle - making it look like a Mr Whippy ice cream.



Between these yummy cupcakes and a public holiday long weekend with my gorgeous family my birthday is shaping up to be a fabulous one! I just have to wait until my wonderful mother in law is home from her trip to NYC, at the end of May, for my gift... Hubby has given her a shopping list for the Apple store on Fifth Ave for an iPad!! Yay, Yay, Yay!!!!!