Celebrate National Cupcake Day

August 17 is National Cupcake Day.

Huzzah!

What a wonderful holiday to celebrate. (Sometimes I wonder who establishes these types of holidays. Does some random person create them? Surely congress doesn’t pass a bill to create them. Or do they???)

Whatever.

I can see that there are two ways to celebrate this day. First, make a batch of cupcakes and invite your grandchildren over to gobble them down.

Second, invite those kiddos over, make a batch of cupcakes together and THEN gobble them down.

Either way, your grandchildren will think you’re the bees knees.

Here’s a great recipe to get you started.

Easiest Ever Cupcakes

1 cake mix any flavor (but I suggest a brand name over store brands)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup melted butter NOT margarine
1 cup of water

Directions

Heat oven to 350° and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Combine cake mix, eggs, butter and water using an electric mixer on low for one minute. Mix on high for one minute.

Fill each muffin cup two thirds full.

Bake for 20 minutes. Cool.

Top with your desired frosting. Devour. (This is my favorite step in the recipe!)

The change used melted butter instead of oil. And I mean butter — not margarine! Butter drastically increases the flavor of your cupcakes.

I know. I know. You’re bellyaching about adding calories or fat to your cupcakes.

We’re talking cupcakes here, folks. Just by their nature cupcakes will have more calories than celery.

Come on. If you’re making cupcakes, make ones that taste outta this world and not some lame, calorie-challenged version.

That being said, there are 3 other changes that you can make to up your cupcake game. One is to use milk instead of water. Now, you don’t want to do the skim-milk thing. Skim milk is just blue colored water. Use whole milk. Yes, your cupcakes will thank you. Your grandkids will thank you. Yes, those cupcakes will have more calories. But, they will also have more flavor and taste homemade.

The third tip is to add an extra egg. That extra egg will make your cupcakes rich and moist.

You probably won’t believe the last tip for making awesome cupcakes. That tip is to add 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Okay, stop it. Stop it right NOW! Stop saying blech to the idea of adding mayo to your cupcakes. It will improve the texture. Your cupcakes will be moist. Mayo will increase the flavor but no one will be the wiser. Just don’t tell anyone that your secret ingredient is mayo, okay?

If you want, you can only make one of these changes to your cupcakes. Or you can do all four. Whatever. You’ll end up with to-die-for cupcakes that will be a hit with your grandkids.

And your grandkids will think that you are the best ever cook and the best ever grandma! Can’t get better than that!