Cupcake surprise for Mother's Day gift - recipe included

Make an elegant, yummy Mother's Day gift.

I love to cook and desserts are one of my favorite things to make. I think that's because if I'm going to indulge and not think about the calories - it had better be delicious - and usually, I find grocery store desserts look good, but aren't so good. Most of the time I don't mind making desserts from scratch because they taste so good.

Now, the lowly cupcake from my childhood has been elevated to a new level and there are wonderful recipes - but mostly it is the endless variety of special additions that you can make to a cupcake so that each one in a batch can be completely different.

I do love to cook but I have to admit that I have not mastered the art of beautiful presentation - even though I think presentation makes a huge difference. Here is a great, simple vanilla cake recipe - from scratch. Mom will appreciate the love in each delicious cupcake and appreciate the time and attention you spent on her Mother's Day gift.

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
Add lemon zest if you'd like to give it a really different taste:Lemon Zest - The yellow outer rind of the lemon that contains the fruit's flavor and perfume. The rind being the outer skin of the lemon which consists of both the yellow zest and white membrane (pith).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and lightly butter or line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
For the Cupcakes: Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter and egg mixture, along with the milk, and beat until combined.
Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. If you want flat topped cupcakes then slice off the dome of each cupcake, with a sharp knife, before frosting.

Now - for the frosting - if you're going to the trouble to make the cake from scratch - you've got to make the frosting from scratch. Here is a recipe for buttercream frosting (mmmm). This is the kind you use for decorating - just what you need for your
Buttercream Frosting:
2 cups (230 grams) confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon purevanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk or light cream
Assorted food colors (if desired
For the Frosting: In an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter until smooth and well blended. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add a little more milk or sugar, if needed. Tint the frosting with desired food color (I use the paste food coloring that is available at decorating stores and party stores).

Makes about 12 cupcakesSource:Hay, Donna. Modern Classics Book 2. Harper Collins Publishers Inc. New York: 2003.

When you present these delicious cupcakes for her Mom's Day gift she will be delighted - and so will everyone else that will benefit from your labor of love - and gee, that's what we're celebrating - right? - Mom's labors of love - for us!

Before you slather on the buttercream frosting - here is some inspiration in this video. Wow - how beautiful. Great idea for you to have fun making the cupcakes for your Mothers Day gift.
For Mom! A Cupcake Bouquet!

Pajamas make a great Mother's Day gift!

This Mother's Day gift idea came from my recent extra time in bed. I did everything healthy I knew to do - mega Vitamin C, echinecea, chicken soup, washed my hands endlessly and still I got it - the flu hit this weekend. In fact, here I am in front of the fireplace with my laptop - it's 1:16 PM and I'm still in my pajamas. And I am so comfortable and cozy...the best I can feel until this "bug" gets out of my system. So I thought I would pass along to you another great idea for a Mother's Day gift - pajamas! I love them.

Especially during the winter my husband and I put on our pjs as soon as possible when we get home from work. Whatever we have to do at home in the evening - we do in our pajamas. It is relaxing, comfortable and cozily intimate. I have 3 winter pairs -not sexy - but wonderfully comfortable - and yes, even fashionable.

I found this adorable company, Sleepyheads, that has the best pjs - all styles.

My very favorite thing to do on Sunday AM is stay in my pjs, eat breakfast late and read the paper. That just makes my weekend. Trick is to have some really great pajamas. Maybe this Mother's Day, your Mom would take the day off if she had great pjs.

They have Her and His pjs and they have Mother and Daughter pajamas, or pjs for the whole family. Also, if you care about this kind of thing there is a list of celebrities who have become customers. They are fun! So, consider pajamas for your Mom's Mother's Day gift .

You can lounge around together!

Great Mother's Day gift idea- unique jewelry

Mother's Day gift ideas can be lots of fun to give and receive...it's just that sometimes we forget that Mom is just a girl. See, doesn't it make it easier to think about a fun gift when you remember that your Mother is a girl - and well, all girls, all ages love jewelry. So for a fun gift for Mother's Day, jewelry is a good place to start looking.

Does Mom love celebrities? Some of the really "hot" stars have jewelry lines of their own. Is that a look Mom would like for herself?



Maybe she prefers an individual look that is all her own - could be dramatic or unusual. If that's her take a look here.


Or maybe your Mother likes more subtle jewelry.


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Jewelry is great because it elimiates the need to guess at a size - but it is helpful to know - does she like shiny, glittery? subtle?
rings/bracelets/necklaces?
Is she contemporary or more of the traditional Mom?

Start by noticing what she already has. That may give some good clues. Have you heard her admire someone elses jewelry or been with her when she paused in front of a store window? The key here is - have you been paying attention to your Mom?

And there it is. So often it is very easy to take our Mothers for granted - she know all about us - but do we know all about her?

Does she have a best friend you can ask? How about your father/or her husband? You could show her some of your jewelry - very discreetly and see what kind of response she has.

It can be hard not to put our own spin on what we would like to give her, or what we think would look good on her, or what we think she would like for a Mother's Day gift, but Mom deserves us to know her well enough that we pick out something she will love and cherish and that says " "We see who you are and we love you.

Hey, Mom is - well, she is just a girl - so keep that in mind when you start putting together your ideas for Mother's Day gifts. Mom is a girl and girls love jewelry! Happy Mother's Day!