Friday Recipe: Tea Cake Cupcakes with Frog Decorations

I recently made a tea cake as cupcakes then decorated them as frogs. I admit, I couldn't find a step-by-step on how to make what I saw and have absolutely no artistic talent for taking what I see and recreating it. I improvised but it didn't come out exactly. And I still have no idea how they got the fly wings on the mini-chocolate chip!

To the right of the screen is what I found. To the left is what I made. Everyone loved them, though!

I used spearmint leaf candies for the eyes with mini-chocolate chips. Blue colored Buttercream Icing:

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Ready In: 15 Minutes Servings: 20

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1.	In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and vanilla. Blend in the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk, and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered until ready to decorate.

Irish Tea Cake

Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes Ready In: 50 Minutes Servings: 10

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch round pan.
2.	In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. If the batter is too stiff, a tablespoon or two of milk may be added. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
3.	Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack, then turn out onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar right before serving.