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Cupcakes have been known as 'Fairy Cakes' for as long as I can recall, but we still use the plain old 'cupcake' name for them for some reason. I don't know anyone who doesn't adore cupcakes and for kids, calling them 'Fairy Cakes' just makes them all the more desirable.

For me, a Fairy Cake would be light in color and bright in flavor, and if it were topped with what looked like little fairies that had alighted there for a rest, that would be perfect. The kids and I brainstormed and decided that those little fruit flavored O's would look exactly that way. I think they're close, and it certainly is an easy way to dress up a cupcake for a party.

I like to go a little non-traditional and use citrus flavors in cake and icing for these. Any extract or zest will do, use your imagination and see what you can come up with.

Fairy Cakes

Hands-On Time: 30 minutes
Ready In: 1 1/2 hours
Serves: Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter - softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon extract - vanilla, orange or lemon
1 Tablespoon citrus zest - orange, lemon, lime
1 cup milk
5 egg whites

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line 24 muffin cups.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Beat butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl at medium speed for one minute.
4. Add sugar and extract and continue beating until fluffy - about 2 minutes.
5. Add flour mixture and milk to butter and sugar alternately until well blended.
6. Remove beaters and clean well before beating egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form.
7. Fold egg whites into cake mixture until well blended.
8. Divide evenly among muffin tins.
9. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched.
10. Cool completely before frosting.

Butter Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter - softened
1 teaspoon extract - vanilla, orange or lemon
4 1/2 to 5 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 Tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Beat butter with an electric mixer for 1 minute.
2. Add extract and half of the powdered sugar. Beat until fluffy.
3. Add remaining powdered sugar alternately with milk until frosting is the consistency desired.

For Fairy Cake Assembly:

1 cup fruit flavored O's cereal
Colored sugar, several colors
Frosting

1. Frost each cupcake with Butter Frosting using a bag fitted with a large star tip or by spreading frosting onto each with a knife.
2. Sprinkle each cupcake with colored sugar.
3. Top cupcakes with fruit flavored O's placing two together to form "wings".