Pink Champagne Cupcakes

I just had my 30th birthday and I thought that was a perfect time to test out a pink champagne cupcake recipe that I've been holding onto for a while.  No, I didn't actually have to make my own birthday cake, I got an awesome death by chocolate cake made by my mother-not-in law.  I made the cupcake for a BBQ that we had the weekend after.
A friend of mine sent me the recipe, but it's from good-'ole Betty Crocker.  http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/pink-champagne-cupcakes/26f6f790-0852-4bfc-8f73-8d4cfc8cf496
I prefer baking from scratch, but every once and a while you can find a good recipe using a box mix, (as long as it's tweaked a bit).  As usual I used less sugar in the frosting then it calls for, if you add it very slowly you can thicken your frosting without adding as much.  I also made mini cupcakes, nobody ever goes for the regular sized ones, but if you make mini everyone will try one- or five.  So you only have to bake for 5-7 minutes.

Momo Pie

The owner of Milk Bar in Manhattan, Momofuko, made a pie called Crack Pie.  It is so good you become addicted and can not stop eating it, hence the name Crack Pie.  I have seen this pie on the Food Network Channel, and read about it several times.  I decided to take a crack (hehe) at it. 

I know, it doesn't look like much, but it should be called wreck your panties pie, it is that good!  (Can I say that? Too much? Sorry, but seriously it's that good)  It's a bit hard to describe, besides totally addicting of course.  Most comments I got were that it tasted like pecan pie without the pecans or chess pie like.

I got the recipe from The Los Angeles Times I don't know if it's the original, I've heard Martha Stewert has a recipe for it on her website as well, but I found better reviews from this one.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/11/food/la-fo-crackpierec11-2010feb11

Cowboy Cake

I got these new stencils a while back that I have been wanting to try out.  My friend gave me a chocolate cake recipe that I have also been wanting to try, so yesterday morning while everyone was asleep, I thought it was the perfect time to get crafty.
The chocolate cake turned out delicious!  I thought about making a rootbeer float cake, but think I will save that for a cupcake.  I did however find a chocolate recipe that uses root beer. It was super yummy, but not very root beery. 
With the stencil I just used cocoa powder and a flat ended brush.  So easy and so cute!

Chocolate Frosting

5 ounces bittersweet choco, melted

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tea salt

7-10 tea rootbeer

5 cups powdered sugar

Mix (med-low) butter and cocoa powder

Add melted choco

Add salt

Alternate adding sugar and rootbeer

When all added mix on med-high until fluffy

Lick clean whisk, mmmmm