Today is a grrrreat day!

You want to know why? I already have my program done! I went to tutoring last night in the library and Phu helped me out. It is so relieving to be done, and not have to worry about it all weekend!

So today is my friend Katie's birthday, and my friend Jamie also just had a baby girl, Hayden, yesterday morning at 7:18am. I decided to make cupcakes to give as a gift to each of them. More specifically, strawberry cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting, from the Cupcakes from the Cake Doctor, by Anne Byrn. Also known as my favorite cookbook ever.

I took pictures all along the baking process, so I am going to blog the whole process. Let's begin!

Start off by chopping 1 1/2 cups of strawberries, really small. Yes, these strawberry cupcakes have bits of real strawberry in them!

Next, add the strawberries to a big mixing bowl with the rest of the cupcake batter ingredients: white cake mix, strawberry gelatin, 3/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup oil, and 4 eggs.

Then, beat the mixture together for 30 seconds on low, and 2 minutes on medium. See how it gets all thick and creamy? Mmmmm....

Next, put the batter into lined cupcake cups. Today I used dinosaur cupcake cups. Very appropriate for a young woman turning 21. Or a new baby.

Next, throw 'em into the oven for about 20 minutes at 350*F. Or until they spring back when you poke them. Don't really throw them though. That would be disastrous.

Now while those baby cakes are baking, you want to prepare the strawberry cream cheese frosting. Now I didn't really follow a recipe for this, but there is one in the book.

First, throw about a cup of chopped strawberries in a bowl. Now if you are really sophisticated, you can use a potato masher to mash up the strawberries. Now I'm just a college student, so I used a tall cup. Worked just as well. Also add one brick of softened cream cheese and some powdered sugar. Oh and a little vanilla. I was supposed to put in butter, but I didn't have any. I'd already been to IGA and the Dollar General; I wasn't going again.

Then get out your electric mixer and beat away. And add lots more powdered sugar until you get the thick consistency you want. I went through more than 2 lbs. That's a lot of sugar.

In an effort to find better lighting, I took this by our back door. No such luck.

Somehow in my picture-taking frenzy I forgot to take a picture of them fresh out of the oven. Oh wells, you can't have it all.

Next, take a big spoonful of frosting and plop onto a cupcake. Smooth it around and top with sprinkles. I wanted just pink-and-white sprinkles, but you gotta take what IGA will give you.

Isn't that gorgeous? Now if I could only sell them for $3 a pop on campus like I could in NYC.

I guess I'll just have to settle on giving them away.

Now since it is Katie's birthday, I whipped up some cute almond bark words to top her cupcakes.

And for Jamie and Hayden, just a simple BABY.

Here is the official recipe for those who are interested:

Strawberry Cupcakes

1 18.25-oz package white cake mix

1 3-oz. package strawberry gelatin

1 cup finely chopped strawberries with juice

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350*F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.

Place cake mix, gelatin, strawberries and juice, milk, oil, and eggs in large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer for 30 seconds on low. Scrape down sides of bowl with spatula. Blend for 2 minutes on medium.

Spoon or scoop about 1/3 cup batter into each cupcake cup.

Bake in preheated oven about 20 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed with your finger. Let cool. Frost with strawberry cream cheese frosting.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons butter, softened

3 to 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup mashed fresh strawberries

Beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. Add strawberries and 3 cups of powdered sugar. Add more powdered sugar to reach desired consistency. Yum!