Olivia's Birthday, phase 2

So, every kid expects to bring in treats to school to share on their birthday. I had about 13 cupcakes left from the party. Yellow cake with pink strawberry frosting. Two short the 15 required for her class. And I had fallen apart pretty much the moment after the last birthday guest left. Exhaustion and a protracted cold had finally taken its toll. What was a self-respecting mom to do? Why, make the Martha Stewart one-bowl chocolate cupcakes, of course.

They called for buttermilk, which was a little unusual, but added a vaguely salty and tart unctuousness to the cakes. That, contrasted with the fluffy vanilla-almond flavored frosting (Mom's recipe again) made for a highly successful batch. There was a certain level of immediate textural pleasure just at the moment of biting into one of these. One of the teachers offered to help me start my own bakery and another has ordered a birthday cake for February. And the only gal who really matters, Olivia, was very pleased with the excitement over her birthday treats.