New Year’s Eve Celebration Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cupcake or muffin tins with papers, and spray the papers with non-stick vegetable oil spray, if desired.  Use silver or gold cupcake papers, if available.  

Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, oil, vanilla, and water, beating until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cups; you'll pour a scant ¼ cup batter into each cup. A muffin scoop works well here.

Bake the cupcakes for about 25 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes in the middle of the pan comes out clean.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven. In about 5 minutes, or as soon as you can handle them, remove them from the pan, and place them on a rack to cool.

For the frosting:

When the cupcakes are cool, make the frosting. Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat until the egg whites are foamy and thick; they should mound in the bowl, without holding a peak. Set them aside while you prepare the sugar syrup.

Combine the sugar, cream of tartar, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently; the sugar should be dissolved. If the sugar hasn't dissolved, cook and stir a bit more, until it has. Once the sugar has dissolved, boil the syrup, undisturbed, for 2 minutes, or until the syrup registers 240 degrees on a candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer.

Begin to beat the egg whites, and immediately pour the boiling sugar syrup into the egg whites in a slow stream, beating all the while. As you beat, the mixture will thicken.

Once all the syrup is added, stir in the vanilla, and continue to beat until the frosting is thick and will hold a peak. Put frosting in a piping bag filled with an open star tip.  

Assembly:

Gently melt the white chocolate. Brush the miniature ice cream cones with the melted chocolate and then immediately cover the soft chocolate with sprinkles. Set aside on wax paper to set.  

Pipe a swirl of frosting on top of each cupcake. Place ice cream cones upside down on top of each cupcake. Pipe a small star or dollop of frosting on the top of each ice cream cone. Dust the frosting with prism or luster powder.

For more fun, add a sparkler to each and light before serving!

Cupcake recipe adapted from King Arthur Baking "Favorite Fudge Birthday Cake." 

Frosting adapted from King Arthur Baking "Favorite Fudge Birthday Cupcakes with 7-Minute Icing." Assembly inspired by Fancy Sprinkles and local company Sprinkle Pop Shop, both of which carry holiday blends and sparkly powders.