Excited About Elements

I’m a nerd. A really big nerd. And at work, I’m surrounded by other hilarious (and sweet) nerdy people. So last week, I took a little time off to do something else pretty nerdy: I baked the Periodic Table out of cupcakes.

A coworker and I planned the whole dessert months ago. With the cupcakes as the centerpiece of a celebration picnic, we wanted a large variety of flavor combinations, so we chose eight cakes and four frostings:

cakes

chocolate

vanilla

funfetti

lemon

carrot (recipe follows)

red velvet

banana

apple cinnamon

frostings

chocolate

vanilla

cinnamon

cream cheese

Two days before, I stood in my kitchen for six hours straight, measuring flour and sugar and butter to mix each batter from scratch. 118 paper liners later, I handed off the little beautifies for their colorful pampering and decorating session.

At the party, everyone admired our Periodic Table. A brief debate ensued over who got to eat carbon—everyone’s favorite element!—but we all ate more than enough atoms to satisfy our nerdy tummies. And who knows, we may do brownie bites or tartlettes instead for next year!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

based on CL’s Carrot Sheet Cake

makes 20-24 mini cupcakes

If cream cheese frosting isn’t your crowd’s favorite, try vanilla or cinnamon instead.

2 tbsp butter, softened

2 tbsp + 2 tsp brown sugar

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 egg

½ tsp vanilla

½ c. flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp cinnamon

⅛ tsp nutmeg

⅛ tsp salt

¼ c. milk

½ c. shredded carrot

cream cheese frosting

Preheat the oven to 350° and line 24 mini muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add in the vanilla and egg, mixing well. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Alternately add the flour and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in the carrot. Evenly distribute the batter between the prepared muffin cups, and bake for 18-21 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 min before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese (or preferred) frosting.