Wedding Cake Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon almond extract 
• 1.5 teaspoon almond extract 
• 2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 
• 0.5 cup butter softened
• 1 cup butter 
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 4 large eggs 
• 24 servings gum paste roses 
• 24 servings edible pearl candies 
• 1 cups paper baking 
• 32 oz powdered sugar 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup shortening 
• 2 cups sugar 
• 24 servings sparkling sugar white
• 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 2.8 cups soft-wheat flour all-purpose
• 1 cup whipping cream 

Equipment

• oven
• hand mixer
• wooden spoon
• kitchen scissors

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well.
2. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in extracts.
4. Place paper baking cups in 2 (12-cup) muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely.
6. Prepare 2 recipes of frosting. Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until creamy. Makes 3 cups.
7. Fill each cupcake with Wedding Cake Frosting. To fill cupcakes, insert the end of a wooden spoon or dowel into the center of the cupcake to make a hole. Fill a zip-top plastic freezer bag with filling or frosting. Use scissors or kitchen shears to snip about 1/4 inch from one corner of the bag; insert bag into the hole in the cupcake. Squeeze gently until filling comes to the top of each cupcake.
8. Top each cupcake with sparkling sugar, gum paste roses, and edible pearls.