Presentation isn't always everything

MAWA's Over The Top! Art Auction and Cupcake Party is just over a week away. Last year the cupcakes were a real feast for the eyes, elaborately adorned with butterflies, and sparkly sprinkles atop perfect piping. With that in mind, I thought I would try something a little more festive than my default Betty Crocker meets Duncan Hines creations. My friend Sarah lent me her Cupcakes! recipe book. After eyeballing the cupcake porn, I had pictures of Chocolate-Covered Brownie Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes dancing in my head.

Sadly, I was too lazy to follow the exact recipe. I replaced the fancy chocolate batter with a simple yellow batter. Then once I mixed the batter, I had to suspend production for a meeting with a contractor. The end result was a disappointment. The cupcakes were hard and dry, and the ones I made in Jumbo cones didn't rise enough. Only three of them actually looked like ice cream cones (that's why there are only three in the photo). And it turns out, eating a cupcake out of a cone is actually kind of awkward and unappealing (unless perhaps you are three years old and have a side dish of ice cream). On the plus side, the chocolate dip was super easy to make. For my next dessert, chocolate-covered strawberries!