Watermelon Cupcakes

It's April 25th, and the high today is going to be maybe 58 degrees. Get your act together New England, we're done with the cold!

My friends' daughter is 4. They're having a little cookout to celebrate and I made my tortellini skewers that I bring everywhere. While my tortellini were cooking I decided on a whim to make cupcakes. I couldn't use my go-to Vanilla Bean Cupcakes since I was missing a couple of things, so I used an easier vanilla cake recipe that I've used before. Both are good, but the Vanilla Bean recipe is better. I doctored the recipe with some mini chocolate chips and food coloring gel for the pink cupcakes (watermelon with seeds), and then whipped up my own buttercream with some watermelon candy flavoring and food coloring gel again for the watermelon flavor. It's a flavor for some (hopeful) warmer weather soon. I also didn't have sour cream, so I substituted it with some homemade buttermilk (1 tsp. lemon juice with 1 cup of milk, let sit for 5-10 minutes and use as much as needed).
These are just the right amount of watermelon flavor, enough to taste it but not overwhelming, and the frosting was perfectly fluffy!

Watermelon Cupcakes
adapted from Deliciously Sprinkled
Makes 12 cupcakes

For the cakes:
1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 and 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup sour cream or buttermilk (see homemade above)
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
pink or red food coloring

For the frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp. milk, divided
1/2 tsp. watermelon flavoring (depending on your liking, I use candy flavoring oil)
green food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a muffin tin cupcake liners. This made 15 for me, so I needed more than 1 pan.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and eggs, 2 minutes, until fluffy. Add the butter and beat for 1 more minute. Add vanilla bean paste and beat again.
3. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mix and beat until JUST COMBINED. Don't over mix.
4. Add in buttermilk or sour cream and bear again until creamy.
5. Add a few drops of red or pink food coloring and beat on low until color is mixed in. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Fill muffin tins about 3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
7. For the frosting beat the butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat in between on low at first. (If you beat on medium right away, the powdered sugar will dust up EVERYWHERE). Add milk, 1/2 tablespoon at a time to get desired consistency.
8. Add watermelon flavoring 1/4 tsp. at a time and mix until you get your desired flavor. (I did 3/4 tsp.)
9. Add a few drops of green food coloring and beat until color is fully mixed in.
10. Frost your cupcakes and enjoy!