Great Grandma's Cupcakes

While visiting my grandma a couple of weeks ago, I asked her if I could peruse through one of her recipe boxes. The wooden box has her maiden name written on it, which means the recipes inside are likely very old.

I copied a cupcake and frosting recipe from the box. Actually, they aren't really recipes, but more like lists of ingredients and amounts necessary to make cupcakes and frosting. I assume, when my grandma first acquired these recipes, women were so well versed in cooking, directions weren't required. I need directions. I checked-out a few similar recipes on-line and here is what I came up with.


Cupcakes
2 ¼ cups flour
2 ¼ tsp. baking powder
½ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs lightly beaten
¾ cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon flavor

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together sugar and shortening. Mix in eggs, milk, vanilla and lemon flavor. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Slowly mix flour and baking powder with wet ingredients.

(I used a muffin tin that makes mini muffins, but you can also use a regular sized muffin tin.)

Line muffin tin with baking cups and fill with cupcake mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Frosting
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon corn syrup
2 egg whites

Bring sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil over medium heat. Boil until mixture spins a thread when poured from a spoon. In a separate bowl, mix egg whites until they are stiff and create peaks.


I actually have no idea what "spins a thread" means. One website I found said to heat the sugar/syrup mixture to 238 degrees Fahrenheit. I used a candy thermometer, which I inherited from my mom, to check the temperature.


When ready, slowly mix sugar mixture in to egg whites. Keep mixing until frosting is smooth and cool. Frost cupcakes and enjoy!