CELEBRATE BIRTHDAYS ON A GRAND

Celebrate Birthdays On A Grand Scale

(NAPSI)-Just about everyone loves cupcakes. So whether your birthday boy or girl is young or young at heart, a whimsical Family-Size Birthday Cupcake promises plenty of wow factor.

This cupcake for 12 is made with a rich butter and cream cheese batter that yields a moist, tender cake. It only takes about 15 minutes to measure and mix but if time is extra tight, use a favorite yellow cake mix. The unique Large Cupcake Pan actually has two sections: the top and bottom of the cupcake.

Use a small amount of icing to hold the top and bottom together and create the cupcake. Finish with a swirl of colorful icing and decorate with festive sprinkles and candles.

For more big ideas on celebrating birthdays and other occasions or to order pans, visit www.wilton.com.

Family-Size Birthday Cupcake

Makes about 12 servings

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

11/2 cups granulated sugar

5 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1 can (16 oz.) white ready-to-use decorator icing

Lemon Yellow Icing Color

Jumbo Stars Sprinkles

Rainbow Rounds Candles

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray pan with vegetable pan spray with flour.

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add vanilla; blend well. On low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk. Spoon 41/2 cups batter into top of cupcake pan; spoon remaining batter into bottom of pan.

Bake 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely. Arrange layers on serving plate, spreading small amount of icing between layers.

Tint icing yellow. With Tip #1M, cover top of cupcake, following swirl lines on top of cake. Add sprinkles and candles.

Wilton Products: Dimensions Large Cupcake Cast Pan, White Ready-To-Use Decorator Icing, Lemon Yellow Icing Color, Open Star Decorating Tip #1M, Jumbo Stars Sprinkles, Rainbow Rounds Candles.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Wilton Industries, Inc.

Birthday party perfect, this cupcake is more than 8 inches tall--without the icing!