The One with the Friends-Themed Cupcakes

Sometimes regular cupcakes just aren’t enough. Sometimes they need a little extra something, like a special ingredient such as really good quality cocoa or vanilla bean. Other times, they just need extra decoration. Currently, I have been completely captivated by the show "Friends," and I am very late to the game indeed; however, being late hasn’t stopped me from immersing myself in the show by decorating my room to look like Monica’s or potentially even painting my door purple. And it certainly hasn’t stopped there.

Courtesy of Kyra Mehta

When I was making cupcakes for my friends, I had no choice but to make my cupcakes "Friends"-themed. When thinking about how to decorate the cupcakes, I did think of buying a whole "Friends" cupcake decoration kit from Amazon, filled with cupcake toppers, cupcake liners — everything, you name it. It would have been easy, simple, and sensible. However, making all of the pieces myself seemed much more fun! It could have also been a new tactic in my procrastination process to conveniently delay my homework, but I like to believe it was a surge of creativity.

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Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 125 grams of butter

• 50 grams of dark brown sugar

• 75 grams of caster sugar

• ¼ tsp of baking soda

• 125 grams of self-rising flour

• 2 eggs

• Pinch of salt

• 1 ½ tbsp of milk

Courtesy of Kyra Mehta

Instructions:

1. Start by adding butter, sugars, baking soda, flour, salt, and eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a paddle attachment, mix on low speed and increase incrementally to high speed.

2. Stop the mixer and fold the batter every couple of seconds until everything is smooth and combined.

3. With the mixer off, add the milk and fold by hand.

4. Add batter to a cupcake-lined cupcake tray and bake at 350℉ for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and the cupcakes spring back when pressed lightly.

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Buttercream Recipe

Ingredients:

• 165 grams of unsalted butter

• 1 cup of confectionary sugar

• Pinch of salt

• 4 tsps cream

Courtesy of Kyra Mehta

Instructions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the butter and mix on high for 5 minutes, or until the butter is pale and almost white in color.

2. Add the sugar in small increments and mix on low speed for 1 minute before increasing the speed to high.

3. After all the sugar has been incorporated, add the salt and mix again.

4. Add the cream and fold with a spatula.

5. This step is optional, but to get the most Friends-themed cupcakes, add purple food coloring to get the signature purple door effect.

6. Once the cupcakes are cooled, ice them with the buttercream using a pastry bag.

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decorating hacks

One of the most fun parts of this project for me, apart from the baking obviously, was making the Friends “Central Perk” stickers. After looking at dozens of videos, I found the best and easiest way to make them — or any sticker.

Courtesy of Kyra Mehta

Choose your designs and either print or draw them out. Get a couple of pieces of parchment paper and clear packing tape. Place a couple of pieces of tape directly on the parchment paper. Cut out the design and place it on the tape (on the parchment paper). Place another piece of tape on top of the design. Cut around the design, leaving a small edge, and the sticker is ready. Simply remove the parchment paper from the back and stick it on the cupcake liners.