Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter (room temperature)
• 2 cups of sugar
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 3 cups of sifted self-rising flour (White Lily)
• 1 cup of whole milk (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (McCormicks)
• 1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring
Easy Buttercream Frosting
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1b. 10X powdered sugar
• 1-3 teaspoons milk, half and half or cream
Marshmallow Fondant
• 750 grams mini marshmallows
• 3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line cupcakes with 35-40 cupcake liners.
3. Using a mixer, cream butter until fluffy.
4. Add sugar and continue to cream for about 7 minutes.
5. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well after each egg is added.
6. Add flour and milk (alternating to creamed mixture), beginning and ending with flour.
7. Add vanilla and butter flavoring to mix; until just mixed.
8. Divide batter into cupcakes 2/3 full
9. Hold each layer about 3 inches above your counter and carefully drop the pans flat onto counter several times to ensure release of any air bubbles. This will help you have a more level cake.
10. Bake for 19 – 22 minutes (depending on your oven) until done.
11. Cool on wire rack for 5 – 10 minutes.
12. Remove and immediately wrap each layer in plastic wrap to seal in moisture. Cool completely on wire racks.
13. Once cooled, you are ready to assemble your cake.
For The Buttercream Frosting
14. Using a mixer, cream softened butter and vanilla until smooth.
15. Add sugar gradually, allowing butter and sugar to cream together before adding more.
16. If you want your frosting a little creamier, add a teaspoon of milk at a time and beat on high until you get the right texture.
17. Then, just use icing colors to tint the frosting the color of your choice.
18. Decorate cupcakes with frosting.
Marshmallow Fondant
19. In a large microwave-proof bowl, place all the mini marshmallow; pour in 2 tbsps water
20. Heat marshmallow for 30 seconds, take bowl out, stir, put the bowl back into the microwave and heat for another 30 seconds; repeat steps for 3 times more; total time should be around 2 1/2 minutes; until all marshmallow melted
21. Pour in powdered sugar
22. On clean and dry surface, very generously grease the surface along with your hands, palms and fingers with shortening; then dump melted marshmallow+powdered sugar mixture on the greased surface
23. Knead as you would knead dough for bread. Marshmallow might be hot still so please watch out. This is a messy method as you can see on the picture; I even needed my husband's help he-he
24. If its needed, you might want to re-grease your hands with shortening again in the middle of kneading. Knead until smooth and elastic and stretchable. If the fondant tears apart while kneading, add about 1/2 tbsp water at a time and knead again.
25. Grease ready fondant thoroughly with shortening and wrap fondant with plastic wrapper tightly and refrigerate overnight inside a container.
26. When you are ready to use the ready fondant, you need to microwave it for a bit, 10 seconds at least or a little more if its needed, then roll on a surface that already sprinkled with corn starch; as there will be shortening on the fondant, before rolling you might want to knead a bit with the corn starch.
Decorations
27. On a parchment paper, separate fondant for locks and fondant for keys. Using food dye and a toothpick, mix a little into each amount and rub in with your fingers.
28. Roll out fondant and cut out the shapes that you want. I used a heart shaped cookie cutter for locks, and then used a food writer pen to draw on the hole. You could always use a paring knife to cut of a lock hole.
29. For the keys, I used a knife to shape them out. You can also add sprinkles to shine it up a bit.
30. Leave to dry for about 15 minutes and then move to cupcake tops.