30th Birthday mini cupcakes

My friend turns 30 on Monday, but she's celebrating a few days early.  The plan is to start with appetizers and drinks at their apartment and then go out for a night on the town.  I offered to bake (naturally), and my friend asked for either cupcakes or cookies.  I confirmed with her what I (thought I) already knew -- that mini cupcakes are just way cuter than regular-sized ones (well, aren't they?!), and decided to go with mini cupcakes.  I figured since it was a special occasion, I'd go with an extra-festive look - chocolate mini-cupcakes in silver foil papers with vanilla buttercream, with silver fondant "30s" and garnished in silver sugar and dragees.  Who cares that silver is the 25th anniversary color?

I started by baking (way too many) mini chocolate cupcakes in silver foil cupcake liners.  I used a recipe I made recently - the chocolate fudge cake from the White Chocolate Truffle and Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake.  I made a new butttercream recipe this time because my "regular" buttercream recipe takes forever and makes WAY too much icing.  I rolled out white fondant and cut out several 3s and 0s, let them dry a little, and then sprayed the fronts and backs with edible silver spray.  I piped the icing using a large star tip, placed the "30s" in the icing of about half of them, and then in keeping with the silver theme, I used silver sugar and silver dragees to decorate all of the cupcakes.

Vanilla Buttercream (from, of all places, "Holiday Cake & Cookie Decorating for Dummies")

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 3/4 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
Food coloring, if you so choose

Beat vanilla and butter together in a large bowl.  Gradually add half of the sugar, beating well.  Add the milk.  Then add the remaining sugar.  Beat until smooth.  Add food coloring now (if using).