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Hi there!

If you've truly never baked anything before, an easy way to get started with cupcakes is with a box cake mix. Just pick a flavour you like, get the extra ingredients the box says you'll need, and follow the instructions on the box. They try to make it pretty foolproof. And most box cakes include the baking times for cupcakes :)

You could pick up a tin of icing too. I do box cake cupcakes with premade icing sometimes when I want to make something for a potluck but don't have the time or energy to bake from scratch.

Tools you'd need... A mixing bowl, an electric mixer (or a whisk or wooden spoon if you really want to tire your arm out, but I've never made a cake mixing by hand, and I wouldn't recommend making a buttercream type icing without an electric mixer), measuring cups/spoons, a muffin pan, cupcake liners, wooden toothpicks (to check if the cupcakes are done: you poke a toothpick into the middle of one of the cupcakes and if it comes out clean or with little crumbs they're done, if it comes out wet with batter they need more time). For decorating you could keep it simple and just put a bit of food colouring in the icing and frost them with a butter knife. If you want to try piping you could buy a piping bag and some large tips (like these ones) and just play with it.

If you want to dive in to baking from scratch, here's a chocolate cupcake recipe I've used before with success, and a mint icing recipe I quite like. If you don't have an electric mixer you could try looking for a drizzle style icing recipe to try.

Lol I wrote all this out and then when I went looking for the recipes I use, I found this guide on one of the blogs I like... Every recipe I've tried from that blog has been pretty darn good too!

Have fun! :D

My own search ended with Shirley Corriher's Deep, Dark Chocolate Cake recipe from BakeWize: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking. The only thing I've changed from her original recipe is an increase in oil.

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

2 1/3 cups sugar (463g)
3/4 tsp salt (5.4g)
3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder (69g) 
1 tsp baking soda (5g)
1 cup water
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (218g)
4 large egg yolks (74g)
2 large eggs (99g)
1/4 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place baking stone in center of oven if you have one.
   
2. Generously spray cake pan(s). Line the bottom of the pan(s) with parchment paper that has been cut to size. Spray top of parchment paper.
   
3. In a heavy saucepan, stir together the sugar, salt, cocoa, and baking soda. In another pan, heat water to boiling. Stirring constantly, pour boiling water a little at a time into cocoa mixture, mixing well. Place on heat and bring back to a boil. Turn off heat and allow to stand in pan for at least 10 minutes.
   
4. Pour cocoa mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the oil and vanilla and beat on low for 10 seconds. On low speed, beat in the flour and then, with minimum of beating, beat in the yolks, eggs, and buttermilk.
    5. Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Place in oven on the stone and bake until the center feels springy to the touch, about 25 minutes for round layers or 35 minutes for a 9x13 sheet cake. (I use an instant read thermometer and call it done when the temp reaches 206F) Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a rack. Run a thin knife around the edge and jar the edge of the pan to loosen. Invert onto the serving platter. Cool completely before icing.

Very pretty! If they didn't give you your own decorating set to take home, this kit worked for me. Happy decorating!

Do they have a good carrier? I love taking my cupcakes places and a bad carrier leaves cupcakes falling over in transit

I really like this one
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B7877DC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_ADIhAb609VRD7 But found it a little cheaper (35ish?) At home goods

looks like it was taken with one of these

Check this thing out: Debbie Mayer Cupcake Genius. 12 Cup Surprise Cupcake or Muffin Pan https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B4D0IUY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yc-FzbSPW7K9F
I'm ordering one now, in a couple of days, we'll see how it works!

I think you want to use a larger tip. I use ones similar to these:
Extra Large Cupcake/Cake Decorating Tip Set, 4 XL Classic Stainless Steel Professional Icing Tips for DIY Frosting https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PH4SSCG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8doZDb7ZQT6ZM
If you use a coupler, you’ll need a bigger one for these tips. These are the tips that will get you the frosting look you see at cupcake shops.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MTB7N37

I got alot of ideas from http://www.amazon.com/Whats-New-Cupcake-Ingeniously-Occasion/dp/054724181X

I bought a roll of these and never looked back! WAY cheaper than buying the small packs of disposable bags by Wilton or Ateco.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle :D