Summer Luv!

For the recipe it is all mine.  I have a cake I make that my husband LOVES. And when I say love.. I mean you better get your piece before he gets his. I watched him eat almost a whole one by himself once.  The recipe is pretty easy. Its light, not super sweet, with a hint of pineapple :)

Recipe

Cupcake:

1 box white or yellow cake mix ( I use white)
12 oz of DIET sunkist (it has to be diet. The regular sunkist can be used, but it just does not turn out the same)

Directions:

Dump your cake mix in a mixing bowl, and add the 12 oz of diet sunkist. DO NOT USE ANY OF THE OTHER INGREDIENTS LISTED ON THE CAKE BOX!

Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 22-25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool thoroughly.

Icing

1 -regular size instant vanilla pudding mix (you could probably also do a coconut cream flavor or orange for a more tropical taste)
1 - 8 ounce tub cool whip (completely thawed)
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese
1 - small can crushed pineapple.
@ 3 cups powdered sugar.

Directions:

FIRST thing you need/want to do is throughly drain the crushed pineapple, you basically want to squeeze them out until it is almost dry. The juice needs to be as scarce as possible, too much liquid and your icing will be a runny mess.

Add your cool whip, cream cheese, pudding mix, and drained pineapple to a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until combined.  Once combine start adding your powdered sugar.  Add as much as needed until you get the proper consistency.  This icing is not super thick, it is a softer icing.

Once you have the consistency you want, pipe or spread on to your cupcakes.

NOTES and COMMENTS:

I like to chill these cupcakes. The cake is so airy and light that it doesn't get super cold but the icing chills and makes for a cool sweet treat.

Booze + Baking...what could be better???

So Sunday night, I got the craving for a sweet. Naturally, I got up and checked out the cupcake ingredients I had on hand.  Flour..check...sugar..check..butter..check...all the usuals.. but nothing to really give it a flavor. So I double checked my fridge one more time.. .and there it was....a bottle of Amaretto liquor with just enough left to cook with.  So I figure why not...something sweet..and my first 'boozy' cupcake.  How could booze and baking not go together, right?  The recipe I used was pretty simple, as was the frosting.

Amaretto Cupcakes
FOR THE CUPCAKES:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp Amaretto

FROSTING:

1 cup cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp Amaretto (taste to see if it needs more...I used 3 tbsp)

1) Preheat oven to 350 F and line mini cupcake pans
2) Add all ingredients into mixer and mix until combined
3) Pour batter into cupcake pans and bake for 12-15 minutes
4) Remove from oven, let cool slightly, then brush tops of cupcakes with Amaretto
5) While cupcakes are cooling, mix together ingredients for the frosting, adding more Amaretto if desired and adjusting thickness
6) Frost cupcakes and top with decoration of choice and enjoy!
7)  Makes 12 cupcakes (or you can do the mini's)

Comments, tips, recommendations:

Turns out...for this particular recipe... booze and baking were not a match made in heaven!  These were...ehh... I really expected more for these little guys.  The cook time says 12-15 minutes... I eneded up having to cook mine right at 20 minutes.  The cupcake was VERY dense and heavy.  These are also not a cupcake I recommend eating while warm. They need to be fully cooled, I even stuck mine in the fridge over night so that the icing didn't melt, but they tasted better when they were cold. I love amaretto, but this cupcake was a fail for me.  I don't think I will be making it again.

I might recommend substituting one cup of the cake flour for a cup of all purpose and adding 1/4 tsp of baking soda. I think this would lighten the cake up a bit.

It's my (well not really) party...

My latest baking creation was for my baby girl's 4th birthday!  The theme was Strawberry Shortcake.  If you are facebook fan, then you have seen the pics.  So naturally, the flavors were a good ol' white cake and strawberry flavor.  For these recipes I started with a box mix and added to it to pump it up and extend the batter.  I used the following recipe twice... made the first batch with a white cake mix, and my second batch I used a strawberry cake mix.

The Recipe

 

Ingredients

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 4 egg whites
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt until well blended.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the mixture and beat with a mixer/hand mixer for two minutes.
3. Fill 30 lined cupcakes 3/4 of the way full.
4. Bake according to directions on the cake mix.
5. Allow to cool and frost with frosting.

I will have to come back and add my recipe for the frosting... I don't currently have it with me at the place I type this from...  But I will say the frosting turned realllllyyyy good.

I think these cupcakes were fabulous, dense and smooth, wonderful flavor! The party crowd seemed to agree as well.

I don't have any pics of the individual cupcakes.. but here is the finished product... It's the BITTY CITY HOT AIR BALLOON FEST!!!! (and yes.. I did the baking and decorating... who needs a bakery...)

Did you miss me?

Hello everyone!  Sorry I haven't blogged in a few weeks.  I have come to the realization that... baking a new cupcake every week just isn't gonna happen. It's not because I can't, it's because I don't want to. Just like any relationship... when you do the same thing over and over... it gets BORING! I love to bake, so I don't want it to become boring, or feel like a chore...I mean who wants to be in that kind of relationship!  I won't be baking every week but I do promise to update and blog when I do try out a new recipe.  Hmmm... I wonder if this is how a real affair is... exciting a fun at first... then fizzles when you have to much of it... lol. Something I shall never know...

Margarita.. Please !

So this past weekend was one of my big sister's birthdays.  For dinner... taco soup.  What better dessert is there for taco soup then Magarita cupcakes!  So not a lot of hoopla to say today...just going to get straight to it!


Someone pass the salt....

The Recipe



Ingredients

• 3 sticks (12 ounces) butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature, plus 1 large egg white
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
• Grated peel of 4 limes, plus 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons gold tequila
• 1 drop green food coloring
• 1/2 cup large multicolored sugar crystals
• 24 lime wedge candies

 

In goes the grated lime peel..smelled wonderful!

Mixing..Mixing.. Mixing

As you see... We have our cupcakes.. and icing too :)

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . Line 2 cupcake pans with baking liners. Using an electric mixer, beat 2 sticks butter and the granulated sugar until creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs, egg white and oil. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. In a large glass measuring cup, stir together the milk, 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. On low speed, mix in one-third of the wet mixture, then one-third of the dry mixture. Repeat twice, ending with the dry mixture. Mix in half of the grated lime peel.
3. Fill each baking liner about three-quarters full with batter. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when gently touched, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, using the electric mixer, beat the remaining 1 stick butter until creamy. Beat in 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Beat in the tequila, and the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, lime peel, 1 teaspoon salt and the food coloring until smooth and creamy. Beat in the remaining 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar one-third at a time, until just soft enough to spread.
5. Spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes. Add the sugar crystals to a bowl; lay each frosted cupcake on its side in the bowl and gently rotate to form a rim of sugar. Top each cupcake with a lime wedge candy.

Review and Comments:

Step 5 above was just part of the regular recipe.. I didn't do all the garnishing!  But if you wanted it to be pretty go ahead :)

First off.. The icing... it's yummy.. how could it not be? It is where the tequila is! BUT.... when you make this the icing is super runny... not spreadable or piping friendly at all!  I had to add about 2 more cups to get it to the consistency in the pictures above.  So if you decide to make these... just continue to add powdered sugar until you have reached your desired thickness for the icing.

They definately have a very lime/citrus flavor. Everyone else seemed to like it as well.  We even sat the extra icing on the table with us and added more to our cupcakes (or someone.. I won't name..just wanted to eat the icing alone with a spoon...lol)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Hey there everyone!  Happy Valentine's to you and everyone you love!  This week I made a cupcake I knew I would personally love.  I am a big fan of pretty much anything that has cinnamon in it.  So when I came across this recipe I knew I was going to have to try it out.  No, its not a typical Valentine's cupcake choice, but I was giving myself a gift.

The Recipe

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Yields 24 cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 teaspoon for dusting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

Cinnamon Frosting
2½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
2½ cups Confectioners’ sugar (10 ounces)
1/8 tablespoons table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons cinnamon (or to taste)

In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla, cinnamon, and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Reviews and Notes:

My icing turned out perfect on this one!!!! YAY!!! It was light and fluffy, easy to pipe on, and yummy!  My husband is not a huge fan of cinnamon and he ate 2 of these back to back.  That's what was nice about them. There is no doubt it is a cinnamon cupcake, but the taste is not over powering.  I love these, but like I said I love just about everything with cinnamon in it, and these are not an exception to that!



#6 has arrived

Hello everyone! Hope you had a great weekend!  Did you miss me...lol.  Well, I figured I better get back on track this week since I was so behind last week.  I hope I am back on schedule now.  This week I tried to go a little lighter.. I have done so many dark cupcakes with chocolate and such in them.  So I did a classic Coconut Cupcake this week.  I am starting to figure out what flavors are going together, so I can take more liberties and tweek the recipes to my liking. 

Yup, thats the actual cupcake right in the middle.. blends with the towel pretty well, huh




The Recipe

Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting
recipe by Baked Perfection

makes 15 cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cups sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk (full fat)
1 cup shredded coconut

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and egg white, one at a time. Add the vanilla and almond extract; mix well. Add the flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with coconut milk (batter will be thick). Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Coconut Frosting
recipe from Baked Perfection

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups powdered sugar
generous pinch of salt
4 tablespoons coconut milk
pinch of salt

Beat butter, vanilla, and almond extract until creamy. Add salt. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, alternating with coconut milk, beating until combined.

(this recipe doesn't tell you how to toast the coconut as far as temp and time.. so here is what i did.  Put your desired amount of coconut spread on a bakin sheet. I set my oven to 275 degrees. Put the coconut in and stir about every 10 minutes. You will see some start to turn golden brown, at that point its just letting it go until its your desired toastiness.  Mine was toasty but not completely brown.)

Reviews and Notes:

Alright... I still haven't figured out what I am not doing quite right when it comes to these types of frostings.  Mine always turn out a little too runny.. Albeit they still take fantastic but not quite the correct consistancy.  Hopefully, I will get it figured out. 

Another thing I did with this recipe was make a white chocolate ganache filling (totally optional).  If you choose to do that then you will need to cut a small well in the cupcake once it has completely cooled.

My Ganache Recipe (and yes... I figured this one out all on my own)

1/2 c. Heavy cream
6 oz. white chocolate chips
2 tbsp butter

Bring cream to a light boil.  Once it begins to boil, take it off and pour it over the white chocolate chips in the bowl.  Let that sit for about 3 minutes (giving it a chance to melt the chocolate).  After 3 minutes add the 2 tbsp of butter and whisk together.  Let sit and wisk periodically until it thickens or you can stick it in the fridge and stir about every 10 minutes until it thickens ups.

After it was ready I just poured it into the wells with a spoon.

Something else I did with the recipe was sprinkly a tiny bit of sea salt on each one of the cupcakes.  And for me this was the perfect finish, that little sprinkle made it a sweet with touch of salty goodness!

Personally,  this recipe is a runner up for my favorite so far!  My husband enjoyed this cupcake so much he said it literally turned him on... lol.  His reaction was hilarious!  I love watching people eating my cupcakes and knowing they enjoy eating them as much as I do making them.