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...