Rainbow Cake Balls

Yes yes I know.  These aren't cupcakes.  But I just had to try this.  It also stems from a little "experiement" I'm doing in an effort to make my cupcakes more...available I guess is the word.  I've got people out of town who would love to try my cupcakes, but it's so hard to ship them.  No matter how many times I put  "This Side Up!" "Don't Flip!"  "Contains Yummy Cupcakes!"   "Keep Level Or Pay The Consequences!" my packages always end up tossed and turned and crushed.  I've come up with several ways to secure the cupcakes in their containers for shipping but....I still worry.  Sooooo as the name of the "business" suggests, I can make anything a cupcake (hence something is cupcakeable).  So why not the opposite?  More on that later.

Here are three pretty simple (but delicious) cake balls.  No, they are not perfectly round.  I still can't figure out how to get them nice and spherical.  I've been considering maybe a mold?  Suggestions?  Anyone?  Bueller?  Anyhow, these are as round as they get.  As nice as these may look it was the inside of the cake balls I was more concerned with.

HOW FRICKIN COOL IS THAT!?  I was so stoked at how these came out!  It took a little more effort but I got my rainbow stripes into the cake balls!  This is my Rainbow Cupcake recipe.  The cake is mixed with my Cotton Candy flavored frosting and then coated with white chocolate.

So having finalized this experiment with cake balls, I think I'm ready for the next phase.  But again, more on that later.  Stay tuned! Below are instructions on how to create this.

Cake Box Method (as always if you want the longer version, email me and I'll give them to you):

Makes 36 to 42 - 1 inch cake balls

1 box white cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup canola oil

Mix all ingredients together.  Divide evenly among 6 bowls and color each batter one color of the rainbow.  Fill six 6" cake pans (one with each color) and bake at 350 degrees for a bout 12 - 15 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Frosting

3 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

2.5 sticks butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cotton candy flavoring

Cream butter.  Add confectioner's sugar 1/2 cup at a time.  Mix until completely incorporated.  Add vanilla and cotton candy.  Set aside.

Crumble each color cake into fine pieces and place in individual bowls.  Starting with 1 teaspoon of frosting, mix with the crumbled cake with back of a spoon (more like mash it in).

Take a small cookie sheet lined with wax paper.  Here comes the tricky part.  In the palm of your hand, place about 1/2 to 1 tspn of the red cake mix, on top put 1/2 to 1 tspn  of the orange, then the yellow, green, blue and purple.  Stack them on top of each other.  Now gentle roll the pile into a ball.  Place on cookie sheet.  If the cake become too soft to roll, place in freeze for a bit.   Once you've rolled out all the cake balls you want, place the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes (or until cake balls are firm).

While waiting, melt some white chocolate.  I use Almond Bark.  To me it was the easiest to work with, wasn't too think or thick and seemed to coat the cake balls well.  I am sure there is better chocolate to use but for now this is what I used. 

Place a small wire rack over an empty bowl.  Take the cake balls out and place one at a time on the wire rack with the purple side on the bottom (mine are inverted with the red on the bottom).  Using a spoon, pour the white chocolate over the cake balls and allow them to "dry" for about 5 minutes.  Remove and continue with remaining cake balls.  Sprinkle some rainbow sugar or glitter on top.

Enjoy!

Cherry Pie in a Cupcake....cupcakes

Okay so my bestie came to visit shortly after the Christmas holiday.  Since her hubby was making me his most delicious jambalaya, in response I made them my Caramel Pretzel Cupcakes and the Cherry Pie ones.  I had been wanting to make the cherry pie ones for awhile but never got around to it.  The following is a little step by step on what I did and at the end the ingredients and recipe and such for making them.  They turned out really yummy!  I love cherries.  So this was right up my ally!

First you need some pie crust.  I bought the refrigerated brand because I didn't have time to make my own pie crust.  These work just as well if not better and there are two 9" rounds in the package.  You also will need a mini cupcake tin.  Cut circles out to fit the cavities in the tin.  I used a 1/3 cup measuring cup (in the background there - the silver thing) and using the hollow side, cut the rounds out.

Then place them in the tins - press them down and along the sides a bit.  I didn't use any butter or flour inside the tins as they always seem to come out without any issues.  I did this with the Pumpkin Pie in a Cupcake too.  You can "pull" the dough so it comes up higher on the tin if you want but I don't find it a necessary thing. Technically you are suppose to bake the crust first before filling it - I didn't do that.  I forgot.  It doesn't matter much but if you want to bake it first, pop them into a preheated oven at 400F and bake for about 5 - 10 minutes.  Keep an eye on it as the directions on the box is for a full 9" piece of dough and this isn't that.  ONWARD....

Anyhow, get yerself a can of cherry pie filling and fill the pie crusts - if you already baked the crusts - pop them back in the oven for about 5 minutes.  If not, NOW put them in a preheated oven at 400F and bake for about 5 - 10 minutes.  Again, keep an eye on them.  Each crust took about 4 cherries from the can plus some sauce.

Viola!  Mini cherry pies.  The one all the way to the top right I ate....oh yes I did.  And it were yummy!  * I used a small icing spatula to pop them out of the tin.  DO NOT turn the tin over and let them fall out.  This does not work in your favor.  Use a spoon or something to get them out.  They should come out really easy.  However, like in my case, I had two or three where the filling bubbled over and stuck to the tin - you'll need to carefully cut it away from the tin with a knife.

Next, line the tins of a standard cupcake tin with liners.  Mix your batter (I used simple vanilla because vanilla and cherry I think go hand in hand) and place about 1 - 2 teaspoons in the bottom of each liner just to coat it.

Carefully place a mini cherry pie in each batter filled liner and press down just a bit.

I use an ice cream scoop but you can use what you want.  But fill the cupcake liners making sure the pies are covered.  Remember that this batter is going to rise a bit so don't over fill the liners, like I did in two (it just creates a flat top on the cupcake that you may or may not have to cut away when done).

Place in an oven at 350F and bake for 22 minutes.  Mine actually required 28 minutes but I've been told ovens may vary.  So just keep an eye on them.  An inserted toothpick at the end that comes out clean means they are done.

Here is one of the finished cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream and cherry pie filling.

And here is the inside!

You can substitute the cherry for apple, blueberry, peach...whatever.  The instructions would be the same for each.  Enjoy!!

Ingredients

1 box vanilla cake batter

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 tblspn vinegar added to 1 cup whole milk - let sit for 5 minutes)

Mix all ingredients together.

1 box refrigerated pie crusts

1 can pie filling (cherry, apple, blueberry whichever)

Following steps above for making the mini pies

Buttercream

1 cup plus 2 tblspn sugar

5 egg whites

1 1/4 tspn vanilla extract

4 sticks unsalted butter

Place sugar and egg whites in bowl from mixer and over boiling water, whisk until sugar is dissolved (don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the water or it will cook).

With whisk attachment, whisk sugared egg whites until bottom of bowl is cool to touch.  Add butter by tablespoon to the mixer.  Once butter is fully incorporated, add vanilla.

Remove whisk attachment and add paddle.  Mix on medium-high until buttercream thickens.

Then pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

Candy Cane Cupcakes w/White Chocolate Buttercream

Okay so maybe I'm putting the cart before the horse being as I have Thanksgiving to deal with before BUT, I wanted to get these out of the way because I have another Christmas cupcake I want to make later.

My final college semester is winding down now with just 3 weeks left so I've had some free time to bake.  I also created a spice cake for Lindor Lindt Truffles as part of their Fall contest - sort of like the contest I entered last year and won.  All I want is the 7 quart mixer.....I don't need a  year's supply of chocolate :)  No really.....well.....okay maybe just a few bags.


So as for Candy Cane Cupcakes, these came out really nice!  I figured I could make rainbow cupcakes - like I did for my daughter's 8th birthday last month, so why not candy canes?  The directions for making these follow.  Coming up:  A nod to Breaking Dawn, Thanksgiving Cupcakes, Christmas Tree Cupcakes, Rainbow Cookies Cupcakes and Caramel Chocolate cupcakes (with Caramel White Chocolate Ganache).

Candy Cane Cupcakes 

(while I do not generally use box mixes - to make it easier for you I have given you the box directions.  If you want my directions let me know and I will be happy to give them to you :) )

1 box white cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk (no buttermilk? add 1 tblspn vinegar to 1 cup milk and let stand - mix and add to ingredients)
1 tspn peppermint extract
Red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350.  Line cupcake pan with liners.

Mix together all ingredients.  Split the batter in two and place in bowls.  In one bowl, add red food coloring and mix.  Now you have one bowl of white cake batter and one bowl of "red" cake batter.  Start with the red batter.  Place about 1 tpsn of the batter in the bottom of each liner.  Then drop a teaspoon of the white batter in each liner on top of the red.  Continue until each liner is about 2/3 of the way full.  Bake for 15 - 20 minutes.  Let cool on wire rack.

Butter Cream

4 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
5 egg whites
1 cup plus 1 tblspn sugar
4 oz white chocolate
1 1/4 tspn pure vanilla extract

Add egg whites and sugar to mixing bowl.  Whisk over pot of boiling water (like a double boiler - don't let the bowl touch the water or the egg whites will cook.  Place on mixer with whisk attachment and mix on medium until contents have cooled.  Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated.  Add vanilla.  Replace whisk attachment with paddle.  Melt white chocolate either in microwave or by double boiler.  Let cool.

On high, mix buttercream until it becomes fluffy and smooth.  Turn down to medium and add chocolate, mix for 3 minutes.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and decorate.

Enjoy!

Panettone Cupcakes with Sweet Honey Vanilla Bean Buttercream

Yes!  She lives!  I had an order this week for Pumpkin Cupcakes which I will post here in a second but asked the lady if she would like to try any of the "seasonal" flavors I had.  She selected the Panettone.

Panettone, pronounced pon-a-tony, is an Italian sweet bread with dried fruit.  Sorta like the American fruit cake but better.  And these did come out just like the original panettone bread.

I've seen bloggers make the panettone without the buttercream topping, as normal panettone is served.  But I'm not normal and I needed my buttercream.  So what kind to make?  For some reason I kept tasting honey.  I still don't know why, however I made a honey vanilla bean buttercream and then drizzled honey on top.  I must say the honey works VERY WELL!

The only big issues I have with this is 1) it's very time consuming and 2) it's more like a bread than a cupcake.  However, I hear panettone "cupcakes" are popular....so who knows :)  Maybe when I have more time I'll try to make a more cupcake version of this.  I think I know how just have to experiment a bit :)

Yes I am still alive......

I promise to be making cupcakes for you very soon!!  I took 3 courses over the summer and they ended up being reading intensive!  And because I'm trying to graduate in December, I really, really, really needed to pass these courses!  LOL!

Cupcakes will be coming soon!  I have a few things planned; once kids get back to school I'll have more time!  So if you have any requests, let me know!  I'm working on an adult only alcoholic cupcake with a twist :)

Vanilla White Chocolate Overload Cupcakes

Since I made an all chocolate cupcake complete with chocolate mousse center, I wanted to try an all vanilla one with a vanilla white chocolate ganache center.  This is the end result.  It's very vanilla!  Below is the instruction for making the ganache.

The cupcake is a vanilla bean cake filled with a white chocolate vanilla bean ganache, topped with a vanilla bean buttercream and white chocolate shavings.

I am not a huge fan of vanilla but this was really really good.  And no I did not deep fry this one :)

The buttercream is my standard with the exception of 1/2 vanilla bean and 1/4 tspn vanilla extract.  The short cut version is one white cake mix with the addition of 1scraped vanilla bean and the scraped white chocolate for the top.  I've have had people ask for the short cut version so they could replicate.  If you ever want my version, the longer version, just let me know :)

Vanilla White Chocolate Ganache

1 tablespoon corn syrup

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 vanilla bean (scrape the seeds)

6oz white chocolate (chips or squares, just chop the squares up)

Place corn syrup, heavy cream and split vanilla bean pod and seeds in sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Place white chocolate in heat proof bowl.   Remove the vanilla bean pod and pour the hot mixture over the white chocolate.  Mix until smooth.  Place in refrigerator for 45 minutes.  Pour ganache mixture into mixing bowl and whisk at high speed until thick (about 3 minutes).  Fill cupcakes and enjoy!

Maple Penuche Fudge Cupcakes (Deep Fried)

Ok so here is a prettier maple penuche fudge cupcake.  This one is frozen at the moment.  Why?  Because I'm about to deep fry it.  You heard me.  There are deep fried candy bars, deep fried cookies, deep fried pickles.....what about cupcakes?!

I froze the cupcake first so that it had less of a chance of melting.  Well, the frosting anyhow.  I did NOT put a true buttercream on this cupcake because we all know what happens when butter gets hot, it melts.  So I made a maple confectioner's sugar frosting to put on top - less butter.  It will still melt but hopefully won't be a mess.  I was hoping the frosting would stay somewhat intact once it was deep fried.

The second thought was, what do I cover it in?  There are several suggestions for deep fry batter but the one I ran a crossed and liked was pancake batter.  Once I coated it I stuck it in a deep fryer.  This is where I made my mistake.

May I suggest to never deep fry a cupcake like this in a fryer with a basket.  Had I taken the time I would have heated oil in a sauce pan and fried the cupcake that way.  The batter stuck to the basket :(.  Which is why I got the "fried splatter" look on the cupcake (on the right).

Here is the inside.  I labeled it since the cupcake got turned upside down so when I cut it, I ended up cutting it sideways.  The frosting melted but it was a nice melt!  Some of it stayed solid so it was just what I wanted.  You can't see the penuche fudge in the recipe as it is towards the bottom of where I cut.  The fudge didn't melt which I'm glad it didn't and it was still kinda cool.  By my accounts this came out perfect....but the best part....

Oh....my....god......was that good.............

I ate most of it before I was full!  LOL (I had had a big breakfast).  Since I used the Maple Penuche cupcake and pancake batter, the flavors were outrageous!  Sweet and soft on the inside with a bit of melted frosting and crunchy on the outside from the batter.  I will most definitely do this again.  And I can already think of a dozen or so cupcakes I'd deep fry.......

Rainbow Cupcakes with Cherry Jell-O centers

Ok so just about everyone and their mother has made rainbow cupcakes.  So I figured it was about time I did it as well.  This was a request from someone for their Rainbow Girls group.  What a great idea!  Rainbow Cupcakes for Rainbow Girls!  The twist, however, is in the middle.

That's Jell-O!  Cherry to be precise!  You can of course use any flavor you want since the base cake is vanilla.  The woman who gave me the idea originally mentioned doing cupcakes with Jell-O in another manner - but won't give away my secret here just yet.  Maybe I'll make one the way she originally thought of it later and post it.  This was just simpler for her girls I think though.  The colors came out really nice, I was happy with it.  The icing is a simple confectioner's sugar icing because I stand by my theory that kids prefer the confectioner's over the buttercream.

I decorated the cupcakes with sugared sprinkles in rainbow colors and if you look closely you'll see some gold sugar sprinkles.....afterall....can't have a rainbow without gold!

These MUST stay refrigerated or the Jell-O will "melt".  I hope the girls enjoy them, Christina!

Cinco De Mayo Cupcakes

I wasn't sure what to do for Cinco De Mayo cupcakes.  I had heard spiced chocolate, tequila, margarita etc.....but for me Cinco De Mayo isn't Cinco De Mayo without Corona and lime. 

I had seen recipes for a beer buttercream but really wasn't sure I liked the idea.  Afterall, beer is bitter and buttercream is sweet.   I didn't want to put it in the cake either because I had planned to sprinkle the top with the green and red sprinkles and didn't want to make the buttercream lime.  Together with the white buttercream they signify the colors of Mexico.

I committed one act of sacrelige.  I used a box mix.  Now I don't usually do this but I've been swamped between orders and exams but I had to do a Cinco de Mayo cupcake.  Below is the recipe if you'd like to make it.

The sombreros are not edible.  I got them here A Bakers Place.

The cupcake is a vanilla cupcake infused with lime zest and lime juice topped with a Corona buttercream.

Cinco De Mayo Lime Corona Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons lime zest

1/2 cup lime juice (fresh) < - I enhanced it a bit with key lime juice from a bottle

Buttercream

5 egg whites

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

4 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

1 1/4 tspn pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup Corona

confectioner's sugar or flour to keep the buttercream from getting too liquidy

Mix the ingredients for the cupcakes and place in 12 liners.  Bake for 15 - 20 minutes at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Place Corona in saucepan and simmer for about 10 minutes.  This enhances the flavor of the beer.   **Cool completely before adding to buttercream.

In a heat proof mixing bowl, add the egg whites and sugar.  Heat over simmering water and whisk until sugar is completely dissolved.  Place bowl on mixer with whisk attachment and whisk on medium-high until stiff peaks form.  Reduce speed to medium and add butter 1 tablespoon at a time until well incorporated.  Add vanilla.  

With paddle attachment place mixer on high and beat until buttercream becomes light and fluffy - about 5 minutes or so.  Reduce speed to medium and add the Corona.  If the buttercream appears to get too liquidy or lose it's fluffy-ness - add a little but of flour or confectioner's sugar until it begins to take on its former fluffy self.

Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and decorate.

I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out or if I was even going to be able to taste the beer, but I was wrong.  You can most certainly taste it in the buttercream and the lime adds to it.  It was like eating a Corona with lime :)

Milano Melts Cupcakes

Chocolate.....just saying the word invokes a euphoria....although I have many favorite cookies, milanos have been on my list for a very long time.  Sooooo when Pepperidge Farm came out with Milano Melts....I thought I'd died.  Crunchy yummy cookie with melted chocolate inside....I find myself licking the inside more than just eating the cookie sometimes.

So of course I couldn't resist a Milano Melts Cupcake.

This is a simple vanilla cupcake, with a chocolate ganache center and a swirled chocolate and vanilla buttercream topped with a milano melt cookie.

Mmmmmmmmmmm............

The recipe is below!  Have fun!

Milano Melts Cupcakes

makes 2 dozen

Cupcake Ingredients

3 cups cake flour

1  1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2  1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1  1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

2  1/4 cups sugar

5 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature

2 cups buttermilk, room temp

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

24 milano melts cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 24 cupcake tins with liners.

Directions:

1. Sift together both flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed to medium.  Add whole eggs, one at a time.  Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.  Add yolks and beat until thoroughly combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beat until combined.  Add vanilla.

3. Divid batter into cupcake liners.  Fill each about 2/3 full.  Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean - about  15 - 20 minutes.  Let cool before adding ganache and buttercream.

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients  (Do this first as it needs to sit in fridge)

6oz semisweet chocolate, chopped (I use Bakers Chocolate)

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Directions:

1. Over medium heat, cook heavy cream and corn syrup.

2. Place chocolate in heat proof bowl.  Once heavy cream comes to a boil, remove from stove and slowly pour over chocolate.  Stir until well incorporated and ganache starts to thicken.  Place in refridgerator until thick but stirrable.

3. Once the ganache has thickened and cupcakes are cool.  Cut a coned shape piece out of the center of each cupcake and spoon a tablespoon (or more, up to you) of the ganache in the middle.  Replace the piece that was cut out.

Swirled Swiss Meringue Buttercream Ingredients

5 egg whites

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1.  Place sugar and egg whites into a heat proof mixing bowl.  Set over a pan of simmiering water and whisk until sugar is dissolved.  Mixture will be smooth when rubbed between fingers.

2.  Whisk with whisk attachment on medium speed until egg whites form stiff but not dry peaks.  Add butter a little bit at a time until well incorporated.  Add vanilla.

3.  Replace with paddle attachment and mix on medium high.  Scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing until frosting is smooth.  Takes about 5 minutes.

4.  Remove about 1/2 cup of buttercream from mixer and set aside.  Add 2 tablespoons of the chocolate ganache to the buttercream still in the mixing bowl and swirl with spoon.  Do not mix.  Add more buttercream if it starts to turn too chocolatey.  Add more chocolate by teaspoons if you need more swirl.

5. Place in piping bag and pipe onto cooled cupcake. 

Decorate cupcakes by placing a whole or half of a Milano Melts on top.  Variation:  chocolate cupcake, with chocolate buttercream and chocolate Milano Melts.

Enjoy with a cup of coffee or a nice glass of milk! :)

>> Short Cut - Box<<

1 box yellow cake or french vanilla cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup oil

Mix together and pour into liners.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Coming Up!

I am still working on the Snickers Cupcake recipe....why?  Because I don't exactly measure (and I'm in the middle of college finals).....I do it all by sight so I have to go back and work out what I did!  LOL  So I promise by the time the Cinco De Mayo cupcakes are up later this week, yes I know a week early, I'll have the Snickers up too.

Coming up are a few things......

Cinco De Mayo Cupcakes - adults only

Kit Kat Cupcakes - gimme a break

Milano Melts Cupcakes - my new fav cookie

Mother's Day Chocolate Robed Cupcakes - enveloped in love like MOM

Harvey Wallbanger Cupcakes - fully liquored 
Pixie Sticks Cupcakes - for the kid in all of us

Cherry Dr Pepper Cupcakes

Ok so this was on a wimb.  A friend on Facebook posted a status about needing to drink Dr Pepper to keep herself awake and I thought....hmmmm....cupcake.  But of course I couldn't do JUST Dr Pepper so I bought the cherry Dr Pepper. I am not a huge fan of Dr Pepper but I like the cherry one.

The cake is a dark chocolate cake infused with cherry Dr Pepper and topped with a cherry Dr Pepper buttercream and a cherry soaked in cherry Dr Pepper (overnight) and dipped in chocolate garnished with shaved dark chocolate.  Wow that's a mouthful.  The cake came out nice and airy and Dr Peppery.

The casualties of being OH SO YUMMY!

Below is the recipe for anyone who would like to make it.  I added the box short cut too.  The buttercream is a true swiss meringue (I make all my cupcakes with swiss meringue buttercream.  I very rarely deviate.) so if you want a simple confectioner's buttercream - I added that at the bottom too.   Enjoy!

BTW - the from scratch and meringue buttercream are very time consuming.  So if you want to make them quickly, use the box version and confectioner's sugar buttercream below.

Cherry Dr Pepper Cupcakes

Box version ingredients

1 box dark chocolate / fudge cake mix

1 box chocolate pudding (4oz)

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup canola oil  

1/2 cup cherry Dr Pepper

Mix all until well incorporated.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way and cook for 12 - 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Makes 18 cupcakes.

From scratch ingredients

1 cup unsweetend dark chocolate Dutch processed cocoa power

3/4 cup hot water

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tspn baking soda

1 tspn baking powder

1 1/4 tspn coarse salt

3 sticks unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cherry Dr Pepper

4 large eggs

1 tblspn plus 1 tspn vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  This recipe makes about 28 cupcakes.  Place cupcake liners in their tins.

Whisk cocoa and hot water together until smooth.  In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside. 

Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir to combine.  Remove from heat and pour into your mixing bowl.  On medium-low speed, beat the mixture until it is cool - about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time and until well incorporated.  Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.  Add vanilla, Dr Pepper and then the cocoa mix.  Beat until well combined.  Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in two batches alternating with the sour cream.  Beat until combined.

Divide batter and fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.  Bake 15 - 18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool completely before adding buttercream.

Dr Pepper Buttercream (Swiss Meringue)

Ingredients

5 large egg whites

1 cup plus 2 tblspn sugar

4 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature but still firm

1 tspn pure vanilla extract 

1/2 cup cherry Dr Pepper 

** Confectioner's Sugar Buttercream Ingredients

3 sticks unsalted butter

4 cups confectioner's sugar

1/2 tspn pure vanilla extract

between 1/4 & 1/2 cup Dr Pepper (more if you want but don't make the mixture too liquidy - add more confectioner's sugar if you over do it)   **

fresh or marischino cherries for garnish (as many as there are cupcakes)

8 oz dark chocolate for dipping

1 chocolate bar for curling chocolate pieces

Take cherries and place them in a container filled with Dr Pepper.  Leave them overnight to soak.

When ready, take the cherries out of the Dr Pepper soak and pat dry.  Take a small tray and line with wax paper.  Melt the chocolate in the microwave a little at a time (about 20 sec each) and stir until chocolate is dippable.  Using a fork, dip the cherries in chocolate and place on waxed lined tray.  Put in refrigerator until ready.

Place the bar of dark chocolate into the refrigerator as it will be easier to curl later.

Combine egg whites and sugar in mixing bowl.  Place over boiling water and whisk until the sugar dissolves.  The egg white and sugar mixture will be smooth and silky when rubbed between the fingers.  Add vanilla and Dr Pepper.

Place on mixer with whisk attachment at medium speed.  Mix until bottom of bowl is cool to the touch.  Add vanilla and Dr Pepper.  Add the butter in cubes until it is well incorporated.

Remove the whisk attachment and add the paddle attachment.  Mix on high for about 5 minutes or until mixture turns to buttercream (it will be liquidy for a moment but eventually will begin to look more like buttercream). Pipe or spread the buttercream onto the cupcakes.

** Confectioner's Sugar - cream butter until pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and add confectioner's sugar 1/2 cup at a time alternating with Dr Pepper.  After each addition of confectioner's sugar - raise the mixer to high speed for 10 seconds, then reduce to low and continue.  Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Pipe or spread on cupcakes.**

Take the cherries and the bar of chocolate out of the refrigerator.  Using a vegetable peeler, scrape or curl the chocolate and then sprinkle on top of the cupcake.  Garnish with one chocolate covered cherry.

Enjoy!

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

Ok so I think these would have been better as jumbo cupcakes but they were really good nonetheless.  At least with the jumbo tins the entire pineapple circle would have fit whereas with the standards I had to break them up. 

I literally cooked the entire thing in a cupcake tin.  Most recipes have you make the cupcake first and then add the topping afterwards.  But I wanted to try it like a true pineapple upside down.  The recipe below is for standard (which gives you a small cake) and in parenthesis is the conversion if you want to make this a jumbo cupcake.  I'm sure the jumbo will yield more cake than the standards.  If I did these as minis I'd have to add the topping afterwards.  Oh, I also added some Amaretto to the cake and topping after it had cooled....yummy!

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

I'm going to give you the box version so you're not spending as much time on them as I did.

Ingredients:

1 box spice cake mix or vanilla cake mix (I used spice, was yummy)

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup oil (or applesauce)

4 eggs

1 sm can crushed pineapple

2 large can pineapple rings

1 jar maraschino cherries

1 cup shredded coconut

Brown Sugar

butter (for greasing the tin)

Amaretto (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the cake as instructed.  Add 1 can of crushed pineapples, along with the juice.  Mix on low for 10 seconds.

Mix about 1 cup brown sugar with melted butter (about 1/2 stick).  If mixture is watery, add more brown sugar.  You want it to be firm but not dry.  Wet but not watery.

Grease the cupcake tins - whether it be standard or jumbo.  Grease the inside and along the top.  Place 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar mix in the bottom of each standard cupcake tin (2 tblspn for jumbo tins).  Using a spoon, spread evenly along bottom of tin.  Sprinkle about 1 tspn of coconut on top of the brown sugar mix.  Take the pineapple and break it up to fit in the standard tins (can place a whole ring intact in the jumbo tins).  Take a maraschino cherry and cut in half, place one half in the middle of each pineapple "ring" (can put a whole cherry for the jumbo cupcakes).   Now fill the tins about 3/4 way with the cupcake filling for both standard and jumbo.

Place in oven and cook for about 15 minutes (18 - 20 for jumbo) or until toothpick inserted comes out clean of cake.  You might get some of the brown sugar topping but that's ok.  Allow cupcakes to cook in tins for about 5 minutes.  Take about 1 tspn of Amaretto and drizzle over each cake.  Afterwards use a flat cookie sheet and place on top of the cupcake tins, holding them together flip them over.  Give the cupcake tin a few good hits and they should slide out.  Take about 1/2 tspn of Amaretto (if you want) and drizzle over the top of each cake.

Enjoy!

Coming up!!

Sunday was the first day of Spring!!  Expect 3 Spring Cupcakes within the next week or so topped with 3 of my favorite flowers in either gumpaste or fondant.  

Also a Guava Cream Cheese Cupcake this week some time.

Once I get done with some of my major requirements for school, there's about a month left, I can start working on the Bridal Cupcakes.  It's just something I have in my mind that I would really like to "try".

Oh I also have an Easter Cupcake I want to make in mid April and something that's not really a cupcake but looks like fun!

I'll also present the Mother's Day cupcake in mid April.

Peach Cupcakes

Nothing fancy but something my father requested.  I had made these in mini form at the South Florida cupcake party and they got thrown out.  They weren't a hit but my father loved them.  I revised them a little and I'm sure they'd be more of a hit this time around.

This is a simple peach flavored cake with a peach mousse buttercream.  It's got a very nice peach taste that hits you the moment you put it in your mouth.  I didn't want to overdo the peach since some people don't like it.  The original was suppose to have a filling too but I like that this cupcake is simple.

Bailey's Irish Whiskey Cupcakes

This is actually the first liquored up cupcake I've made.  And it was soooooo good.  Or at least it had A LOT of thumbs up from the recent cupcake party I hosted.

This is a dark chocolate cake soaked in Irish whiskey filled with a hazelnut chocolate ganache topped with a Bailey's buttercream and sprinkled with chocolate sprinkles.  I later added a little St Patrick's Day gold edible glitter.  Just in time for St Patrick's Day!!

I made minis for the party, as is standard, and they were the first to go.  I think I might have one or two left to eat later!!!  YUM!!  I made other alcohol laced cupcakes for the party but there were my favorite.  There was enough liquor to say WOW but not enough it knocked you over!!  I also offer these as standards!

Mardi Gras / King Cake Cupcakes

I've always wanted to do a Mardi Gras cupcake but over the years I forget by the chance Fat Tuesday rolls around.

NOT THIS YEAR!

I took a King Cake recipe and basically made my own cupcake.  This is a vanilla / cinnamon based cupcake with a vanilla / cinnamon buttercream.  

The cupcake is filled with a pecan, brown sugar, raisin and chocolate chip crumble mix.  I couldn't resist the chocolate chips. 

The top of the cake is dusted with disco dust and sugar sprinkles in yellow, green and purple.  I had another little decoration to add to the top but alas, as someone once said "Ur such a klutz ;)" I dropped the wax paper with the chocolate masks on it....sighs.  Oh well.  Maybe next year??  :D