TARDIS IN A CUPCAKE - TUTORIAL - DOCTOR WHO

If you are a Whovian, you'll love these cupcakes I came up with!  Mind you they take some practice and the process is lengthy.  Don't expect perfection because it's a delicate process as well but if the concept is there, then it rocks!  So go to my other website at Cupcakeables! to learn how to make these:

Have fun!


TARDIS, Doctor Who, Whovian, Cupcake, TARDIS in a cupcake

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I may still use the blog from time to time but am posting most of my information on the website and Facebook site since there has been a need for one.

Golden Oreo Cupcakes

The summer never fails.  It's always busy and almost too hot to bake!  LOL

I get a lot of people telling me they LOVE the regular chocolate Oreo Cupcakes that I had never thought of the fact that some people don't like chocolate.  And so a friend asked me if I could make a vanilla Oreo cupcake for her daughter who doesn't like chocolate.

So here it is:

The base is a vanilla cake, with a vanilla bean buttercream with crushed Oreos, and a vanilla Oreo to top. 

Here is the cookie bottom, just like the chocolate ones:

And for anyone who wants to make them, here is the quick and easy method:


Golden Oreo Cupcakes  (makes 24)

32 Golden Oreo cupcakes (24 for bottom and 8 for the buttercream)
1 box vanilla cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tspn vanilla  (<-- I always add extra vanilla to a box mix as it's never vanilla enough for me :)  )
1/2 cup oil

Line your cupcake tin with liners and then place one Oreo cookie flat on the bottom of each liner.

Mix the cake mix, eggs, buttermilk and oil until well incorporated.  Add the 1 tspn vanilla to give it a little more vanilla flavor.

 Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of the batter on top of each cookie in the liners.  Bake for 18 minutes at 350 degrees.

Buttercream (makes 5 cups)

4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tspn vanilla
crushed Oreos

Pulverize the Oreos into a fine dust (if you are going to pipe), otherwise it doesn't matter how fine you crush the cookies.

Place the butter in a mixing bowl and mix on medium until smooth.  Add confectioner's sugar 1/2 cup at a time on low speed.  Then mix on high speed for 10 seconds.  Return to low and add the other 1/2 cup, incorporate, then on high speed for 10 seconds - repeat until all sugar is gone.   Add the vanilla.  Mix in the crushed Oreos.

Frost and serve!  ENJOY!

Cupcakes for 5th Grade

A fifth grade teacher at the local elementary school approached me about making cupcakes.  The occasion was graduating to 6th grade and finishing the FCAT.

I colored the cupcakes in the school colors and then created the picks to give it some decoration.  The picks say DES Class of 2012, Tigers! Congrats! and NO MORE FCAT!  Well, at least until middle school.

Mother's Day Bouquets

I have to say these are really pretty.  And I'm glad I've had the opportunity to make a few for the local people of Ocala and Dunnellon.

This one was made for a dear friend.  Almond cake with honey buttercream.  A really nice combination.

And new things are coming along at Cupcakeables!  Cupcakes in a Jar have been introduced.  So far they are the easiest way to ship.  Also Frosting Shocks - 2oz "shots" of frosting.  Working on a list for that!

Now must come up with an idea for Father's Day :)

Amaretto Rum Cupcakes

I made these for my uncle's birthday since he's been mentioning I haven't given him a taste test yet!

This is a simple yellow cake that I added about 1/4 cup Capt Morgan to before baking and 1 1/2 teaspoon rum extract.

After I baked the cupcakes I soaked them with about 3 tablespoons of the rum.  The buttercream has about 1/4 cup DiSaronno in it.

I also created an amaretto syrup to top the cupcake but it was way too potent.  I think next time I will make the syrup and mix in the buttercream.

Syrup:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup amaretto

cook until sugar is dissolved

I also toasted some almonds and tossed them with butter and sugar and put them on top of the cupcake.

They were really really good!  Definitely would make again and could make non-alcoholic.

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!

Rockstar Cupcakes - Leap Year Cupcakes 2012

I thought it would be neat to make a "Leap Year" cupcake - something over the top that I hadn't tried before.  I didn't want to put frogs on it though or anything else that signifies "leaping".  I just think something different should suffice :)  I had these really neat wrappers I made for them but my printer went on strike.  Phooey.

There are a few things about this cupcake I learned while making it that I probably won't be able to do again to them and a few things, like always, that I'd tweak.

Rockstars are a deep chocolate cake, filled with a marshmallow cream and topped with shortbread cookie crumbles, piped over that is a vanilla buttercream, sprinkled with gold and rainbow discos dust, crushed rock sugar and pop rocks.  This cupcake has a lot of texture.  If you don't like cupcakes with texture (crunch with the cake) then it's not for you!  But it was yummy!

I originally wanted a white chocolate ganache in the center but though, hey, I've done that before.  So marshmallow it was - since I don't get to use marshmallow cream that often and I really like it.

What I learned - pop rocks melt the longer they are exposed to the air.  I did not know this.  The one cupcake that I ate was just made and the pop rocks were the neatest thing!  You could feel them fizzling as you ate the cupcake!  This might be something where I have to supply the pop rocks in the packs and let people put them on themselves.

What I want to tweak - I wanted it to be a little more BLUE.  Closer to a neon like blue.  I also wanted to add edible blue disco dust but it was on back order.  Phooey.

Otherwise I like the way they look.  They're colorful :)

Recipe below!

Ingredients

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
4oz chocolate fudge pudding mix

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix all together.  Place in cupcake liners (makes 24)
Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Marshmallow Cream

1 cup marshmallow fluff
1 stick butter, room temp
1/2 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
1 tblspn cream

8 - 10 shortbread cookies, crumbled

Mix all together and set aside.

Cut a hole in the middle of each cupcake and fill with marshmallow cream.  Top with a few pieces of the crumbled shortbread.

Icing

3 sticks butter
3 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1 tspn vanilla
blue food coloring

Mix all together.  Pipe over and around crumbled cookies.

Top cupcake with crushed rock candy, disco dust and pop rocks.  Serve immediately :)

Valentine's Cupcakes - Lemon Raspberry

I almost feel like I'm giving a nod to a character in the Mortal Instruments books.  If you've read, then you know what I mean! :)  But anyhow.........

I've been attempting to make new flavors.  There's no point in continuing this if it's always the same thing.  I made a Lemon Blackberry cupcake some time ago and lemon is one of my favorite flavors.  So for Valentine's Day this year, I decided to try a Lemon Raspberry.

Excuse the horrid photos - it suddenly became overcast when I wanted to get photos!  Grrrr!  

The cupcake is a light lemon vanilla cake filled with raspberry puree and topped with a dark chocolate frosting, dark chocolate drizzled on top and sugar cookie hearts that I made for the theme.

Here is the inside of the cupcake, filled with seedless raspberry puree.

And for the anti-valentine, a broken heart cookie.

I can't say it's my favorite.  Could very well be my allergies are interfering with my taste buds.  However, the lemon cake came out soooo nice and along with the chocolate was very good.  Next time I may try just folding the raspberry into the lemon cake.  Recipe and instructions below :)

Ingredients (makes 24)

1 box white cake mix

zest of 1.5 to 2 lemons

1/2 cup oil

1 cup milk or butter milk

3 eggs

1/2 tspn vanilla

1.5 cups seedless raspberry puree

Zest the lemons.  Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl with the zest and mix until well incorporated.  Fill cupcake liners and bake at 350 for 12 - 15 minutes.  Allow to cool.

Hand whisk puree.  Cut center out of cupcakes, fill with puree.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

2 dark chocolate candy bar, 7 oz

4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

3 sticks butter, room temp

1/2 tspn vanilla

Break the candy bar up and melt.  Put butter in mixing bowl and cream.  Slowly add confectioner's sugar 1/2 cup at a time mixing on slow.  Once incorporated, mix on high for 10 seconds to give the frosting some air.  Add vanilla, mix well.  Add chocolate (reserve 1/4 cup for drizzle), mix well (scrape down sides of bowl).   Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Butter Pecan Cupcakes

I'm not sure what made me decide to make these cupcakes.  I love butter pecan.  I'm not crazy about the ice cream but I like the coffee creamer!  :)

Anyhow it seemed a good idea like any other to at least attempt a cupcake with this flavor and it was well worth the experiment!!

The cupcake is made with a butter pecan cake topped with a vanilla nut butter confectioner's icing topped with toasted butter pecans, toffee bits and a little bit of the butter leftover from toasting the pecans.

There are chopped buttered pecans in the cake mix!  The pecans were toasted just right that they have a crispy texture but also a very rich flavor.  I wasn't sure about adding the toffee bits but figured it might add a little more crunch and flavor to the icing with it did.

They were very yummy.  Were, because they're gone.  My daughter, who doesn't like most nuts, even ate them without a second thought.  I can't wait to make them again.  If you like butter pecan this is your cupcake!

Below is the recipe for the cake and the icing.  Enjoy!

Butter Pecan Cake Mix (makes 24)

3 tblspn butter

1  1/2  cup pecans, chopped  (price of pecans makes this dessert a bit pricey)

2/3 c butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup milk

1  tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp vanilla nut butter extract  (can buy here Silver Cloud Estates)

Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a small baking sheet (I toasted mine in the toaster oven), stir in pecans and bake at 350 for 10 minutes; cool.  If you do use the toaster oven watch the pecans, they will toast fast.  I burned the first batch :(

Cream softened butter in mixing bowl on medium.  Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beat well after each addition.  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add to creamed mixture alternating with the 2/3 cup milk.   Begin and end with the flour mixture.  Mix until well blended.  mix in vanilla.  Fold in 1 cup cooled toasted pecans.  Reserve the rest for garnish.  Pour mixture into lined cupcake tins and bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes.  Set aside and allow to cool.

FROSTING (makes 4 cups)

3 sticks salted butter

4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

1/2 tspn vanilla

1/2 tspn vanilla nut butter extract

1/2 cup reserved toasted pecans

toffee bits

Cream butter in mixture.  Slowly add sifted confectioner's sugar about 1/2c at a time, let mix well.  Then mix on high for 10 seconds between each 1/2 cup (let the sugar mix well with the mixture in the bowl or you'll have a cloud of white all over the place as the sugar is spun out of the bowl).  Add vanilla and vanilla nut butter extract.  Mix well.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.  Make a small well on the top of the piped icing and place some toffee bits.  Then garnish with the reserved toasted pecans and some of the butter.  Enjoy!

Hunger Games Cupcakes - Red Velvet / White Chocolate

** Warning....may be spoilers **

I am a fan of what is called YA (Young Adult) Dystopic Literature.  Some of the things people can fathom in their mind and write about blow me away.   I've read a few really good books under this "genre": Unwind, Matched, Crossed, The Maze Runner, The Hunger Games and so forth.

I picked up the Hunger Games and I think it sat on my shelf for three weeks before I gave it a chance.  I had a hard time getting past the name of the main character, Katniss.  But at the urging of a friend, I did read it.  In fact I read all three in two weeks WITH a college course load.  And so I am stoked for the movie to come out in March of this year.  So, in preparation for that I decided to make Hunger Games Cupcakes.

I also made the wrappers with a template I have on the computer.  I haven't seen much in the way of "decor" for cupcakes for this book series soon to be movie series so I made my own.

I decided on a red velvet and added some cayenne pepper to it to make it hot - like Katniss's fire dress and her designation as the "girl on fire".  On top is a white chocolate salted buttercream, toffee chips and gold sprinkles.  I added the toffee chips to give it texture and a 2nd flavor to the white chocolate in the buttercream.

President Snow and the mockingjay logo.....all the other cupcakes you'll notice...well the wrappers...are profiles.  Apparently they didn't have one of Snow but the forward facing image I think gives him a more "I dare you" kinda personality - much like the arrogance he portrays in the books.

Katniss, Peeta and Gale.  The wrappers have fire on the sides....there's a better picture below.  I'm not particularly happy with my laserjet printer....or maybe it's the paper I used to print on but.....these should have come out brighter than they did....grrr....yes I nit pick things like that.

Cinna, Effie and Haymitch.....I like the profiles.  Originally I was just going to make them all with the mockingjay logo....but then saw the profiles and thought they'd be cool too.

I don't typically staple them but for the love of Pete (Peeta?) I couldn't find the tape anywhere.  I like the flames, I think they look really cool on the black wrapper.  I might play with these a little bit more to refine the wrappers.

Mockingjay Logo wrappers available here Etsy Shop

Hunger Games Cupcakes (Makes 24)

(I don't usually use a box but I have so much trouble getting red velvet to turn red.  And since this was just an experiment of flavors, the box was easier)

1 box red velvet
3 eggs
1/2c oil
1 cup milk
1/4tsp - 1/2tsp cayenne pepper (depends on how hot you want it to be)

Mix all ingredients together and fill liners about 1/2 way.  Cook for 15 minutes or until  toothpick comes out clean.

Confectioner's Sugar Buttercream

3 sticks salted butter room temp
4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
4 oz white chocolate, melted (I use Baker's squares)
1/2 tspn vanilla extract
toffee bits
gold sprinkles

Mix butter in mixer until light and fluffy.  On slow, add confectioner's sugar 1/4 cup at a time (mixing on high for 10 sec between each 1/4 cup).  When all the confectioner's sugar is mixed, on medium add the vanilla and mix well.  Then add the white chocolate and mix for 5 seconds on medium high.  Pipe on cupcakes and sprinkle with toffee and gold sprinkles.

Enjoy!  And may the odds be ever in your favor..........

Mimosa Cupcakes with Champagne infused Orange Curd filling

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Yeah it's that time again.  Last year I did an anisette cupcake for 2011.  This year mimosas were on my mind.  Think it had something to do with Christmas morning breakfast and the glass of orange juice spiked with champagne.......anyhow.

I love oranges.  I love orange flavor in a cake, scones, biscuit you name it.  So I embarked in making my own orange curd.  The recipe I borrowed from Ina Garten really wasn't what I wanted but I messed with it a bit.  I wanted a more custard like curd (the lemon curd I have in my fridge, for example, has no bits of zest.  But this orange recipe has ton).  So if you don't want the bits of zest I suggest making a pudding or mousse or even infusing the buttercream with orange extract or some orange juice.  Next time I will pulverize the curd in a blender or food processor a little more and get rid of the pieces of zest.

The cake is a moist vanilla cake that I added the zest of one large orange to along with 1 tspn pure orange extract.  * Please people.  If you are going to use a fruit flavored extract make sure it isn't imitation.  I hate the imitation fruit extracts they taste fake.  Lemon is the worst.  Either use real fruit juices or pure extract.  Thank you. 

When the cupcakes were done, I filled them with the curd (which I laced with about 1/4 cup pink champagne).  I like pink champagne but you can use whatever champagne you want.

The buttercream is a simple vanilla swiss buttercream with about oh....maybe 1/2 cup pink champagne.  It was palpable in the air which means it was the perfect amount!

I decorated the cupcake with pink edible pearls and a 2012 I made out of melted white chocolate and sprinkled with gold disco dust.

Here is the inside.

Despite my feelings about the curd, it really was very yummy!!  And tasted like a mimosa in cupcake form!

Ingredients

1 box vanilla cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

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

Zest from one orange

1 tspn pure orange extract

Mix all together.

Orange Curd

*someone mentioned I could short cut and add 1 1/2 cups of Orange Marmalade rather than zest the orange and put it in a food processor with sugar.....let me know if you try it.

4 oranges
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temp
4 large eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
1/8 tspn salt

Remove the zest from the oranges with a vegetable peeler - avoid the white pith as much as possible.  Put the zest and sugar in a food processor and pulse until zest is finely minced.

Cream the butter in a mixer.  Add sugar/orange mix. Blend until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time then the orange juice and salt.  Mix until well combined.

Pour mixture into a saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened - takes about 15 - 20 minutes.  Do not over cook or it will curdle.  If using a candy thermometer, 175F is a good end temperature for the mix.  Remove from pan and let cool or refrigerate.

Buttercream

1 cup plus 2 tblspn sugar
5 egg whites
1 1/4 tspn vanilla
4 sticks unsalted room temperature butter
1/2 cup champagne

Put egg whites and sugar in heat proof mixing bowl.  Set over boiling water and whisk until sugar dissolves.  Do not let mixing bowl touch the boiling water or eggs whites will cook.

Place on mixer with whisk attachment - whisk on medium until bowl is cool to touch.  Add butter 1 tblspn at a time.  Add vanilla.  Replace whisk attachment with paddle attachment and mix on medium high until mixture thickens into buttercream.  Add champagne 1/4 cup at a time.  Mix on medium until consistency returns.  1/2 cup may be too much for you.  I found it to be very strong but still very good.

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.

Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Yay!  I graduated college on Friday the 16th!!

But life stands still for no one.  Now comes the fun of attempting to put my degree to good use.  In the meantime I did get the chance to make the Christmas Tree Cupcake I've been dieing to try since I got my cookie cutter in!

Okay, so here's the cupcake from the outside.  Doesn't look like much huh.  Just your average vanilla cake with a vanilla buttercream on the top.  And you're probably saying "hey!  this doesn't look like a Christmas tree".  Well of course it doesn't.  However.....

It does on the inside!!  I am so stoked that this worked!  The ingredients and instructions for making these are listed at the bottom!!  Giving a shout out to Bake It In A Cake for the inspiration.  The site did one with a heart some time ago I think for Valentine's Day.

Cake Ingredients

Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix (you can use vanilla too)

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup canola oil

For tree

1 box white cake mix (prepared as directed)

1.5 to 2 inch Christmas tree cookie cutter

green food coloring or gel

small jelly roll tray or cookie sheet with raised edges

Buttercream

1 lb butter

1 cup plus 2 tblspns sugar

4 egg whites

1 1/4 tspn vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees - line 24 cupcake tins with liner

Prepare cake mix for make the trees. Add green food coloring until cake is a nice shade of green.  Spread mix evenly in one layer in jelly roll tray - cook for 12 minutes or until tooth pick inserted is clean. Allow to cool.  Once cooled, take cookie cutter and cut out 24 Christmas trees.  Set aside.

Prepare cupcake mix.  Fill cupcake liners about half way.  Slowly and carefully press a Christmas tree into the batter - the point might stick out, that's okay.  *If you find the trees are breaking when you place in batter, put a tablespoon of batter in the liner, put Christmas tree in so it will stand up, and slowly fill rest of the liner to 2/3 full.  ****  Make sure you place all the trees in the same direction and remember.  You want to be able to cut into it or bite into it and see the Christmas tree.  You can only cut or bite on two sides to get the tree so remember which way they are facing.  Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Buttercream

Place sugar and egg whites in mixing bowl.  Place over boiling water but don't let the bowl touch the water.  Use a whisk and whisk over the water until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes silky (rub between fingers to check).  Remove from heat.

With whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites and sugar until the base of the mixing bowl is cool to the touch.  By tablespoons, add the butter to the mixture until it is smooth and completely incorporated.  Add vanilla.  Replace whisk attachment with paddle.  Mix on high speed until buttercream reaches a thicker consistency (sometimes this take 10 minutes, so be patient.)  Spread or pipe onto cupcakes and decorate!

Happy Holidays everyone!!

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.......

Maple Penuche Fudge Cupcakes

Looks can be deceiving....someone told me this looked kinda plain.  Well let me tell you, with all I've been doing this is the best this cupcake is going to get!  LOL!  However, the taste is amazing!!!

The cupcake is a moist cinnamon maple cake with a maple buttercream and maple drizzle.  The cupcake is stuffed with a piece of penuche fudge.  Penuche fudge is a mapley, caramelly fudge that's very sweet.  It's very good!

If you love maple this cupcake is for you!!!  The fudge is wonderful on its own too.  I have a recipe for a white chocolate fudge.....but that's for another cupcake!