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.

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!

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.

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!

Snickers Cupcakes

This one was a doozy.  Since it took some time to make all the components that make up the cupcake.  But OMG did they come out gooood!

As you can see my sister enjoyed them.  There wasn't a crumb left.

 The cupcake is a devil foods cupcake with a peanut nougat (handmade) and caramel cream center topped with a caramel cream buttercream and garnished with a nougat piece dipped in chocolate and crushed peanuts.  The taste a lot like a snickers bar I'll tell you!  I would, however, like to find a softer nougat.  So if anyone has any recipe recommendations I'm open!

This is my first candy bar cupcake.  I still want to make a Kit Kat, Milky Way (will reuse this caramel cream recipe it was awesome) and Rice Krispies Treat cupcakes.

Please share if you like!  These were although time consuming, fun to make!!

I'll have the recipe and instructions soon.  So join my blog and stay tuned!

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

I had a bit of fun with this and realized I can make a whole lot of different ones (chocolate covered cherries and blueberries and raspberries OH MY!).  The cupcakes is a strawberry cheesecake with a whipped cream buttercream topped with a chocolate covered strawberry.  I am not happy nor fond of the whipped cream buttercream.  In Florida it is not a good idea as it melts fast.  It wasn't stiff enough for what I was looking for in presentation.  So will either go back to a regular meringue buttercream or just a fondant disk on top with the strawberry.

This is my first time piping chocolate like this, well at least in this manner.  I think the heart came out nicely!  I definitely want to play with piping chocolate some more.

I let my daughter decorate the bottom two.  LOL she didn't do badly with the small bag.  She calls the one in the lower right the "spaghetti" design.

The cupcake also has a graham cracker / almond crust which I have to say really tastes well together.  If it weren't for the fact I lost power, the crust would have held together better so needless to say there are no photos of the crust but I promise it was yummy.  Oh I also added a little bit of Disaronno to the pink chocolate....mmmm...I think I will be adding it to the milk chocolate next time too.  LOL!

What's on the to do list.....

I have a few things I want to try.  I've been ordered to make a Snickers cupcake so that one is definitely on the list (look for it around April 16th).  Currently it's a deep chocolate cake with a peanut nougat filling topped with a caramel nougat buttercream and sprinkled with peanuts and caramel drizzle.

This week I am planning a strawberry cheesecake cupcake with a graham cracker and almond crust and a chocolate covered strawberry on top.  I haven't had cheesecake in a while and this seemed like a good excuse.

I am not a fudge person but I always wondered what fudge would be like in a cupcake.  So I have two planned.  A penuche (panucci) fudge and chocolate ganache filled chocolate cupcake with a brown sugar buttercream.  Also a white fudge cupcake - an almond vanilla cupcake filled with white fudge topped with white chocolate buttercream and white chocolate curls.

Also need to do the special Easter cupcake (pysanka, pysanky) and the not so cupcake Easter cake pops.  They looked cute so thought I'd try them.

And yes, the bridal cupcakes.  I have to find some quiet time to be able to mold fondant.  Then I can get started on that!

Have a great week!  Look for the cheesecake cupcakes maybe Tuesday.

Kitty Litter Cupcakes - April Fool's

I wanted to do something for April Fool's Day but I wasn't really sure what.  I'm sure there are a myriad of cupcakes out there that epitomize the April Fool's pranks but in all honesty I didn't have a whole lot of time  LOL.  So someone suggested Kitty Litter Cupcakes.

I've seen the cakes.  I have cats.  No way.   

So I took a very simple Kitty Litter Cake recipe off the web and modified it a bit.  I looked everywhere for something I could use as the scooper but nothing came to mind.  And my fondant had hardened thanks to not zipping the bag up all the way...darnit!  Maybe next year when I have more time.

Kitty Litter Cupcakes

2 doz

1 box yellow, vanilla or spice cake mix (or really anything you want - I used spice)

1 bag vanilla creme cookies

1 bag tootsie roll midgees (they're the little ones)

1 jar frosting - I used vanilla but you can use what you like

green food coloring

Make the cake as directed and then place into lined cupcake tins and bake until toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool on wire racks for about 10 minutes.

I had thought about icing the cupcakes and then putting the "litter" on top but to me it didn't look right.  So I sorta of cut part of the top of the cupcake out to make an indent.  Like a very very shallow cone cut.

You can make it deeper if you want but I just wanted a surface cut so it look like the litter was sitting inside the cupcake.  Next I used a spoon and filled the indent with about 1 tspn of frosting so the "litter" would stay.  Of course if you LOVE frosting, make the indent deeper and you can add more frosting.

Now it's time to crush the cookies.  Yes, I know the original recipe calls to put them in a food processor or blender to crush but after the week I've had, bashing the cookies to smithereens with a rolling pin seemed a better idea.

 See?  Much better.

Take a little of the smashed cookies and place in a bowl.  Add about 3 drops of food coloring.  I ended up using 6 but that was my own personal preference.

Use a fork to smear/mix the dye into the cookies.  If you're having a hard time getting it to mix properly, like I did, put it in a jar and shake it vigorously for about 20 seconds.

Next sprinkle the undyed cookies on the top of the frosting then add some of the green.  Make sure to cover as much of the frosting as you can.

Then, take two tootsie rolls and put them in the microwave for about 10 seconds.  My apologies for not having the photos, my camera inadvertently eats photos.

Cut a little piece of the tootsie roll off and roll it between your fingers and palms until it resembles well....cat poop.  Make sure you taper the ends off too.  Then strategically place on the cupcake.

Enjoy!

* cupcakes will keep in an air tight container for several days but are freshest in the first 3 days.  Best, of course, when eaten right away.

Guava Cupcakes

I can't remember where I first heard about guava cupcakes but on a trip to South Florida I stopped at a little Cuban cafe called Relcreo Bakery.  They had oh so yummy Cuban sandwhich.  The bakery also had pastelitos de guayaba without the cream cheese though.  It was also very very yummy.  At the advice of a Cuban friend, he expressed that he's never eaten pastelitos de guayaba without cream cheese.  So a cream cheese frosting it was.

I wish I had a photo of the inside of it but alas, every now and again my camera eats the good photos.  I swear it's a representation of eating the real thing.

The cupcake is a vanilla bean cupcake with a whipped guava filling and then of course the cream cheese frosting and a little orange gumpaste rose I made.  I wanted to add sugared guava peel but couldn't find any guava.

I wasn't really sure about the combination but once I bit into one I could see why the two ingredients are favored together.  It was really really yummy!!  I will post the recipe as soon as I can get it all written out.

I've gotten the preliminary drawing for the first Bridal Cupcake and hope to start it as soon as I go out and buy the dowels.  Also someone gave me a great idea for an April Fool's Day cupcake.  I did mention 3 cupcakes with spring flowers on them and will be working on them as well.

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.

Mint Choca Lotta Cupcakes

First off, no those are not grapes in the photo. They are mint maltballs from To The Moon Marketplace in Wilton Manors, FL. They are yum! They were also the inspiration for this cupcake! I hadn't done anything mint yet and I do like mint...especially with chocolate. And no, mint is not the same as peppermint...at least in my mind it isn't.

My sister wanted a new cupcake for her birthday so I set off to make these.

The Mint Choca Lotta (pronounced to the tune of Boom Chakka Lakka) is a chocolate cake with a mint maltball center, mint marshmallow buttercream and garnished with a Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint.

As a friend of my sister's said

‎this beast is FANTASTIC! ♥ - Jenn MacDonald

They were really good!! Very rich!! The mint marshmallow buttercream was nice and light and not too minty.

I don't know how often I will be able to get ahold of the maltballs but I can replace the center with something minty chocolate for future needs!

What kinda cupcake would you like to see?

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

WOW! I mean... WOW were these good!! I am a peanut butter freak! I am always pretty cautious about peanut butter in baking goods because sometimes it is too sweet or can't taste enough of it.

This is one of three varieties I've made (the other 2 to follow). This is a chocolate cake, with a peanut butter ganache filling, peanut butter buttercream, chocolate ganache and crushed peanuts. The peanuts are wonderful on this! The chocolate ganache I could do with or without. I think if someone didn't want peanuts, I could substitute with the ganache. But the nuts are wonderful on this! Did I already say that?


peanut butter ganache filling

The other two varieties are peanut butter cake, with the peanut butter buttercream and either a creamy or crunchy peanut butter filling. I'll post those as soon as I can!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie in a Cupcake

I didn't get the chance to really pretty this cupcake up as I was more interested in the middle of the cupcake. People are amazed when I cut the thing in half. YES! That is a REAL mini pumpkin pie! I can't remember where I got this recipe. I had made these back in October but they were gone before I could get a proper picture.

This is a simple vanilla bean cake with a brown sugar cinnamon buttercream and of course, the pumpkin pie complete with crust baked inside.

They really are delicious!! However, time consuming as you have to make the crust, the pumpkin pie filling, then the cupcakes, then the buttercream.

I've had requests for other varieties - cherry cheesecake, apple pie & cherry pie. So must get working on these soon!

coming up:

Peanut Butter Cupcakes - 3 varieties
Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Mint Mint Cupcakes
Sparkle Cupcake
Mardi Gras King Cake Cupcakes

UPDATE!: found the website with the recipe :)

FoodBeast

Ocala Cupcake Tasting Party

I think I made....hmmm....360 some mini cupcakes. 14 varieties with 8 of my most popular flavors: S'mores, Oreo, Key Lime, Raspberry White Chocolate, Mocha Frappucino, Dannen O'Donnells (Caramel Pretzel), Vanilla Almond and Coconut. This is my second tasting party. I had one in South Florida where I made roughly 265 mini cupcakes. The other 6 flavors were - Boston Cream, Cherry Chocolate, Almond Cinnamon (Vegan and Non Dairy), Pumpkin Pie in a Cupcake, Roasted Banana and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. My next tasting party will be back in South Florida paired up with a Mary Kay party in March of 2011.

I'm glad everyone had fun! Though I baked for over 9 hours, I had fun too!!



Would you like a tasting party?

$75 gets you 8 flavors - 24 minis each. My list of flavors is endless, really. You can either chose the Baker's Special which will include the 8 above or the My Choice which will include 8 of your choosing (which yes, can include some of the flavors from the Baker's Special). This is roughly 192 cupcakes.

Considering that I charge $18 per 2 doz - this is a good deal (reg price would be $144). For $5 extra, you can create your own flavor to try for one tray - (pick 7 flavors the 8th will be your flavor). Please use common sense when making your own flavor. I have the right to refuse a flavor I find unappetizing or plain old disgusting.

I'm working on "Specials" for hosts / hostesses.

I've been asked to make cupcakes for a lot of people lately.

$18 a tray of minis - each tray is 24 cupcakes - one flavor per dozen (so 2 doz minis can be two flavors if you wanted). Minimum order is 2 doz or one tray.

$15 per dozen standards - one flavor per dozen. Minimum order is 1 doz.

$.10 cents per decoration (fondant, chocolate extras - anything that I don't already put on the cupcakes) per mini.

$.25 per decoration (fondant, chocolate extras - anything that I don't already put on the cupcakes) for standards.

I am working on shipping. Right now it will be east coast only. I have found a few methods but I want to find the one that works best for me. When I'm ready, I will let you know. There will be shipping charges. If you want an idea of what it will cost for a single order, go to the USPS or UPS site and check the cost of a 6lb package (box) from 34432 to your zip code. Obviously more orders = heavier box.

Any questions? Let me know.

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

Ok two things I like, chocolate and cherries. My first attempt at these didn't do so well. The cherry filling dried out. This time I added cherry pie filling so the cherries would stay moist.

This is a chocolate cake with a chocolate buttercream - cherry with cherry pie filing syrup and a cherry dark chocolate drizzle. The inside is filled with cherry pie like filling. It's really good but i don't think it's chocolate enough! LOL! I might have to add chocolate to the filling too! Like a ganache or something!

I had a photo of the inside but it didn't come out right. Sorry. You'll have to trust me it had luscious goodness on the inside.

Again this is a mini. It was made for a Cupcake Tasting Party I had in Ocala.

Coming up:
Peanut Butter Cupcakes - 3 varieties
Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Mint Mint Cupcakes
Sparkle Cupcakes

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Found this little recipe through a blog called Cupcakes Take The Cake and Tracey's Culinary Adventures. OMG! What a wonderful invention these are!!

The cupcake is a chocolate chip cake with brown sugar buttercream. Inside is a piece of raw "egg free" cookie dough!!



These are so good and right up the chocolate chip cookie lovers alley. You can find the recipe on Tracey's page. Although I made these as minis I can't wait to try them as standard cupcakes!! I wonder what other cookies we can put in a cupcake?

Tres Leches Cupcakes

Three Milks Cupcakes

I am a huge fan of tres leches cake or milk cake. But I wasn't sure how well it would work as a cupcake. I have two mottoes - I can make anything a cupcake and I like to try unique things.

I used a tres leches cake recipe I found and just converted it. These cupcakes are BEST served right away and cold. I LOVE the sweetened condensed milk in the buttercream it came out so nice and that was a shot in the dark. Adding the evaporated and whole milk would have made the butterceam liquidy. And we just can't have that.

I added cinnamon as a sprinkle and you know what? It looks like pepper doesn't it. It's actually a sugar cinnamon mix so will have to work on something else for the topping. Could mix the cinnamon with the evaporated and whole milk and add as a drizzle....heeeeyyy....light bulb just went off!