Snickerdoodle Cupcakes: Happy Birthday Michelle!

  We were having a conversation about cupcakes one day when I meantioned I had seen a recipe for Snickerdoodle Cupcakes. 

 "Oh Dibs! Dibs for my birthday!" Michelle said. Three months later I think she forgot, but I made them for her birthday and I think they may be the best cupcakes I have ever made. I hope you enjoy them!

Cakes:

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup melted butter, cooled

1 ¼ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon almond extract

¾ cup whole milk

¼ cup cinnamon sugar

Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream:

1 stick butter softened

3 cups powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 Tablespoons milk

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.    Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

3.    In a separate bowl, beat sugar and cooled butter until light and fluffy.  Then add eggs, vanilla, almond extract and milk. Mix until well blended. 

4.    Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix until smooth. 

5.    Spoon into cupcake liners and bake for 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

6.   When the cupcakes come out of the oven, brush the tops with butter and then roll them in cinnamon sugar. 

7.    Buttercream:  Beat butter until light and fluffy.  Add 2-3 cups powdered sugar (taste along the way) and beat for 4-5 minutes.  Add vanilla and cinnamon.  Add milk to loosen.

8.   Top cupcakes with buttercream when cooled.  

Strawberry Cupcakes Happy Birthday Holli !!!

  So, I rarely do things any traditional way, and this is no exception.  I wanted to make a fresh, vibrantly strawberry cupcake and couldnt find a recipe that I liked.  So I improvised, as usual. You should be used to this by now!

  I started with a strawberry box cake mix. (Thats right! a box!) and I added pureed strawberries to the liquid.  In this case I think it asked me for a cup and a third of water so I put a cup of  fresh strawberry puree that I make in my food processor,  (with sugar added) and 1/3 of a cup of water.  Then I continued to make them according to the directions.
 I frosted them with cream cheese buttercream icing that I made with equal parts cream cheese, butter and strawberry pureee, and then added powdered sugar until I got piping consistancy.  I piped the icing on with a tube  tip and then I put them in the fridge.  Right before going to the birthday, I sliced frsh strawberries on the top of each one.
  You dont want to do that too far in advance because the fresh strawberries weep when they hit the sugar in the icing, so they don't stay pretty overnight.
  Happy Birthday Holli

S'Mores Cupcakes!

There’s no getting around the fact that these cupcakes take a little leg work, but one bite will prove they’re worth it, with a graham cracker and chocolate crust layered with a chocolate cake and finished with fluffy marshmallow topping.
These are the S'Mores Kathcakes I made for Carolyns Birthday. (Happy Birthday Carolyn!) P.S. Making Marshmallow was MUCH easier than I thought it would be!

• Crumbs
• 6 graham cracker boards (oblongs)
• 2 tablespoons each sugar and melted butter
• ½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
• Cupcakes
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoons baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup each canola oil and water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Marshmallow Topping
• 6 large egg whites
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Small handheld butane torch

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Crumbs: Process graham crackers in food processor until fine crumbs. Add sugar and butter; pulse until blended. Spoon about 2 tsp into each muffin cup. Top with 1 tsp mini chocolate chips.

3. Cupcakes: In large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt until blended. In medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs, oil, water and vanilla until blended; whisk into flour mixture until smooth.

4. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

5. Marshmallow Topping: Put egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a large metal bowl. Set over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, about 3 to 4 minutes.

6. Transfer to large bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat 5 to 7 minutes, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Spoon into a large ziptop freezer bag.

7. Snip a 1-in. opening off one tip; pipe topping onto each cupcake. Using handheld torch, lightly brown the topping, taking care not to burn the cupcake liners. Serve immediately, or store in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 2 days.

I am pretty sure these are the BEST cupcakes I have ever encountered.  You try em!

Easter Cupcakes

The Easter Bunny made me do it!

I made these bite sized cupcakes for easter. I used a white cake mix but I couldn't just leave it alone. No. I added lime zest and the juice of one lime to the batter.  The result was a super yummy, slightly lime flavored sweet treat. I frosted them with cream cheese frosting, also, out of a can. A little shake of lavendar sugar and some flat non-pariels and Voila!