Tag: cupcakes

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare

Cranberry Cupcakes

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What a novel idea. Why had I not thought of these? When I opened the new Food Network Magazine, there they were. So simple and what a great dessert to serve through the holidays. Use them with a pretty little Thanksgiving pick and then place the name cards in front of the pick to welcome your guests to the table. Ditto for Christmas, changing the picks to Christmas.

Serves 12

For the cupcakes:

 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teas baking powder

1/2 teas salt

1/4 teas baking soda

1/8 to 1/4 teas freshly grated nutmeg (Or use ground if that is all you have)

6 tables unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg, at room temp

1 teas vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

Frosting:

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temp

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup canned whole-berry cranberry sauce

1/2 teas vanilla

Pinch of salt

Dried cranberries to top cupcakes

To make the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer until creamy, about 2 minutes.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 3 more minutes.

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add the flour mixture; beat until just incorporated, about 1 minute.  Add the sour cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.

Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Let sit until cool enough to handle, then gently press the back of a small spoon (or if you have ordered a Thumbie from me, it makes it so easy) to make a small indention. Fill each indention with a teaspoon or 2 of the whole cranberry sauce. Remove the cupcakes to a rack to cool completely.

For frosting, beat the butter with1 cup of the powdered sugar in a large bowl until combined, about 2 mins. Reduce the mixer speed and add the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar and beat until all butter is incorporated and the mixture is fluffy. Beat in the 1/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce and vanilla and salt until combined. Spread the frosting on the cupcakes and top with dried cranberries, if desired.

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Sizzling Cupcakes

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

Still in Arizona and when we get a minute to relax, after the 3 kids are given a half bottle each of Benydryl, (we just knew that they were going to get a runny nose so we were prepared, so we loaded up on it at CVS) and are sleeping ever so soundly, we turn our attention to The Voice and to leafing through magazines. This recipe caught my eye. I have been hearing all about maple and bacon flavored cupcakes, but until I saw this, never thought they sounded like something I would like. Am going to try these when I get back home.

Heat oven to 350; line 18 cupcake liners in cupcake pan. Whisk together 1 3/4 cup flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder (Hershey’s), 2 1/4 teas baking powder and 1/4 teas salt. Beat 2 sticks softened unsalted butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar in a large bowl; beat in 3 eggs and 1 teas maple extract. Beat in flour mixture; alternating with 3/4 cup milk. Fold in 2/3 cup (10 slices) chopped bacon, cooked until crispy.

Divide batter among liners and bake at 350 for 21-22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean.

Frosting:

Melt 1 cup milk chocolate chips in microwave and cool slightly. Beat 1 box (16 oz) powdered sugar, 2 sticks softened unsalted butter and 1/4 cup milk until smooth. Beat in 1 teas maple extract and melted chocolate chips.

Spread frosting over cupcakes. Garnish with additional chopped bacon.

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts

Lemon Curd Cupcakes

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Yesterday I took these cupcakes to my MOPS moms and they all loved them. (Of course, being moms of preschoolers, they would love whatever that was set in front of them as long as they didn’t have to cook it). Several have emailed me and ask for the recipe and then when I took more of them last night to Bible Study, the ladies absolutely loved them. They are so easy, yet taste and look like you spent all day.

1 Duncan Hines Lemon Cake mix

1 jar of lemon curd (or you can make a package of lemon pudding and pie filling if you can’t find the lemon curd in your grocery) Just make sure that if you make your own lemon curd using the jello, you allow it to thicken and cool completely before using in the cupcake batter.

Frosting*

Mix cake mix according to directions. Using paper liners, place 24 liners in cupcake holders. Place about 1 tables of lemon cake batter in each liner. Place about 1 tablespoon of lemon curd  over batter. Then pour about 2 tables cake mix batter over curd, being sure that curd is completely covered. Bake according to directions on box. Cook cupcakes completely.

Another option is just bake the cupcakes according to directions on box without the filling and when they are cool, insert curd into middle of cupcake with the tip which allows you to  insert it into cupcake.

Frost* with the following:

1 box of powdered sugar

1 stick softened butter

1 teas lemon extract

1/3 cup whipping cream or milk (add this liquid a little at a time, as it might not all be required to get frosting to spreading consistency, may need a little more also)

Cakes · Desserts

Lemon Curd Cupcakes

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

Summer just brings out the lemon flavor cravings in so many and what better way to have that lemon craving than with a lemon cupcake. A recipe was sent to me that had homemade lemon curd dolloped (that word always reminds me of Daisy Sour Cream, if you have seen their commercials you will get that) into a homemade lemon cake batter. Because so many of you have told me that you want fast, easy and quick recipes I came up with one that tastes almost identical to the homemade version, so you can be on your way to the porch with a glass of tea and a lemon cupcake much quicker.

1 Duncan Hines Lemon Cake Mix

1 jar of Lemon Curd (It is on the isle by the pie fillings in the grocery store)

Frosting

1 box of powdered sugar (3 1/2 cups)

1 stick of butter, at room temp

1 (8 oz) softened cream cheese

1/3 cup whipping cream (or you can use just regular milk if desired)

1 teas vanilla

Mix the DH cake mix according to directions on box. To get a softer texture, substitute milk for the water. Pour 1/3 cup batter into paper lined muffin pans. Spoon 1 tables lemon curd on batter. Using a cereal spoon (just a regular teaspoon you eat with, not a soup spoon) place about 2 spoonfuls of batter on top of lemon curd. (Just being sure that the lemon curd is completely covered). Bake as directed on box of cake mix for cupcakes. Do not over bake. Take out of pan to cool. This should make about 24 cupcakes.

When completely cool, top with frosting:

Mix all frosting ingredients together, adding the whipping cream or milk,  a tablespoon at a time. You might need a little more or little less, but use as much as necessary to get frosting to where it is spreadable. Sprinkle with yellow colored sugar. Simply divine.

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Bobby Flays Peanut Butter Cream-FIlled Cupcakes* Taken from Food Network Magazine

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

Another great chocolate recipe for Valentines Month. I am hoping that this will be the recipe that will “convince” my sweet Valentine to let me order the matching His and Her’s iPhone covers that have I (half of a heart) on his and (half of a heart) You, so when they sit side by side,the cover’s make a whole heart. Today when I called my little Cupid to tell him what I had just seen on the Today show and could I order them…..well, I’m sure he really wants me to order them, but maybe he pretended that he didn’t want them because he has already ordered them…oh my gosh, I bet that’s it! After I bake these little cupcakes, he will even let me order the Valentine pillow cases that was also being shown for His and Her’s Valentines gifts. Will keep you posted.

Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teas baking soda

1/4 teas baking powder

1/2 teas salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 tables

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs, room temp

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teas vanilla

1/2 cup hot strong coffee

Filling:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Ganache:

4 oz semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 325. Line one 12 cup and 1 (6 cup) muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

Make the cupcakes by sifting the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt together three times. Beat the butter and sugar with a mixer at high speed for 15 seconds until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Continue beating until light and fluffy. About 6 more minutes. With mixer at it’s lowest speed, beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Beat in buttermilk and vanilla, then another 1/3 flour mixture. Beat in the coffee and then the remaining flour mixture. Fill the muffin cups 1/2 full and bake for 25 min, or until the centers spring back when lightly pressed. Set the pans on a rack to cool.

Make the peanut butter filling. Beat the butter and peanut butter with a mixer on medium until blended. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in powdered sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat 3-5 min, until smooth and fluffy. Spoon the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip. Insert the tip into the top of each cooled cupcake and squeeze approximately 1 1/2 tables filling into each cupcake.

Make the ganache by placing the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until scalding. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit 1 min. Whisk until smooth. Let sit 10 min until thick but still pourable. Dunk the tops of the cupcakes into the frosting to coat, then place on a rack and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts. Cool completely to serve. 

Cakes · Desserts

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

Am having ladies over for lunch tomorrow. Wanted dessert that looked Christmasie (is that really a word, probably not) I remembered going to Celebrity Bakery in Dallas and having the wonderful strawberry-cream cheese cake with strawberry frosting after having their chicken salad sandwiches. So since I am serving chicken salad sandwiches tomorrow, I wanted to serve these. They are so easy and look so pretty. The taste is divine.

Any brand of strawberry cake mix (I do like Duncan Hines, but it is hard to find out here in Sushiland)

Mix cake mix according to directions on box. Set aside.

Mix 8 oz of softened cream cheese with all of the following:

1 tables flour

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1/3 cup sugar

1 teas vanilla

1 egg

When you have mixed the cream cheese, sugar, flour, egg, vanilla and flour, set aside.

Place 24 baking cups  liners in cupcake pan. Pour cake batter into cups to about 1/2 full. Spoon 1 tables cream cheese mixture on top of cake batter. Do this until you have used up all the cake mix. Bake at 350 until cupcakes tests done. Cool completely.

Make a frosting of:

1 box powdered sugar

1 stick butter, softened

1 teas vanilla

enough milk or half and half to make frosting spreadable. Frost cupcakes and top with a fresh strawberry which you have dipped in chocolate. Sprinkle red sugar over tops.