Sweet Treats Saturday: Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Meringue Buttercream

What's a better, refreshing, summer dessert than strawberries and cream?  Well, these cupcakes were a perfect combination of the two flavors.



I followed the recipe exactly from Brown Eyed Baker.  You can find it here.



These recipes turned out beautifully - both in looks and taste.  They are a delicious summer dessert that uses fresh strawberries - though you could make them out of season with thawed, frozen strawberries.  The meringue frosting was so easy to make, following her directions to a T.  Hopefully you'll get the chance to make these delicious cupcakes.

 

Crochet Baby Blanket

While I haven't been doing a lot of sewing at the moment, I have been getting in some quality needlework projects.  A very good friend of mine is about to have her first baby... a boy.  She's big into the ocean theme as her hubby does spear-fishing in his spare time.  I was throwing her a baby shower so I decided to dive in (har har har) to the theme and go with blues, greens, and yellows (the house where we had the party was going to have yellow linens so I incorporated that color to the theme).

Well, I found these adorable, customizable tags on Etsy, and instantly ordered them up for her cupcakes and favors.  A small chocolate shop just opened down the street from me, so I had them prepare little boxes of sea salt caramels (again, with the ocean theme).  I made sugar cookies and vanilla cupcakes with blue frosting.

As for her gift, I crocheted my first baby blanket.  It's made out of super-soft, Cascade 128 Superwash Chunky.  It was so nice to work with and because it was such a thick yarn, the project came together really fast.  I made it in about a month but could have finished it long before if I just had time (and if we didn't have a minor heat-wave... I hate working with yarn in ridiculous heat).  I added the scalloped border on two sides instead of all four, just because I liked the finished look.  The pattern was a free one that I found on Ravelry, linked here.

It was a really easy project. Essentially just double crochet's for the entire length, but into the back of the previous row's stitch.  I watched a video and off I went.  And the final scalloped edge was so easy too. I almost omitted it because I didn't really want a feminine frill to it, but I think it works.

Oh, and I haven't mentioned it, but when I met up with Miss Crayola Creepy, she convinced me to sign up for Instagram.  I'm really new to it, and am just trying to remember to take pictures and load them up, but it's pretty fun.  Please feel free to follow me on it and I'll follow you back. My username is whatsupcupcake.

Sweet Treats Saturday: Orange Almond Cupcakes

I had some more almonds calling to my from the panty, and I wanted to make use of some fresh summer fruit.  Our orange tree is filled year-round, but I really don't make enough use of it's fruit.  So, I grabbed a couple and whipped up this recipe.  It was soooo good.  It's probably one of my favorite cupcake recipes.  The orange tastes fresh without being overpowering, and I love the combination with the almond flavor.

Orange Almond Cupcakes
Recipe from Lauren's Latest
Makes 12 regular or 36 mini cupcakes
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Ingredients for the cupcakes:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp orange zest
1 egg

Ingredients for the frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
3 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Stir to combine and make a large well in the center.  Pour in the wet ingredients into the well and stir until just combined.

3.  Spoon the batter into the prepared tins to 3/4 full and bake for 18-22 minutes (less for mini's).  Cool completely before frosting.

4.  To make the frosting, whip the butter, orange juice, zest and vanilla together.  Slowly stir in powdered sugar until it starts to come together.  Scrape sides and whip 30 seconds until light and fluffy.  Frost cupcakes and store in an airtight container.

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Sweet Treats Saturday: White (Red and Blue) Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

It's always good to have a trusty white cake recipe in your arsenal, especially for special occasions and holidays.  I saw Lauren's Latest post about her red, white, and blue cupcakes and wanted to give them a try.  I've wanted to try multi colored batters for a while, and the only thing holding me back (because they're certainly not difficult) is the extra mess and general laziness.  This recipe wasn't too messy as I was able to utilize other bowls that I had already used in putting together the recipe to hold my various batter colors.  The only problem I had (as always) is never using enough red food coloring.  But the general idea is there, and topped with some color themed sprinkles, I had festive 4th of July cupcakes.

The cupcakes are delicious, and the multi-colored center is a fun twist.  These will be a hit at my 4th of July events!



Red, White and Blue Cupcakes
Recipe from Lauren's Latest
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Ingredients for the cupcakes:
4 large egg whites
1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
(optional) food coloring

Ingredients for the frosting:
1 8oz package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
(optional) food coloring or sprinkles

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line muffin tin with paper liners and set aside

2. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.

3.  In another large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Stir in vanilla.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients.  Alternate stirring in the dry ingredients with the milk until none remain and the batter is well incorporated, scraping down the sides to ensure even mixing.  Fold in egg whites.

Optional: If you will be coloring the batter, separate it into several bowls, adding the appropriate food coloring to each.

4.  Alternating batter colors, spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin.  Once the tins are filled 3/4 of the day, bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Set aside to cool.

5.  For the frosting, heath the cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.  Scrape sides and beat about 3 minutes until the frosting thickens.  Frost cooled cupcakes and decorate.

This post will be participating in the following Linky parties:

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Sweet Treats Saturday: Burnt Almond Cupcakes

In my area, we have two bakeries that battle it out for the best burnt almond cake.  You either love one, or  the other, but it seems that even once you leave the area, you still crave their cake.  I love this burnt almond cake, made up (the traditional way) with a white cake, a almond buttercream filling and frosting, and caramelized or toasted almonds pressed into the sides of the cake.  It's the cake that, even though I typically bake for any and all occasions, will order when I just need that fix and have the proper excuse.

So as I was researching how to make my own, I found many people have the same feeling.  And one recipe in particular seemed pretty close to what the two bakeries make.  Now, personally, I don't feel that the cakes came out exactly the same, but it was close.  I brought the cupcakes into work and everyone was raving about them. So, I'll definitely make them again.  I might try Girl Gone Grits' frosting recipe next time, but I didn't have the creamer on hand and didn't want to run out to get some.  One thing I did add was the caramelized almonds.  I took the recipe from the almond brittle ice cream and made a small batch.


While this recipe may look like it has a lot of components, it actually is pretty fast to put together.  The brittle only takes a few minutes and both the cupcakes and frosting are standard.  If you like almonds, even a little, you should make this cake.


Oh, and I made mini's.  Because I was bringing them to a work event, I didn't think a dozen would be enough.  And this way people wouldn't have to commit to a full cupcake.  I find that at most potlucks, by the time you get to dessert, you just want a little of everything.

Burnt Almond Cupcakes
Recipe from various sources.
Cupcake from Girl Gone Grits, Frosting from Gale Gand, Brittle from A Spoonful of Sugar
Makes about 12 full-size or 30 mini cupcakes


Cupcake Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk


Frosting Ingredients:
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 tsp almond extract
1 to 2 tbsp whipping cream


Brittle Ingredients:

1 cup slithered almonds

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Cupcake Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 9x9 cake pan or line a muffin pan with a dozen liners.
2.  In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.  Alternate adding the flour mixture with the milk until all ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth.  Put batter into the prepared pan.
3.  For a cake, bake 30-40 minutes, cupcakes for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven.  The cake is done when it springs back to the touch or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely.


Frosting Directions:
1.  In a medium bowl, blend the butter until creamy.    Slowly add the confectioner's sugar (don't add this too fast as it will fly everywhere.  Then add the almond extract.  Mix, adding the whipping cream until your preferred consistency is achieved.


Brittle Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.    Combine ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat nuts.

3.    Spread out on baking sheet lined with baking paper, and bake for 8 mins. Stir, and bake for another 5 mins, stirring a couple of times. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

To assemble:

Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.  Top with a chunk of the almond brittle. Serve

and enjoy!

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Sweet Treats Saturday: Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These franken cupcakes are a result of my first batch being complete flops.  The original recipe still left me craving a lemon cupcake with cream cheese frosting, so I continued on with that plan, just with a different cake base.

The alternate cupcake recipe was a perfect substitute and they baked up with a light lemon flavor that complimented the cream cheese frosting well.  I don't like my lemon to be overpowering, but if you did you could adjust the recipe for more lemon zest and juice, adjusting the flour mixture appropriately.  I don't think a smidge more lemon juice would have tampered with the consistency though after this week's previous mishap, my baking skills took a minor blow.

The flops. So sad. They were still delicious, but they just didn't rise like they should have.

Anyways, these cupcakes are foolproof and delicious!  They're perfect way to celebrate Spring.  I thought I'd mix things up a bit and use an assortment of cupcake wrappers.  I liked the variety and it seemed more festive for the season.

Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Cupcake recipe from Baked Perfection
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Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
4 teaspoons grated lemon zest
4 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sour cream
1 stick butter, softened
2 lbs. confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
juice of one lemon


Directions:
1. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla; mix well. 
2.  Add the flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick). 
3.  Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely.


Cream Cheese Frosting 
Recipe from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

8oz butter (1 stick), softened

2 lbs confectioners' sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Using a mixer, blend the butter and cream cheese together until well combined.  Gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar until fully incorporated. Then mix in vanilla and lemon juice.

This post will be participating in the following Linky parties:

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Sweet Treats Saturday: Black Bottom Banana Cupcakes

Another recipe to use up those bananas that you just couldn't get to. At this point, I almost wait for my bananas to ripen just so I can make some of these yummy treats.  It's a way to get fruit in my diet, so at least there's an added bonus.

These cupcakes are soooo good.  They're not your standard cupcakes - there's no dollop of frosting on top.  But they're not necessarily muffins either.  They have a chocolate-y banana base, with a chocolate chip, cream cheese layer on top.  The combination?  Perfect! 

Black Bottom Banana Cupcakes

Recipe from Bakerella
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Makes 18 cupcakes

Cream Cheese Mixture Ingredients:

8oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 small banana, pureed

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

8 oz. (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Mixture Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 large bananas, pureed

1/3 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with 18 liners.

Cream Cheese Mixture Directions:

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar until nice and fluffy.  

2. Add banana, egg and vanilla, and mix together until combined.

3. Stir in chocolate chips and set aside.

Chocolate Mixture Directions:

1. Sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, soda, and salt using a wire whisk.

2. Add bananas, oil and vanilla, and mix together on low until combined.

Baking Directions:

1. Divide the chocolate batter between the 18 liners.  Flatten batter slightly to fill the base of the liners.

2. Then top the chocolate batter with the cream cheese mixture.

3. Bake between 25-30 minutes.  The cream cheese batter will be slightly moist but be careful not to overcook as the cupcake bottoms can burn.

Let cupcakes cool slightly... then enjoy!

Check out Bakerella's blog for more details on her use of different linings.  I used standard cupcake liners which turned out well.

This post will be participating in the following Linky parties:

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Sweet Treats Saturday: Bailey's Irish Cream Cupcakes

It's March!  Woohoo!  For me, it's the ramp up time for St. Patrick's Day dance performances.  Being an Irish dancer around St. Patrick's Day means lots of dance rehearsals and performances.  The stress of learning new routines, the excitement of performing in front of an audience (that for once doesn't include someone tracking scores for each of your dances), is a reason to bust out some Bailey's!  And what better way than in cupcake form?

First, I have to warn you.  Don't leave me alone with this batter.  Seriously, I think I have a buzz from licking the bowl.  Soooo good!  I made half of a batch of the original recipe, so if you want the full recipe (aka two dozen cupcakes), definitely check out Cupcake Rehab for the full version.  While you're at it, check out the site anyways - there's some fantastic, creative recipes.  Also, I did the full recipe for the frosting, because I like to pipe mine on top (which uses a bit more than just spreading).  If you are just going to spread your frosting on top, you can cut the recipe in half.  I found that the frosting is a little less sweet, and tastes even better the next day, as the Bailey's has time to really infuse itself in and drown out the pure sugar flavor.  So if you can, make it the night before you enjoy it.

So, onto the cupcakes.  They're so delicious and a perfect way to enjoy your Bailey's.  And the scent makes you feel like you're drinking a delicious glass of it with a dollop of cream on top.

Bailey's Irish Cream Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Cupcake Rehab
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Makes 1 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients for the Cupcakes:
1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup Bailey's (or other Irish cream)
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Ingredients for the Frosting:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp Bailey's (may need slightly more to achieve the right consistency)

Directions for the Cupcakes:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter an sugar until creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the liqueur, water, and milk.  Mix well.
4. In a third bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
5. Alternate adding the flour and liqueur mixture to the creamed butter mixture.  Beat on medium speed for approximately 2 minutes.
6.  Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for about 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Directions for the Frosting:
1. Cream the butter on high until fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
2. Add the Bailey's and mix thoroughly.  Slowly add the powdered sugar until blended and smooth.
3. If necessary, add more Bailey's to thin the frosting, or powdered sugar to thicken it.

Oh.

My.

Goodness!

 

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Sweet Treats Saturday: Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

It may seem a little early for Valentine's Day recipes, but I consider this the perfect vanilla cupcake recipe.  This can be used as a blank slate to celebrate any holiday!  

The cupcake itself is moist with a delicious vanilla taste, and the frosting is so light and fluffy.  This recipe is going straight into my recipe binder.  You can start with the base and use food coloring to decorate the cupcake for the season, or do what I did and just use simple cupcake wrappers and festive sprinkles.  Cupcakes are always better with sprinkles.


To apply them, I filled a low bowl with the sprinkles I wanted to use.  You can combine colors and decorations, but I stuck with a basic pink, red and white mix.  Fill a piping bag (or a ziplock bag with a corner tip cut off) with frosting.  Once you pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes (you can also just frost it with a knife, but piping will give it a cleaner look), hold the cupcake over the bowl of sprinkles and use a spoon to pour the sprinkles until the frosting is covered.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream
Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker
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Yield: 12 cupcakes


Cupcake Ingredients:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
½ cup sour cream
1 large egg , room temperature
2 large egg yolks , room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract


Cupcake Directions:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin/cupcake tin with paper or foil liners.


2. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolks, and vanilla; beat at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Don't over mix or the cupcakes will be dense.  Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and mix by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.


3. Divide batter evenly among cups of prepared tin. Bake until cupcake tops are pale gold and toothpick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from tin and transfer to wire rack; cool cupcakes to room temperature before frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream Ingredients:
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream Directions:
1. Using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.

2. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.

3. Pipe and decorate your cupcakes. Enjoy!

This post will be participating in the following Linky parties:

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