S'more Cupcakes

For most people s'mores bring about memories of camping, sitting fireside, and staring up at the starry night sky.  Let me just say that the closest I've ever been to camping is sleeping on an air mattress in my parents basement.  This is what my sister and I called "camping."  A self-proclaimed germaphobic and arachnophobic, you will find me as far away from nature as humanly possible.  Forget camping, one mosquito bite will have me swollen and needing a 10-day course of antibiotics.  I will However, a few years ago my parents bought a fire pit, and we got hooked on s'mores.  Now don't let me kid you, this is not the slightest bit like camping.  The fire pit is powered by gas and it sits atop their deck, far away from the grass and any sort of creepy crawly creatures.  These cupcakes remind me of summer nights, sitting around the fire pit with my family, laughing and reminiscing.  Hope you enjoy!         


S'more Cupcakes
Cake:
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup light sour cream
3 eggs
1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix
graham cracker crumbs


Marshmallow Filling:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup marshmallow fluff
2-3 cups powdered sugar
2 T half & half

Graham Cracker Buttercream Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 T heavy whipping cream


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk together water, buttermilk, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
3.  Add eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition.
4.  Slowly add the Devil's Food Cake Mix while stirring.
5.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and sprinkle with 1 tsp graham cracker crumbs.
6.  Bake for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7.  Place cupcakes on wire rack to cool completely.
7.  To make filling:  beat cream cheese and marshmallow fluff until light and fluffy; add powdered sugar and half and half; beat until combined.
8.  After cupcakes are cooled, using an apple corer, remove center of cupcake and fill with marshmallow cream.
9.  To make frosting:  beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy; add powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and vanilla and beat until combined; add whipping cream 1 T at a time until desired consistency is reached.
10.  Pipe onto cooled and filled cupcakes.  

Source:  Adapted from Your Cup of Cake's S'more Cupcakes

A Huge Accomplishment

I keep insisting that I am not a cake decorator, but people still seem to be ordering cakes.  I've decided that I must be doing something right, but I will continue to tell people that "I am NOT a cake decorator."  I am, however, extremely proud of this cake!  It is a traditional red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting made for a coworker's daughter.  I love the color scheme and I am thrilled with how the decorations turned out!  Personally, I consider this cake a huge accomplishment, but I'll let you be the judge :)

I'd also like to use this post as a preview of what's to come in the following months and what I hope to accomplish.  Here are a few things on my "to do" list:

1.  Ganache - I can't wait to play around with different flavor combinations 

2.  Pastry cream - I'm a little intimidated by this one, but I think it could be a delicious and versatile filling for almost anything

3.  Berries, berries, and more berries - I'm looking forward to warmer weather, so I can incorporate them into anything and everything

4.  Cakes & cake pops - I hope to get many more cake and cake pop orders, so I can practice my decorating skills and experiment with color!

Triple Berry Bars

I wanted to try something completely different today.  Lately it's been cupcakes, cupcakes, and more cupcakes.  Now don't get me wrong, I love cupcakes, but I just wanted a change of pace!  Since I started this blog in November, I've been dying to make berry desserts.  Unfortunately, it's just not the season for good quality fruit in Missouri.  I am anxiously awaiting summer, so I can get my hands on some fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.  I have a running list of berry desserts for when the weather gets warmer.  That being said, I just couldn't help myself today!  Even though the berries in the bars are not fresh, they are delicious!

Triple Berry Bars

Crust and Topping:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled

Fruit Filling:

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup flour

pinch salt

zest of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp almond extract

32 oz frozen blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries; thawed and drained

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. 
2.  To make crust and topping, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse a few times to mix, or whisk until combined. 

3.  Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes, and add to the flour mixture.  Process until the butter is evenly distributed, but the mixture is still crumbly, 30-60 seconds.  If you do not have a food processor, you can use a pastry blender or two forks.

4.  Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to use as the topping.  Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan, and bake 12-15 minutes.  Cool for at least 10 minutes.

5.  To make the filling, whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then add the sugar, sour cream, flour, salt, lemon zest, and almond extract. 

6.  Gently fold in the berries and spoon the mixture over the crust. 

7.  Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture evenly over the filling, and bake 45 to 55 minutes.

8.  Cool at least 1 hour before cutting into bars.

Source:  Adapted from Pink Parsley's Blackberry Pie Bars

Java Chip Muffins

I decided to change it up slightly today, since I've been on a cupcake kick lately.  When I saw this recipe in this month's Cooking Light magazine I knew I had to try it.  I mean come on . . . chocolate and coffee . . . who can say no to that combination!  These muffins are great for breakfast, and will give you a little jump start with the added caffeine.  Plus they are only about 200 calories each!  Pair it with a cup of coffee if you are really in need of an energy boost.


Java Chip Muffins
2/3 cup whole milk (I didn't have whole milk on hand so I used 2 oz of half & half + 6 oz of skim milk to make my own)
5 T butter, melted
3 T instant coffee granules
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 T baking powder
1/4 tsp salt


1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2.  Combine first 5 ingredients in medium mixing bowl.

3.  In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, chocolate chips, baking powder, and salt; stir well with a whisk.

4.  Make a well in the center of the flour and pour milk mixture into well.  Stir just until moist.

5.  Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6.  Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on wire rack to cool.


Source:  Cooking Light magazine

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Cupcakes

A coworker of mine was interested in placing an order for her husband's birthday and told me he loved pineapple upside-down cake.  When she asked me if I could turn it into a cupcake, I of course said yes!  I'm always up for a challenge.  I've never eaten pineapple upside-down cake so I did some research to prepare for this challenge.  I also looked up some pineapple upside-down cupcakes, but all I found were pineapple upside-down cakes baked in a muffin pan and called "cupcakes."  Now some may beg to differ, but to me it's not a cupcake if it doesn't have frosting!  So instead of putting the pineapple on the bottom (or the top depending on how you want to look at it), I decided to fill the cupcakes with it, so I would be able to frost them.  I baked the pineapple brown sugar mixture just as you would if you were making a real pineapple upside-down cake, just minus the cake batter.  It turned out just as I had imagined it, and the flavors all work together nicely!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Cupcakes
Cake:
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 box Yellow Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)


Filling:
1/2 cup butter
1 can crushed pineapples (20 oz)

1 cup brown sugar

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup of caramel sauce
4-5 cups powdered sugar


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk together water, buttermilk, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
3.  Add eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition.
4.  Slowly add the yellow cake mix while stirring.
5.  Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 14-18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from pans and cool on wire racks completely.

6.  When cupcakes come out of oven, increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.  To make filling, melt 1/2 cup butter in cake pan in oven.  Remove pan from oven and stir in brown sugar.  Spread brown sugar mixture evenly on bottom of pan.  Strain crushed pineapple and spread evenly over brown sugar.  Bake for 45-60 minutes until mixture is thick and caramelized.  Set aside to cool.

7.  Using an apple corer, core out center of cupcake. 

 8.  Strain filling to remove excess butter and spoon filling into center of cupcake.

9.  To make frosting:  Beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and caramel sauce, and beat until combined.  Add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.

10.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

My little sister is allergic to gluten.  I feel like I've been torturing her with all of my pictures and postings of treats she can't eat.  So I decided to create a cupcake for her and everyone else who may be allergic to gluten.  I chose to use a gluten-free cake mix containing all of the dry ingredients necessary for this cupcake.  Most gluten-free recipes contain a blend of different gluten-free flours.  In order to make it simple, I picked up a Betty Crocker gluten-free cake mix, which already contains the perfect blend of gluten-free flours.  It is a very simple recipe, and it produces a moist dark chocolate cake.  Since this cupcake is dark chocolate, and not too sweet I decided to pair it with a sweet strawberry frosting.  Hope you enjoy!      


Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 box Devil's Food Gluten-Free Cake Mix (I used Betty Crocker)


Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup strawberry pie filling, puréed
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1-2 T half & half


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk together water, buttermilk, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
3.  Add eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition.
4.  Slowly add the Devil's Food Gluten-Free Cake Mix while stirring.

5.  Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 18-24 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

6.  To make frosting:  beat butter and vanilla extract until light and fluffy; add strawberry pie filling, 1 T half & half, and 1 cup powdered sugar; beat until combined.  Continue to add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.  Add remaining 1 T of half & half if frosting becomes to thick.

6.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Cranberry-Blueberry Cupcakes with Fresh Lemon Buttercream

This cute little cupcake is similar to the last cupcake posted in some ways, but also has its own unique quirks.  When I opened my refrigerator today I was reminded I had some fruit leftover from other cupcake orders.  Instead of letting perfectly good fruit go to waste, I decided to just put everything in a cupcake together and see what happened.  The cake part of this cupcake is essentially the same as the previous recipe, with a few additions and subtractions.  The tartness of the cranberries balances out the sweet and citrusy flavor of the lemon frosting.  I wasn't sure how this recipe was going to turn out, and I certainly didn't think it would be blog worthy, so I'm sorry I didn't take any pictures along the way.  I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted the end result of my concoction.  It is a light and fruity cake with a sweet and fresh tasting frosting!  Enjoy!    

Cranberry-Blueberry Cupcakes with Fresh Lemon Buttercream 

1 cup butter, softened

3 1/4 cups sugar, divided

3 eggs

3 1/2 cups cake flour

1/4 cup corn starch

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

1 cup buttermilk

12 oz fresh cranberries

1 cup fresh blueberries + 1 T cake flour

2 cups water

Frosting:

2 cups butter, softened

2 tsp lemon extract

2 T lemon zest

5 T half and half

6-8 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2.  Combine 2 cups water, 1 cup sugar, and 12 oz cranberries in medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Boil until cranberries begin to burst.

3.  Strain cranberries and toss with 1/4 cup sugar.  Set aside to cool.

4.  Beat butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy.

5.  On low speed, add eggs one at a time, being sure to let fully incorporate before adding the next.

6.  In a separate bowl, whisk together cake flour, corn starch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together

7.  Add about 1/3 dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, then buttermilk, then 1/3 dry ingredients, sour cream, then final 1/3 dry ingredients.  Make sure to let the ingredients fully combine before adding the next.

8.  In another bowl, lightly toss blueberries with 1 T cake flour, then fold blueberries and cooled cranberries into batter.

10.  Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 16-22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

11.  To make frosting:  beat butter and lemon extract until light and fluffy, add lemon zest; beat until combined.  Add half and half, and powdered sugar (a couple of cups at a time) until desired consistency is reached.

12.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.