Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

Here is another leftover cupcake for you!  Leftover lemons and leftover raspberry pie filling = lemon raspberry cupcakes.  I have been wanting to experiment with lemon curd for quite some time now, so the pile of lemons in my fridge proved useful.  A light and refreshing cupcake resulted from my endeavors!  


Cake:

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

4 egg whites

1 box white cake mix

Lemon Curd Filling:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup lemon juice

zest of one large lemon

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

6 large egg yolks

Frosting:

1 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup raspberry pie filling

1 tsp raspberry extract

3-4 cups powdered sugar

1.  Begin by making lemon curd filling.  Melt butter in medium sauce pan over medium-low heat.
2.  Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and zest.
3.  Combine sugar, salt, and cornstarch in small bowl and add to the mixture.
4.  Whisk in egg yolks until smooth and return to heat.
5.  Cook over medium-low heat for roughly 10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon.  Do not allow mixture to boil!
6.  Once thickened, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into medium bowl.  Allow to chill completely before using.
7.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
8.  In a large bowl, whisk together water, buttermilk, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
9.  Add eggs whites; whisk to combine.
10.  Slowly add the white vanilla cake mix while stirring.
11.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, and bake for 13-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
12.  Place cupcakes on wire rack to cool completely.
13.  After cupcakes are cooled, using an apple corer, remove center of cupcake and fill with lemon curd filling.
14.  To make frosting:  beat butter until light and fluffy; add raspberry pie filling, raspberry extract and powdered sugar; beat until desired piping consistency is reached.
15.  Pipe onto cooled and filling cupcakes.

Source:  Lemon curd recipe courtesy of Annie's Eats

French Toast Cupcakes

I'm going to apologize in advance for not having a picture of this cupcake, but the thought crossed my mind after they were shipped off to be devoured!  This cupcake is something totally outside the normal realm of chocolate and vanilla.  This cupcake can do double duty as breakfast and/or dessert.  I was thrilled when finally someone asked me to bake these because I was dying to do something other than red velvet (trust me my red velvet is delicious, but I needed a change of pace!).  Hope you enjoy this tasty little number!


French Toast Cupcakes
Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1 tsp maple extract
1/2 cup half & half, divided


Glaze:
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon


Whipped Cream Buttercream:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 oz heavy whipping cream


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2.  Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl.  Whisk to distribute ingredients and set aside.
3.  In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, butter, and eggs until combined.  Add maple extract and whisk until combined.
4.  Add 1/3 flour mixture to butter mixture, followed by 1/4 cup half & half, 1/3 flour mixture, 1/4 cup half & half, and final 1/3 of flour mixture.  Whisk until smooth.
5.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter and bake 18-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
6.  Cool cupcakes for 10 minutes on wire rack.
7.  Combine ingredients for glaze and brush warm cupcakes with glaze.
8.  Finish cooling cupcakes completely.
9.  Whipped cream buttercream:  cream shortening and butter until fluffy; add powdered sugar and cream until well blended; add salt, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and whipping cream; beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.
10.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.


Source:  Cupcake adapted from BakeSpace French Toast Cupcake & Frosting adapted from Wilton's Extra Special Buttercream Icing

Peanut Butter Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Cookies & Cream Buttercream

Wow, it certainly has been far too long since my last post!  I just want to apologize for my lack of updates!  Exactly 5 days from today I will officially be done with nursing school!  After that you can expect many more posts, since I will have lots more free time.  Let me make up for my absence with a phenomenal cupcake.  Cupcakes, peanut butter, and Oreos???  Trust me this can't go wrong.   


Cake:
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1 box french vanilla cake mix


Peanut Butter Filling:
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 T half & half

Frosting:
1 cup butter
Oreo creams from separated cookies (entire package)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
4 T half & half
1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs sifted



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 french vanilla cake mix while stirring.
5.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, and bake for 13-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7.  Place cupcakes on wire rack to cool completely.
8.  While cupcakes cool, cream all filling ingredients together until well combined and set aside.
9.  After cupcakes are cooled, using an apple corer, remove center of cupcake and fill with peanut butter filling.
10.  To make frosting:  beat together butter and Oreo cream centers; add vanilla, powdered sugar, and half and half; add sifted Oreo cookie crumbs and beat just until combined.
11.  Pipe frosting onto cooled, filled cupcakes.

Cherry Vanilla Cupcakes with Almond Buttercream

While at the grocery store yesterday I impulsively grabbed a bag of frozen cherries.  So today I had to figure what to do with them.  I originally planned on doing chocolate and cherry, but I realized I didn't have any chocolate cake mix, or cocoa after I had already begun!  Time to get creative . . . cherry vanilla it is!  The almond buttercream was kind of an afterthought.  I mean who wants a vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting - boring!  These cupcakes are light, yet satisfying.


Cherry Vanilla Cupcakes with Almond Buttercream
Cake:
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 box french vanilla cake mix


Filling:
1 bag frozen pitted dark sweet cherries, thawed and chopped and dusted with 1/4 cup sugar
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar


Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1 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 french vanilla cake mix while stirring.
5.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, and bake for 13-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7.  Place cupcakes on wire rack to cool completely.
8.  While cupcakes cool, whip heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.  Fold in chopped, sugared cherries.
9.  After cupcakes are cooled, using an apple corer, remove center of cupcake and fill with cherry cream filling.
10.  To make frosting:  beat butter until light and fluffy; add almond extract, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and half & half;  beat until desired piping consistency is reached.
11.  Pipe frosting onto cooled, filled cupcakes.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Fudgy Centers

This flavor combination has been a long time coming.  Peanut butter is one of my absolute favorite things.  When I was a child, I remember eating peanut butter sandwiches for lunch everyday at school on my Papa's homemade bread.  Sometimes I ate jelly sandwiches, but never peanut butter and jelly together.  I know, I'm some kind of freak of nature that doesn't like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but it just never made much sense to me.  Plus peanut butter is completely delicious on its own, so why add jelly?  Chocolate and peanut butter . . . now that's a different story.  Those are two that belong together - a match made in heavy!  These cupcakes have a delicious fudgy center that add something special to its overall texture.  And the frosting, don't even get me started on that.  I'm lucky I had enough to frost the cupcakes.  Enjoy!
  
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Fudgy Centers
Cake:
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 box devil's food cake mix


Filling:
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 T heavy whipping cream


Frosting:
1 1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup peanut butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 T half and half


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2.  Combine filling ingredients in medium bowl, over a double boiler.  Let ingredients melt, stirring occasionally.  It will be very thick.  Refrigerate until later use.  
3.  In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
4.  Add eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition.
5.  Slowly add the Devil's Food Cake Mix while stirring.
6.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, and bake for 18-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7.  Place cupcakes on wire rack to cool completely.
8.  Place refrigerated filling into bowl of stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy.
9.  After cupcakes are cooled, using an apple corer, remove center of cupcake and fill with chocolate peanut butter filling.
10.  To make frosting:  beat butter until light and fluffy; add peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla and beat until combined; add half and half 1 T at a time until desired consistency is reached.
11.  Pipe onto cooled and filled cupcakes.  

Source:  Adapted from Your Cup of Cake's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Peach Ginger Cupcakes

I've been intrigued by this combination ever since it became popular in the cupcake world.  I figured I might as well give it a try and see what happened when I combined the spicy and sweet.  Well . . . the jury is still out on this one as far as I'm concerned.  Usually, when I taste a cupcake I get am immediate "Yes!" feeling about it.  This one, however, not so much.  The cake is moist, light, and fluffy, and the frosting is sweet and peachy, but despite its positive qualities, I just don't get an overwhelming sense of success with this flavor combination.  I'm going to let some others sample it and see what they think!  Maybe peach and ginger just isn't my thing!  


Peach Ginger Cupcakes
1 can peach pie filling (21 oz)
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 eggs
1 box french vanilla cake mix


Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peach jelly or jam
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2.  In large bowl, mix together cake mix, pie filling, ginger, and eggs until combined.  You do not need to use a hand or stand mixer for this recipe, just a spoon works!  You may wish to cut the peaches into smaller pieces by inserting a knife in the can and cutting them against the wall of the can.

3.  Spoon batter into cupcake liners and bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

4.  Move cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely.
5.  To make frosting:  Beat butter until light and fluffy; add jelly or jam, vanilla, powdered sugar, and whipping cream.  Mix until desired piping consistency is reached.
6.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.  

Banana Bread Cupcakes

What do you do with a bunch of overly ripe bananas?  Banana bread of course!  Or in my case, banana bread cupcakes!  These cupcakes were inspired by nothing more than a bunch of bananas sitting on my counter.  I added some chocolate chips for a little extra sweetness, but all in all they are pretty simple little cakes!
   
Banana Bread Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 T cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 T heavy whipping cream


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2.  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3.  In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
4.  Add eggs, vanilla, and bananas to creamed mixture and mix until combined.
5.  Fold in chocolate chips.
6.  Fill liners 3/4 of the way full with batter, and bake for 16-18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7.  Let stand for 5 minutes before removing from pans.
8.  Cool completely on wire rack.
9.  To make frosting:  beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy; add cinnamon, vanilla, powdered sugar, and whipping cream.  Mix until frosting reaches desired piping consistency.
10.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Pineapple Strawberry Cupcakes with Cherry Buttercream

These cupcakes came about as a way to use some of my leftover ingredients from the past week and make some cupcakes to celebrate a friend's engagement.  I knew she liked pineapples and strawberries, so I had the perfect opportunity to utilize my ingredients.  The pineapples and cherries were leftover from pineapple upside-down cake cupcakes, and the strawberry purée was from chocolate covered strawberry cupcakes.  I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to bake for some reason!  When I texted my mom a picture of the cupcakes along with a description, her response was, "Different lol."  True, they are definitely different, but the flavors mesh into tropical deliciousness!  Congratulations on your engagement Kendall & Brandon!  I hope you enjoy them!  

Pineapple Strawberry Cupcakes with Cherry Buttercream

1 can crushed pineapple (21 oz)

3 eggs

1 box yellow cake mix

1 cup strawberry pie filling, puréed

Frosting:

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and puréed

1 tsp cherry or raspberry extract

6-8 cups powdered sugar

2-4 T half & half

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

2.  Combine crushed pineapple, eggs, and yellow cake mix in a large bowl.  Mix until combined.

3.  Layer 2 T of cupcake batter to muffin pan, followed by 1 T of puréed pie filling, and then top with 1 T of cupcake batter (totaling 3 layers).

4.  Bake for 16-18 mins or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

5.  Cool completely on wire rack.

6.  To make frosting:  beat butter until light and fluffy; add cherries, extract, powdered sugar, and half & half; mix until combined.  Continue to add powdered sugar and/or half & half until desired consistency is reached.

7.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. 

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

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.

Cranberry Orange Cupcakes with Cranberry Orange Buttercream

This idea was 100% my mom's creative thinking.  After watching me bake dozens of lemon blueberry and lemon cranberry cupcakes this past week, she suggested I make a cranberry orange cupcake.  One of her favorite foods during the holidays is a cranberry orange relish served with Thanksgiving dinner.  I know you are probably envisioning the can-shaped cranberry sauce being sliced up and plopped down next to some turkey, but I ensure you this is not what I am talking about.  This cupcake is light, and refreshing, yet subtly sweet!


Cranberry Orange Cupcakes with Cranberry Orange Buttercream
1 cup butter, softened

4 1/2 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

4 tsp orange zest

1/4 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed)

12 oz fresh cranberries

2 cups water

Frosting:

2 cups butter, softened

2 tsp orange extract

1/2 cup cranberries, boiled and pureed

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.  In another bowl, combine buttermilk, orange zest, and orange juice.

7.  Add about 1/3 dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, then buttermilk mixture, 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.  Fold 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:  repeat step 2 with a second bag (12 oz) of fresh cranberries; strain and set berries aside to cool.  Puree cooled cranberries and set aside.  Beat butter and orange extract until light and fluffy.  Add cranberries.  Gradually add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.

12.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

White Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

For most people, the phone ringing at 5AM is not a pleasant sound.  But when you work in a hospital, it can be the most beautiful sound in the world.  So when I got a call this morning at 5AM informing me of the low census in the nursery, I was excited to have the day off to relax, and of course . . . bake!  When I finally crawled out of bed at 1:30PM, I started thinking about what to bake.  I really wanted to make a white chocolate frosting, and even though it could go with just about anything, I decided on fruit because of its overt sweetness.  Since I happened to have a can of strawberry pie filling in my pantry, that was it!  Keeping with the theme of the day, laziness, I decided to pair this white chocolate frosting with a ridiculously simple cake.  However, if I make this recipe again, I wouldn't use the cupcake liners, but instead just grease the muffin pan with butter or baking spray.  The strawberries tend to stick to the liner when you peel it off.  Hope you enjoy!


White Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
1 box white cake mix
1 can strawberry pie filing (21 oz)
1 tsp of strawberry or raspberry extract
3 eggs


Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 oz white chocolate chips, melted and cooled
3-5 T half-and-half


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin pan.
2.  In large bowl, mix together cake mix, pie filling, raspberry or strawberry extract, and eggs until combined.  You do not need to use a hand or stand mixer for this recipe, just a spoon works!  You may wish to cut the strawberries into smaller pieces by inserting a knife in the can and cutting them against the wall of the can.

3.  Spoon batter into greased muffin pan and bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

4.  Move cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely.  

4.  To make frosting, beat butter and powdered sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy.
5.  Add in melted and cooled white chocolate and mix until combined.  Make sure the white chocolate is completely mixed into the butter and powdered sugar before continuing on to the next step.

6.  Begin by adding 3 T of half-and-half and mixing until combined.  You may need to add more half-and-half to achieve desired consistency.

7.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.