Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Bacon!!  Don't think your eyes are deceiving you, those are crispy bits of bacon on top of these cupcakes.  If you've ever "accidentally" gotten maple syrup from your pancakes onto your bacon, and thought you had found a little bit of heaven, then these maple bacon cupcakes have your name on them.

The batter is very simple. Only change I made to the recipe was using maple bacon, which I think helped blend the flavors together nicely without losing the sweet and salty contrast.  The hardest part about this recipe is cooking the bacon.  These are best still slightly warm, enjoyed immediately after frosting.  If you closed your eyes, you might even think you're enjoying a bit of a warm pancake topped with maple bacon. ;]

Maple Bacon Cupcakes
Adapted from The Cupcake Bible, Publications International, Ltd.
Makes 12 cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp.)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8-10 slices of maple bacon (cooked crisply, chopped into bits)

Maple Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp.)
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablspoons milk
• 3 cups powdered sugar

~Preheat the oven to 350 °F.  Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

~In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter and sugar.  Add eggs and 2 tablespoons maple syrup, and beat until mixed.

~In another bowl, mix flour and baking powder to blend.

~Gradually add your flour mixture to your butter mixture, alternating with the milk.  You should start and end with the flour mixture.  Mix just until incorporated.  Stir in all but 2 tablespoons of your bacon.

~Fill cupcake liners three-fourths full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

~Once your cupcakes are done, cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

~For your frosting, beat your 1/2 cup butter, 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, and 2 tablespoons of milk in a large bowl. Slowly add in your powdered sugar, and beat until incorporated and slightly fluffy. 

~Frost your cooled cupcakes, and top with your bacon that you saved earlier.  Now enjoy your maple bacon cupcakes!

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes & Matching Cocktail

Nothing says America/1950's like Pineapple Upside Down Cake and cocktails!  Haha, I took it upon myself to turn the classic cake into a cupcake form.  I didn't want to lose the cupcake shape by flipping them, but I wanted to keep the signature pineapple ring design, so I cheated and actually cooked the pineapples separately.  You can do this while baking, so it doesn't add very much time.  I couldn't decide on the design, so I did two variations using some cream cheese frosting.

The reason I decided to make Pineapple Upside Down Cake was due to the discovery that there was such a thing as a Pineapple Upside Down Cocktail!  You only need two additional ingredients, so I highly recommend having a toast to your delicious cupcakes when you're done. ;]

This is a very simple batter.  These cupcakes are all about what's on top!

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter (room temp.)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk

For the Pineapple topping:

• 12 drained pineapple rings (Canned in juice, save the juice!!  You'll need it for the cocktail)
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 jar maraschino cherries (with stems)
• 1 can cream cheese frosting (I used so little I went with canned for once, but if you need a recipe,  I like this one: cream cheese frosting )

~Preheat the oven to 350 °F.  Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

~In a large bowl, cream together 1/3 cup butter and sugar.  Add in egg and beat until mixed.

~In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt to blend.

~Gradually add your flour mixture to your butter mixture, alternating with the milk.  You should start and end with the flour mixture.  Mix just until incorporated.

~Fill cupcake liners three-fourths full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

~While the cupcakes are baking, take a large saucepan and melt 1/3 cup butter with the brown sugar.  Once sugar is dissolved, arrange pineapple rings in pan and heat on low for 5-7 minutes per side.  Spoon the butter/brown sugar mixture over the rings as they cook.  Once done, remove from pan and set aside to cool.  Save pan syrup. (Be gentle when flipping, don't break your rings!)

~Once your cupcakes are done, cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely. 

~Take your cooled cupcakes and prick holes in the top of them.  A toothpick or small knife will work.  Take your syrup mixture you created from cooking your pineapples, and brush onto the top of your cupcakes.  (If this mixture has cooled too much, it may have started to separate.  If this has happened, just heat up slightly until clear again.)

~You are now ready to decorate your cupcakes!  You can be traditional and go simply with a pineapple ring on top with a cherry in the middle, or you can twist this slightly and pipe a small amount of frosting in the center of the ring before adorning with your cherry.  (This is what I did in the main image.)  Another option is to pipe your frosting more like a traditional cupcake, and arrange a wedge of pineapple and a cherry as garnish.  

~Either way, you are now ready to enjoy your delicious cupcakes! If all this baking has made you thirsty, read below. ;]

Pineapple Upside Down Cocktail

• grenadine (you'll need a splash for each drink you are preparing)
• maraschino cherries (from above)
• 1 part Cake flavored vodka (Pinnacle!)
• 2 parts pineapple juice (from above)
• (Martini glasses and shaker fun but not required!)

~Arrange a maraschino cherry in the bottom of each glass.

~Mix the pineapple juice with your vodka in an ice filled shaker, and pour into your prepared glasses..  Leave room for a little more liquid to be added.

~Slowly pour a splash of grenadine against the side of your glass, until the desired amount pools to the bottom.  (Worried about messing up the layers?  Take a note from Black and Tan cocktails and pour onto a large spoon that is touching the side of the glass. Don't count yourself beaten too early either, waiting 5 minutes may be all you need for any stray grenadine to sink to the bottom.)

~Cheers!  Nothing goes together like cupcakes and cocktails.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

My dream come true, Guinness, whiskey, and Bailey's all in one, Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes!  Guinness chocolate cake, whiskey ganache, and Bailey's frosting.  Although not politically correct, that is the name of the cocktail these cupcakes are based on, so for reference purposes I am calling them Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes.  My surname is Irish, I'm nearly half Irish, and I've been drunk in Dublin, so hopefully I can get away with it. If not, póg mo thóin. ;]

The only whiskey we had in the house was Jack Daniels, (surprising, I know) so that is what I used.  I also stuck with the Bailey's Buttercream recipe I have used in the past because it has worked well for me, but no changes were made otherwise.

I was conservative while coring the cupcakes, so I had a good amount of chocolate ganache left over.  Rather than wasting it, I decided to pipe a mini swirl of chocolate ganache over the filling before topping with the Bailey's frosting.  This gave my swirls a little extra volume.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Adapted from smittenkitchen.com

http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/car-bomb-cupcakes/

Makes 20-24 cupcakes

• 1 cup Guinness (or any stout)
• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process if possible)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream

~Preheat the oven to 350 °F.  Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

~Using a medium sauce pan, bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder, and whisk until it is completely dissolved and smooth. Cool slightly before proceeding.  

~In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sour cream.  Slowly add the cooled Guinness mixture, while whisking, and mix just until blended. (You want your Guinness mixture to be cooled so you do not curdle your eggs.)

~In another bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt to blend.

~Add the flour mixture gradually to the Guinness/egg mixture, mixing just until incorporated.  

~Fill cupcake liners three-fourths full and bake for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

~Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely. Whiskey ganache and Bailey's frosting recipes follow below!

Whiskey Ganache Filling

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter, room temp.
• 1 to 2 teaspoons whiskey, Irish if possible (optional, but not really...haha)

~Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl.

~Bring the cream to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Once simmering, carefully pour the cream over your chocolate.  Let sit for one minute, then stir until smooth. (Not melted? You can microwave the mixture in small, 5-10 second intervals.  As long as you avoid direct heat to the chocolate, you will be fine.) 

~Add the butter and whiskey to your chocolate mixture, and once again stir until smooth.

~Let ganache cool slightly.  You want it to thicken enough that you will be able to pipe it.  (Feel free to place ganache in the fridge to speed up the process, but be warned, it thickens up quickly!)

Bailey's Buttercream Frosting

Adapted from Cupcake Rehab

http://cupcakerehab.com/2010/03/luck-o-the-irish-baileys-cupcakes/

(Double to be safe if you're piping the frosting!)

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temp.
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons (maybe more) Bailey’s
• 1/8th teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

~Cream/whisk the butter on high speed for approximately 3 minutes. 

~Add the Bailey’s, and mix thoroughly. Slowly add the powdered sugar until well blended.

~If necessary, add more Bailey’s to thin or more sugar to thicken your frosting to your desired texture. (This is the point I tasted the frosting and decided to add a little salt and the vanilla extract, but feel free to omit!)

Cupcake Assembly

~Take your cooled Guinness cupcakes, and core/cut out a small bit of the center. (See below.  I used a small paring knife, cutting at an angle in a circle. Great time to taste test the cupcakes! ;])

~Pipe your Whiskey Ganache into your newly cored cupcakes.  Do as much or as little as you like. (This is the point where I piped small swirls of ganache up and over the holes in the cupcakes.)

~Pipe/frost your filled cupcakes with the Bailey's Buttercream Frosting, add your sprinkles/decorations of choice, and enjoy!

Vegan Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

I realized I've never done a vegan cupcake, and I had all the ingredients, so I gave it a shot!  The frosting is what really makes this cupcake yummy, and will definitely satisfy any chocolate cravings you may have.

The recipe calls for sunflower oil, the one ingredient I did not have, so I substituted canola oil.  That was the only change I made!

Vegan Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Adapted from Cupcake Heaven by Susannah Blake
Makes 12 cupcakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons sunflower oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee, dissolved in 2 teaspoons boiling water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

For the frosting

• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee, dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 1 cup powdered sugar

~Preheat oven to 350°F.  Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

~In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and sugar.  Make a well in the center of your flour mixture and pour in 1/2 cup of water, the oil, coffee, and the vinegar.  Mix just until incorporated.

~Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cupcake, and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (These will rise a lot, so don't worry!  Mine were only about half full when placed in the oven, and were done after 13 minutes.)

~Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

~For the frosting, put the oil, cocoa powder, and coffee in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water.  (A double boiler would work of course.) Make sure the water is not touching the bowl.  Stir until mixed, and then add the powdered sugar in small batches while continuing to stir.  Continue stirring for roughly 2 minutes, or until thick and glossy.  Add about 1/2 teaspoon of water, and stir until incorporated.

~Once your cupcakes have cooled completely, and your frosting has cooled slightly, you can spoon the frosting over the cupcakes.  If either are too hot, the frosting may drip off of the sides, so try and be patient!  Either that or just eat them immediately, haha, enjoy!

Quickie Chocolate Mint Cupcakes, Alice In Wonderland theme

Once again, a "Quickie" recipe means this calls for boxed cake mix and canned frosting.

I got asked to fill in for a Disney Princess themed shoot as Alice, and I of course said yes!  Please take a moment and check out C.TA Glam Couture: http://www.ctaglamcouture.com/

Designer/photographer/super woman Chelsea Tavis was nice enough to provide all of us with food, so I thought bringing some cupcakes was in order.  Didn't have a lot of time, so I went with a quickie recipe.  This one is an adaption on the Quickie Double Devil's Food Cupcakes I posted previously.  Rather than using chocolate chips, I used some chopped up Andes Mints as well.

I knew one of the accessories she had designed was an adorable "Eat Me" necklace, so at the last second I decided to go with an Alice In Wonderland theme rather than normal piping.  If you've never seen the movie, go watch it! haha, but here's the necklace and other accessories, as well as a scene from the movie:

I will definitely be doing these again when I have more time to fool around with the decorating!

Quickie Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

• 1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix, plus ingredients needed for mix (24 cupcakes size, normally you need eggs and vegetable oil)
• 1 can chocolate frosting (2 if piping frosting)
• 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped Andes Mints (feel free to have extra for toppings)
• 2 cups of strong coffee at room temperature, separated (you may not need it all)

~Follow the directions on the mix for preheating and mixing instructions, substituting the coffee for the amount of water the recipe calls for.  Fold the chopped Andes Mints into the batter right before scooping the batter into your muffin tins.  Fold just until incorporated.  (I like larger cupcakes so I got around 22, and as always I checked 2 minutes before the earliest recommended baking time)

~You should have some coffee left over, as the mix I used only used 1 1/3 cups of coffee.  Mix 1 tablespoon of your extra coffee into your frosting.  If this makes the frosting too liquidy for you, pop it in the fridge while the cupcakes are baking and cooling, and it should firm up.  (Worse comes to worst, add in powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time until it reaches the consistency that you want)

~After the cupcakes are fully cooled and frosted, you can start decorating!  If doing traditional piping, I would recommend toping with some extra Andes Mint pieces.  Enjoy!

For the Alice Touches:

~I needed a very smooth surface to pipe the phrases on, so I added a little extra coffee to the frosting.  This allowed me to dip the cupcake tops rather than attempting to smooth the frosting myself. Add the coffee just a little at a time, as you don't want the frosting to become so liquidy that it will drip and run down the sides of the cupcakes.

~I added some violet food dye to a white buttercream frosting for the piped phrases, and used some sugar pearls for fun.

Quickie Double Devil's Food Cupcakes

If you missed my last "Quickie" recipe, all that means is that this cupcake is from a mix rather than from scratch.  Still super tasty!

These are Double Devil's Food Cupcakes because there are also chocolate chips mixed in!  Sounds horrible, right? haha  If you want, you can even dust some cocoa powder over the top of them like I did.  (Could have called these "Triple" for that reason, but I like alliterations. ;] )

The only things you will need for this recipe that are not listed right on the box are some semi-sweet chocolate chips, and strong coffee.  If you want to dust them, you will also need some cocoa powder.

If you're thinking, "What is coffee doing in my chocolate cupcakes?" I stole that concept from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.  In at least one of her chocolate cake recipes she uses coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor, and I think it works wonderfully.  I also added some to the frosting.

Quickie Double Devil's Food Cupcakes

• 1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix, plus ingredients needed for mix (24 cupcakes size, normally you need eggs and vegetable oil)
• 1 can chocolate frosting (2 if piping frosting)
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups of strong coffee at room temperature, separated (you may not need it all)

If you want dusting:

• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, roughly

~Follow the directions on the mix for preheating and mixing instructions, substituting the coffee for the amount of water the recipe calls for.  Fold the chocolate chips into the batter right before scooping the batter into your muffin tins.  Fold just until incorporated.  (I like larger cupcakes so I got around 22, and as always I checked 2 minutes before the earliest recommended baking time)

~You should have some coffee left over, as the mix I used only used 1 1/3 cups of coffee.  Mix 1 tablespoon of your extra coffee into your frosting.  If this makes the frosting too liquidy for you, pop it in the fridge while the cupcakes are baking and cooling, and it should firm up.  (Worse comes to worst, add in powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time until it reaches the consistency that you want)

~After the cupcakes are fully cooled and frosted, you can use a sifter to dust some cocoa powder on top if you like.  Enjoy!

Guava Chiffon Cupcakes

My favorite cupcakes I have ever made!  So light and fluffy, and lots of guava flavor in the topping.

*Update: These turned out even better the second time. I used more food coloring to get a richer color, and wasn't guessing so much on the baking time.*

I had so much trouble finding a guava cupcake recipe that resembled the guava cakes I have had in the past, with the signature bright pink guava topping, that I took a couple of guava chiffon cake recipes and adapted them to suite my needs.

These were for Valentine's day, hence the heart theme, but it would be much easier to pipe the buttercream like a usual cupcake, and then drizzle the guava topping over it.  For the adventurous, I will describe how I got the heart shapes.

These may take a little work, but these were seriously my favorite cupcakes I have ever made!  Definitely best to eat the day of.  Kept fine in the fridge for several days, but upon getting to room temperature some of the guava filling managed to break through the dam of buttercream, resulting in some sticky fingers, haha!  I think drizzling the guava topping as I mentioned earlier would help to get rid of this problem. (This is what I did the second time around, hence the first picture!)

I couldn't find guava concentrate to save my life, so I used guava juice instead.  If you can find guava concentrate, go with that for even more guava flavor!

DO NOT simply spread frosting onto these cupcakes, as they are very delicate and crumbs come up easily.  Piping is very much the recommended frosting technique.

Guava Chiffon Cupcakes
Adapted from I'll Have What They're Having-Legendary Local Cuisine by Linda Stradley
Makes 26-28 cupcakes

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup guava juice
• 5 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• red food coloring (optional)
• 8 egg whites, room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

~Preheat oven to 325 °F.  Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

~In an extra large bowl, sift together the cake flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add the vegetable oil, guava juice, egg yolks, and food coloring if desired. (Keep in mind you will be folding in egg whites, so make the color slightly darker than desired) Beat just until smooth.

~In a large bowl beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup of the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until stiffer peaks form.

~Gently fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the prepared batter. (This helps to ensure that the rest of the egg white mixture won't deflate as much)  Once just incorporated, fold in the remaining egg white mixture until again just incorporated.

~Fill your prepared muffin liners nearly to the top, at least 4/5 full. (This batter does not raise very much while baking, so if you want that classic cupcake shape this is necessary) Bake for 13-15 minutes*, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

*Because I was guessing on the baking time, I raised the temperature to 335 °F after 10 minutes of baking to help set up the cupcakes a little more, as I was worried opening the oven too early to check would deflate the cupcakes.  Also, do not be afraid if your toothpick comes out wet after 13 minutes.  This batter sets up quickly, so just give it a few more minutes.  I had some done at 13, and others that needed the full 15.

~Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.  Guava buttercream frosting and guava topping recipe below!

Guava Buttercream Frosting

Adapted from a C&H Recipe

Frosts 10-12 cupcakes (double for this recipe)

• 1 lb. box powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup guava juice (guava concentrate, if you can find it, will give a less subtle guava flavor)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup butter (2/3 stick), room temp.

~Mix together salt, guava juice, vanilla extract, and butter with a heavy spoon or mixer.  Add in powdered sugar in intervals.

~If frosting is too stiff, add more guava juice a few drops at a time.  If too soft, try refrigerating your frosting for half an hour.  If still too soft, add in more powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time.

Guava Topping

Adapted from Kuki's Kookbook

http://kukikookbook.blogspot.com/2010/04/guava-cake.html

Tops 26-28 cupcakes

• 2 cups guava juice
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar (normal sugar fine, but you may need more corn starch as a result)
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• red food coloring

~In a medium saucepan, bring the guava juice and sugar to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, and whisk in the cornstarch.  Add desired food coloring amount at this point.

~Stir over low heat until mixture thickens and will coat a spoon.  Add more sugar to taste if needed, but be careful tasting as it will be hot.  Remove from heat and let cool.  If too runny, return to heat and add more cornstarch or powdered sugar.  If too thick, return to heat and add more guava juice.  If the cornstarch is clumping on you, whisk the hell out of it and you should be fine!

~Keep in mind if drizzling the guava topping you will want it slightly more runny than if you are pooling it in the center.  

~Now for the fun part!  Pipe the prepared frosting onto each cupcake, finishing with a drizzle of the guava topping.  Details for the more intricate technique are below.  Either way you choose, make sure you take time to enjoy one of your amazing cupcakes!

Heart Cupcake Assembly

• Cooled Cupcakes
• Guava Buttercream
• Guava Topping
• 1-2 tablespoons guava juice

~Set aside about an eighth of your frosting, and use the rest for piping.  We will return to the other bit of frosting in a moment.

~To pipe the heart shapes that I did, start at the top center of the heart, and working around the cupcake in a heart shape, pipe a thick line of frosting. We are just doing the outline here!  If done correctly, you will meet back with where you started, at the lowest point of the top of the heart.  Keep in mind your line of frosting must be thick enough to dam in the guava topping.

~Once you return to the top center, rather than lifting up right away, pipe for a moment to ensure the ends meet, then continue piping in a line towards the top of the cupcake, pipe for another moment, then lift.  I found this gave the cleanest lines to the heart, as it covered up my starting point, and I liked the bow-like quality.  

~I recommend doing a deep set heart, as this will give you plenty of room to pipe your line of frosting at the end, and will make the heart shape more pronounced.  Make sure the frosting is touching the cupcake at all points, and that there are no gaps underneath the frosting.  This is important to make sure the fillings we add next does not spill out.

~Thin down the remaining portion of frosting with guava juice, just until runny enough to drizzle/spread with a spoon.  Using a small spoon, drizzle a small amount of this diluted frosting into the center of each heart you piped, spreading gently to ensure it meets up with the piped edge. Use as little frosting as possible, as you want just enough to coat the top of the cupcake so that the guava topping does not soak through.*

*If you're wondering why not simply spread the frosting over the cupcake and then do the piping, it is because I found this cupcake far too delicate to spread frosting onto without getting crumbs lifted up and mixed in.  Spreading the frosting first also resulted in frosting protruding past the piped heart edge.  Diluting and drizzling the frosting fixed both of these issues for me.

~Take your cooled guava topping, and using a similar technique to the one just used, take a small spoon and gently drizzle the topping into the center of the hearts.  You can spread gently, but spread too much and the guava topping will begin to mix with the frosting below.

~Pat yourself on the back at this point, because you're finally done!!  Here's a closeup of a cupcake if you had any questions on the steps just described. 

Cupcakes & Cocktails Party

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Quickie Apricot/Mango Cupcakes

I bust these out whenever I need cupcakes in a hurry.  They are essentially jazzed up cake mix cupcakes.  That being said, one of these days I plan to make them from scratch. I really have spoiled myself with homemade cupcakes by this point, as well as some of the people I bake for, haha, so I can imagine these being so much tastier once homemade.  If you ever see quickie in my blog titles, chances are it's a twist on a mix.

The ingredients couldn't be any simpler!

Quickie Apricot/Mango Cupcakes

• 1 box White Cake Mix, plus ingredients needed for mix (24 cupcakes size, normally you need eggs and vegetable oil)
• 1 can vanilla frosting (2 if piping frosting)
• 1/2 cup diced dried apricots (more for garnish if needed)
• 5-8 pieces of dried candied mangos, sliced thinly

~Follow the directions on the mix for preheating and mixing instructions, folding the diced dried apricots into the batter right before scooping the batter into your muffin tins.  Fold just until the apricots are incorporated. (I like larger cupcakes so I got around 22, and as always I checked 2 minutes before the earliest recommended baking time)

~After the cupcakes are fully cooled and frosted, garnish each with a few slices of candied mango. Now sit back and enjoy! 

The same could easily be done with the dried apricots, but I felt the flavors complimented each other nicely.  That and the mango pieces tend to look a little prettier and be a littler larger, so I prefer them.

I used white cake mix simply to highlight the flavors and colors of the apricots, but if you like a richer cake, feel free to try out yellow cake mix instead.

The most time consuming part of this recipe is dicing the dried apricots, haha, so you know why I call it a quickie.  Just like with my other recipes, I checked these cupcakes with a few minutes to spare, and they were done early.  A fun, simple way to jazz up some cake mix!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

I love anything pumpkin, and these totally fulfilled my craving!  I found the recipe on Martha Stewart's site, so they have some prison cred. to boot...haha

I topped these with cream cheese frosting.  I'm still not 100% happy with the consistency of the frosting I made, so instead of posting the recipe I'll let you choose your own.  As an alternative, these would be killer topped with whipped cream!

I got some dark purple cupcake liners as a Christmas gift, and I thought they were a nice contrast with the orange.  I didn't realize it was so dark in my kitchen until after I took the pictures! lol

The batter was pretty thick, which I always love because it makes scooping the batter out so much easier.  Overall, I loved everything about these!  I went a little heavier with the spices as I love that pumpkin pie flavor, so I did slightly heaped/rounded measuring for the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. This is definitely my new go-to pumpkin cupcake recipe!

You'll notice in the bottom picture I line my cooling racks with paper towel sheets.  This gets rid of any moisture on the bottom that accumulated while baking, and keeps the cupcake liners nice.


Pumpkin Cupcakes
Adapted from MarthaStewart.com
http://www.marthastewart.com/317069/pumpkin-cupcakes
Makes 22-24 cupcakes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (heaping tsp. recommended)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger (heaping tsp. recommended)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (heaping 1/4 tsp. recommended)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (heaping 1/4 tsp. recommended)
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1, 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree

~Preheat oven to 350 °F.  Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

~In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.

~In a large bowl whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree.

~Fill your cupcake liners about two-thirds full and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (20 minutes was spot on for me)

~Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.  Once cooled, top with your favorite cream cheese frosting, whipped cream, or whatever topping you like, and enjoy!

Bailey's Irish Cream Cupcakes (a.k.a. Old Gregg Cupcakes)

If you are a fan of Irish Cream Liqueur, or know someone who is, try these cupcakes! I may be biased because of my love for Bailey's, but I truly enjoyed this recipe.  If you have access to Coole Swan unlike most of us Americans, I can only imagine that making the recipe even better.

If you don't know the Old Gregg Bailey's connection, I highly recommend going to youtube for a moment and searching for him.  It's a particular episode from the "Mighty Boosh" TV series.

Anywho, it was my friend Crystal's birthday and she was going to be visiting from out of town.  As an avid fan of Old Gregg,  I knew I needed to make her Bailey's cupcakes.  I was able to find a recipe online that had the best reviews I could find, and gave it a shot myself.

Next time I will brush the tops of the naked/baked cupcakes with some Bailey's, but as alcohol doesn't last long in my household, I had just enough for the recipe and frosting.

I tweaked the frosting recipe a tad, and what I changed will be in parenthesis.

Bailey's Cupcakes
Adapted from Cupcake Rehab
http://cupcakerehab.com/2010/03/luck-o-the-irish-baileys-cupcakes/
Makes 26-28 cupcakes

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temp.
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups Bailey’s (or any other Irish Cream Liqueur)
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt

~Preheat the oven to 325 °F.  Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

~In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well.

~In a separate bowl, combine the liqueur, water, milk and mix together. (I did this in a measuring cup to save on dishes)

~In another bowl, thoroughly combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

~Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with the liqueur mixture. Beat on medium speed for approximately 2 minutes. (You should start and end with the flour mixture)

~Fill cupcake liners three-fourths full and bake for 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  (These don't rise too much, so feel free to be a little heavy handed. I've been using an automatic ice-cream scooper and it's made my life easier.)

~Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely. I recommend topping these with the frosting mentioned below!

Bailey's Buttercream Frosting

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temp.
• 3 cups powdered sugar (I added a little more because I went heavy on the Bailey's, and because of the addition of vanilla extract that I did)
• 2 tablespoons (maybe more) Bailey’s
• (1/4th teaspoon vanilla extract)
• (Pinch of salt)

~Cream the butter on high speed for approximately 3 minutes.

~Add the Bailey’s and mix thoroughly. Slowly add the powdered sugar until well blended.

~If necessary, add more Bailey’s to thin or more sugar to thicken it to desired texture. (This is the point I tasted the frosting and decided to add a little salt and the vanilla extract.)

~Feel free to brush Bailey's on top of your cupcakes before frosting. Enjoy your soft and creamy beige cupcakes!

(I loved these liners my mom found! Merry Christmas lovelies!)

Devil's Food Baby Shower Cupcakes (It's a boy!)

These are how the cupcakes for my brother's baby shower turned out! The only differences from the test run that I did are I used foil liners, and I topped the cupcakes with white sugar pearls.  That and the quantity of course, since this time I septupled the original recipe which only yielded 12 cupcakes.  I did three batches doubled, and then one the original size.  I got to sample a cupcake from each batch, since 80 cupcakes had been requested, poor me. ;]

I've noticed paper liners pretty much get dominated by any dark batter, so I love foil liners for this purpose.  They also add some elegance since they keep a clean, crisp appearance even after baking.

I go easy on the sugar pearls because I don't want to take away from the frosting at all, but they make a beautiful accent!  That and not everyone wants a slight crunch to their cupcakes, haha, if you've never used them before I suggest tasting one so you know their consistency.  5-8 was a perfect amount for me.  I was told later people at the party were actually asking if they were edible, which I had to smile at, since I've never seen a beaded cupcake, haha, these are the ones I used:

I stuck with the blue food color and violet icing dye to get a baby blue color.  Being a person on the verge of OCD, this means I made a giant batch of frosting to ensure that all of the cupcakes matched in color.  Remember, less is more!  Go easy on the violet.  If you're not familiar with icing dyes, here is an example of what to look for:

I used large foil pans to store these, which were perfect.  They were sturdy and deep enough to keep the cupcakes safe for their car trip.  I kept them in the fridge over night, and arrived a little early at the baby shower so they had plenty of time to get back to room temperature.

I have the recipes in my last post, but here they are again just in case!

Devil's Food Cupcakes 
Adapted from Cupcakes by Shelly Kaldunski
Makes 12 cupcakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1 large egg, room temp.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

~Preheat oven to 350°F.  Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

~Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  I don't normally sift, but cocoa powder always clumps up for me.

~In a large bowl beat together the sugar, brown sugar, and butter until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.  

~At this point add about 1/3 of your flour mixture, alternating with the water and buttermilk.  You should start and end this process with the flour mixture.  Beat just until combined.  Spoon your batter into your prepared muffin tins, no less than two-thirds full.

~Pop these in the oven and bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  (Mine needed the full 18 minutes this time around, but I did still check after 16.)

~Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

~Once cooled, top with frosting and decorations of your choice.  Enjoy and indulge in these chocolate goodies!

Basic Buttercream Frosting

C&H Recipe

Frosts 10-12 cupcakes

• 1 lb. box powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup butter (2/3 stick), room temp.

~Combine all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  I'd recommend an electric mixer to start on this one, scraping the bowl often.  If it seems too stiff to spread or pipe easily, beat in milk a few drops at a time.

~To get the color of mine it took roughly 3-6 drops of blue food coloring, and a small dab of violet icing dye.  Less is more with this, you can always add more later!