Christmas Light Cupcakes

Tis the season for holiday cupcakes!

Here are my Christmas light cupcakes:

 

Cake Ingredients:

1 Box Chocolate cake mix

4 Eggs

1 1/4 cups Buttermilk

1/2 cup Vegetable oil

Combine cake ingredients above, mix according to instructions on box and bake at 350F for 17 min.  Or use your favorite chocolate cake recipe! 

Frosting and Decorations:

Pillsbury Peppermint frosting
Cake Mate black bakery icing bag
Wilton Christmas light bulb sprinkles

The sprinkles can be hard to find in stores, so it is best to look online and find deals.  Next tip is is that if you plan to use holiday cupcake liners it is best to bake in plain liners and cover with the decorative ones after so you won't loose the design during the baking!

Use a frosting knife to ice the cooled cupcakes with the peppermint frosting.  Next pipe on black icing.  If you cannot find the Cake Mate frosting use black food coloring to color some of the white frosting.  Final step is to place the light bulb sprinkles onto the cupcakes!

Chocolate Cauldrons

Happy Halloween!  This year I made these delicious chocolate cauldrons.

Wilton Dark Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening 
1/2 cup butter or margarine 
1 cup cocoa (I recommend Hersey's Special Dark)
1 tsp vanilla extract 
4 cups confectioners' sugar 
4-5 tbsps milk 
3-4 tbsps light corn syrup (optional)

Materials:
Your favorite chocolate cake recipe or a box cake mix
12 Mini Chocolate Donuts, cut in half
Vanilla pudding
1 pkg Chocolate Twizzlers
24 Pretzel sticks
Green Food coloring
Black Food Coloring
24 Black Cupcake liners
White and Green Pearl Sprinkles (Optional)

Bake chocolate cupcakes according the instructions. Wait until fully cooled to decorate.

To make frosting:
Cream shortening and butter with a stand mixer. Next add the cocoa and vanilla. Then add the confectioners sugar slowly, beating well on medium speed.  At this point the frosting will be very dry, add the milk and mix well.  If frosting is still too thick, add the corn syrup.  The frosting is a dark brown, so to make it truly black I added black food coloring.


Making the Cauldrons:
Put a small amount of frosting on top of the cupcake, then cut the mini donuts in half and place cut side down on top of the cupcake.

Next frost the top of the donut.  Then use a knife to create a slit on each side of the donut to insert the chocolate twizzler.

The next step is to frost the sides of the donut and over the twizzler.  Add the green food coloring to the vanilla pudding.  Scoop the pudding into the donut hole.  Add the pretzel stick and the pearl sprinkles.

Easy Dark Chocolate - Ice Cream cake

I was looking for something perfect to make for the summer.  I started thinking of the Coldstone cakes with the real cake and I came up with this ice cream cake!  This is dark chocolate cake with a center of salted caramel ice cream!  This cake may sound complicated, but I promise you it's easy!

Ingredients:
Chocolate cake of your choice (I used Betty Crocker Dark chocolate cake)
~2 pints Ice cream (I chose salted caramel ice cream)
Chocolate sprinkles for garnish
Vanilla Buttercream Icing:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ - 3 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

For ice cream layer:
Soften ice cream  and spread in a pan the same size as your cake layers lined with plastic wrap (I used 8 in).  Place in the freezer to harden for several hours or overnight.  If you need the pan for the cake remove ice cream from the pan after it has had a chance to harden some and keep in the freezer.

To make Vanilla Buttercream icing:
Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Next combine the heavy cream and the vanilla extract, gradually pour into mixture until combined.  If needed add more powdered sugar for desired consistency.

After the cake has been baked allow the layers to cool.  Next trim the layers so the tops are flat if needed.  Place the hardened ice cream round on top of one layer and place the other layer on top.  Use a frosting knife to ice the cake.  Make sure to work quickly since the ice cream will melt! If needed place cake back in freezer to cool down.  When done frosting garnish with chocolate sprinkles.

I hope you enjoy this summer treat!

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

What is better in the hot days of summer than refreshing Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes!

Cake Ingredients
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup club soda
3 eggs
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
For Strawberry cake: 4-5 tsps strawberry extract, Optional: red food coloring
For Lemon cake: 1 box lemon pudding mix

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix cake mix, club soda, eggs, and vegetable oil in a large bowl until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.  Split batter in half by pouring into another bowl.  In one half add the lemon pudding mix, in the other half add the strawberry extract.  Mix each on medium speed for about 1 minute.

Pour a small amount of each flavor into paper lined cupcake pans.  Then use a knife or toothpick to swirl together.  Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Strawberry Frosting Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
2-3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp strawberry extract
2 tsp strawberry juice or water
Optional: red food coloring

Beat the butter until creamy.  Add confectioner's sugar 1 cup at a time until the desired texture is achieved.  Add strawberry extract and water.  Add more juice or water if needed.  (The frosting comes out very light pink, I recommend adding food coloring.)


Lemon Frosting Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsps sugar
1 box lemon pudding mix

Beat cream and sugar until peaks start to form. Add lemon pudding mix and mix.

To achieve swirled frosting use 2 piping bags inserted into a 3rd piping bag with a tip, I used a 1 M star tip.

 

For extra sparkle top with pink and yellow decorating sugar.

  Happy baking!

Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes

What is more appropriate for Cinco de Mayo than Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes?

Cupcake Ingredients
1 box White cake mix
1 cup bottled strawberry margarita/daiquiri mix (ie. Daily's margarita mix)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup tequila (Can substitute with water for kid friendly cupcakes!)
4 egg whites

Frosting Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tbsps strawberry margarita/daiquiri mix

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large bowl beat all cupcake ingredients on low speed for 30 seconds, then beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.  Pour batter into paper-lined muffin tins.   Bake for 18-23 minutes.  Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.  Makes about 21 cupcakes.

 To make frosting beat butter and shortening on low speed in a large bowl.  Then gradually add powdered sugar to mixture.  Add the margarita mix one tbsp at a time until frosting is the desired consistency.
To frost cupcakes use a frosting bag and a 1M star tip.  Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.  To decorate cupcakes use pink sugar and straws (cut to fit).

 

I hope you enjoy these cupcakes as much as we did!!  And the left over strawberry mix and tequila make great margaritas! ;)

Vanilla Cake with Strawberry filling

Recently my friend requested vanilla cake for her birthday, here is the result:

Cake ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk
Recipe adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/basic-vanilla-cake-recipe/index.html

Filling: 1 can Strawberry pie filling

Whipped Cream frosting ingredients:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

And Vanilla wafers for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Use baking spray (Pam) or butter to grease two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; grease the parchment and dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.  Mix 3 cups flour, the baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and the sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Next beat in the vanilla.  Alternate the flour mixture with the milk, beginning and ending with flour, beat until just smooth.  Divide the batter evenly between pans.  Bake for about 35 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then use a knife to loosen the edge of the cake.  Carefully turn cakes onto plates and let cool completely before frosting.

  If needed level bottom layer of cake before filling.  Next place filling on bottom layer of cake and place top layer of cake on top of filling.

For frosting combine all ingredients, except for the vanilla wafers, in a medium bowl; beat on high speed until soft peaks form.

Use a frosting knife to spread whipped cream over entire cake.  Next I added crushed vanilla wafers to the side of the cake.

Holiday Chocolate Chip cookies

I had some extra Holiday Morsels and decided to make delicious Chocolate and "White" (in this case red and green) chip cookies!

 

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 package Nestle Toll House Holiday morsels , divided
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

(The green and red holiday chips are actually white chocolate. When they are not available I recommend 1 heaping cup white chocolate morsels and 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels)

 

My new measuring graduated cylinder!

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Mix flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, packed brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in ~2/3s of holiday morsels and chocolate morsels.  Use a cookie scoop or drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.  Flatten dough and add remaining holiday morsels.  Recipe adapted from Nestle Toll House Holiday Chocolate chip cookies.

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Makes 3-4 dozen cookies depending on size.

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as my friends did!  Happy baking!