Hot Pink Spring Nest Cupcakes

 

We have not one, not two but three girls!  They are 4 years and younger so of course they love bright colors and pink.  So when I spotted this bright pink edible grass at Target I knew I'd be making classic nest cupcakes.  The cupcakes turn out so cute and are the perfect addition to a spring party, Easter, a rainy day, a monday, whenever

Ingredients
Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all purpose four
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter or fleischmann's unsalted margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg beater type product, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup whole milk, room temperature or 2/3 rice milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
edible grass
chocolate egg candies

Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or fleischmann's unsalted margarine, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup whole milk or rice milk
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe adapted from 

This recipe comes from squidoo

Click Here for Recipe

Frosting Recipe

1. Beat margarine until creamy
2. On low speed add powdered sugar
3. Add vanilla then slowly add milk until desired consistency

Cupcake Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a cupcake pan with wrappers.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together
3. Beat margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until blended.  Sometimes the margarine will separate, mix a bit longer
5. Alternate adding flour and milk.  End with milk
6. Fill cups 2/3 full and bake 20-24 minutes.  Remove from pan after cooling for 1 minute and place on wire rack.
7. Frost cupcakes, add decorative grass and chocolate egg candies

Original Recipe Modifications

• used flieschmann's unsalted margarine instead of butter
• used real eggs from Costco (like eggbeaters) instead of eggs so the girls can safely sample the batter
• used rice milk instead of whole milk with a tablespoon of lemon
• used vanilla instead of vanilla paste

Raspberry Frosted Vanilla Mini Cupcakes

 

I picked up a subscription to Food and Wine magazine recently for my daughter's school fundraiser. I have already found several great recipes.  This cupcake just looked pretty and I knew it would have to be yummy too.  I tweaked the recipe from strawberry to raspberry and eliminated the milk products.  Instead of regular cupcakes we made mini ones.  I would guess you could use any type of berry jam.  Be careful to not add too much the frosting will get soft.  These were the perfect sweet treat to bring our dinner club and so pretty.

Recipe Modifications

• used fleischmann's unsalted margarine
• used vanilla rice milk
• you can use your favorite white or cream cheese frosting recipe and just add jam to taste.  I added raspberry jam and topped with fresh raspberries instead of strawberry
• made mini cupcakes instead of regular ones
• frosting was a bit soft so popped in the fridge before traveling with them

Cupcake Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

Recipe

This recipe comes from Food and Wine

Click Here for Recipe

Just Like Hostess Cupcake

I saw a picture of a cupcake that looked like those hostess ones that used to be packed in school lunches, you know in the old school metal lunch boxes right by the fruit punch pouch and p&j sandwich.  It was intriguing and as I'm soy, milk and nut free right now I decided to make it all from scratch.  The end result was yummy yummy yummy!  I didn't even like these growing up, but I like this adult version.  t think it will be even better when I can make it using real butter, there is no real substitute for the taste of real butter in my opinion.  I learned a few things.  The glaze is amazing an my new favorite for donuts and cupcakes.  And be careful if you put too much filling in a cupcake it will explode!  And yes, there are allot of steps but they are worth the end result just be patient.  We decided to decorate with loopy W's for our last name, Cadence is learning letters right now. 

Recipe Modifications

• I made these milk protein, soy protein and nut free.  So I always used fleishmann's unsalted dairy-free margarine and rice milk

White Icing Ingredients

1 cups confectioner sugar

1 tablespoons butter (softened) or fleishmann's unsalted dairy-free margarine

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon water

1-2 teaspoons milk or rice/almond milk

Chocolate Glaze Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) butter or or fleishmann's unsalted dairy-free margarine

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Cupcake Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose four

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 fine sea salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened or fleishmann's unsalted dairy-free margarine

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2/3 cup whole milk, room temperature or rice/almond milk

Marshmallow Filling Ingredients

1 1/2 cups marshmallow cream

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temperature or fleishmann's unsalted dairy-free margarine

Cupcake Construction

1. Make and bake the vanilla cupcakes.  You can use a box mix or the recipe for vanilla cupcakes below is good.  You don't want too sweet of a cupcake or the end cupcake will be too sweet.
2. Make the Marshmallow filling from the home made simple link and put into fridge.
3. After the cupcakes have cooled.  Fill a pastry bag with a large round tip.  Press the tip into the center of each cupcake and carefully fill it.  Be careful if you fill it too much it will crack!
4. Make the Chocolate Glaze from the home made simple link.  Dip each cupcake into the glaze.
5. Place all glazed cupcakes into the fridge and allow to cool for 20 minutes or more.
6. Place the icing in a bag with a tip or plastic bag and cut a corner.  Then it's time to decorate.  We decided on loopy W's to go with our last name

Recipe Links

This recipe was inspired by a home made simple recipe for cream-filled cupcakes

Click Here for Recipe

The vanilla cupcake recipe is from squidoo

Click Here for Recipe

Recipe for White Icing

1. Mix all ingredients except milk.  I use a hand mixer for this.
2. Add milk a little at a time until a thick glaze is formed.

Mini Sour Cream Pound Cake Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

I was looking for something not too heavy but still decadent to have after our Easter feast and decided to try out my new mini-cupcake pan.  I also got to try out my new cake decorating tips.  Birthdays can be a good thing ;-)  Adding a single colorful jellybean to the mini cupcakes gave them a spring feel and an extra treat for the little ones to enjoy.  These got rave reviews from everyone who tried them and I will for sure make these again.  They are the perfect little sweet ending to any meal.  And the ideal size for little tots that you don't want to go into sugar overload!

Recipe Modifications

• Halfed the cupcake recipe, as an added bonus the half stick of butter and half cream cheese was just the size I needed for the frosting
• Didn't have 16 oz package of powdered sugar so measured it out with measuring cup and added a tablespoon at a time until I got the consistency I wanted
• Added jellybeans for a touch of spring

Ingredients Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (8-oz.) container sour cream

Ingredients Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar

3 to 4 Tbsp. milk

Recipe

These recipes come from Southern Living.  They have amazing desserts and baked goods!

Click Here for Cupcake Recipe

Click Here for Frosting Recipe

Cupcake Wars - Raspberry Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream Frosting

We have caught a few episodes of Cupcake Wars and Cake Boss and they have really made me want to perfect super yummy and pretty cupcakes.  This is my first attempt at pretty cupcakes and I have to say I loved the recipe.  The cupcake was denser than a normal cupcake and very moist.  Don't be afraid of the raspberry puree, they are such soft berries you can mash them with your fork into a puree.  The frosting was buttery with just a hint of the champagne.  I didn't have a pastry bag or tips so I used a ziplock bag to make the frosting a bit fancier than my usual smear it on method.

Modifications

• All the stores I went to were out of the raspberry extract so I bought a raspberry gel flavoring for cupcakes.  I just squirted a bit in and it gave the perfect hint of raspberry and a slight lavender color
• Added 2.5 tablespoons of pureed raspberry instead of 2.  May add more next time
• Halved the frosting recipe but added 2.5 tablespoons of champagne instead of 2
• My oven usually bakes fast.  These took 30 minutes instead of the suggested 20 minutes

Ingredients
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon raspberry extract
2 tablespoons pureed fresh raspberries
frosting -
1 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons Champagne, or 1 tablespoon Champagne flavoring

Recipe

This was the first Cupcake Wars recipe I've used and I will try them again.  I have my eye on a tiramisu cupcake, yumm!

Click Here for Recipe