Update+Pictures

Hello all! So sorry about being MIA again...this year has been very crazy and difficult thus far. I haven't been able to bake that much this year,  but I have done 2 weddings this year, so I'm here to post pictures!
Here's an update: On February 9th, my mother in law passed away from complications after having a stroke. My husband and I have our good and bad days from the loss, but we know for a surety that she is at peace and in a much better place. Also, my plan to create angel food cupcake varieties has been indefinitely put on hold, due to chronic back pain I've been having for a year now. It's been very hard, to say the least...this year has been less than ideal, to put it lightly. But the times that I've been able to bake have been a great therapy for me.
Okay, okay, sorry about the depressing talk. Ugh. This is a happy blog! So, onto pictures! :)

I made Milky Way Midnight cupcakes for one of my best friend's bridal shower, in late January. Then for her wedding on February 7th, I made basic Vanilla mini cupcakes. The buttercreams were flavored and colored to fit their colors: light teal was bubble gum, and peachy-coral was cotton candy. Obviously the colors were much lighter than the actual scheme asked for, but it turned out all right in the end.

Simple display, but oh so cute!

Another friend of mine asked me to do cupcakes for his open house on March 22nd. They wanted a whopping 4 flavors (something I haven't been used to doing), but it was a lot of fun to do each one. Because of the amount of cupcakes ordered, I had to use box cake mixes, but I modified the additive ingredients so that they would taste better than, you know, what ordinary cake mixes taste like. (You all know what I mean, right?!)

Flavor #1: Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting.

Flavor #2: Devils Food Chocolate, with a peanut butter filling and Nutella buttercream.

Flavor #3: Chocolate Chip with strawberry buttercream.

Flavor #4: Peach Cobbler with cinnamon whipped frosting.

I have to admit: out of the 4 flavors that I had access to taste, I only ate the chocolate chip strawberry one. I had 2! And I was not ashamed. :)

I'll tell you one thing about the kitchen ladies at these receptions: they sure know how to display cupcakes adorably! ;)

These cupcakes weren't for a wedding, but were partly for an LDS fireside that my parents were in charge of, and partly for my brother in law's birthday. They're Chocolate Oreo Dirt cupcakes with a whipped cream cheese frosting. Oh man, that frosting was the BOMB! It was purely an experiment that actually went right, for once. It wasn't too rich, and not too sweet: it was just right. I shall provide the recipe for it below. :)

CHEATERS WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup Cool Whip
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2-3 cups powder sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, butter and Cool Whip, for about 1 minute. Add vanilla extract, and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add powder sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, on low speed, increasing speed for about 10 seconds, in between powder sugar increments. Beat until fully combined.

So there you have it. I know this has been a long post, but I appreciate all of y'all's support. I hope to post again very soon! :)

xo

Winter Wonderland Cupcakes & a Project

WOW. So sorry about being a definite slacker!!! The last 2 months have been really busy (I'm sure you all understand, right??), so I've FINALLY found some time to sit & update. So here we go!

 

I made these beauties on my 24th birthday in December. As you may already know, angel food is my all-time favorite type of cake. It's so light & fluffy & absent of butter & oil; & the best part, I don't feel guilty if I eat more than 10 of these babies. So in lieu of this, I've decided that for the next few months, I will be creating variants of angel food cupcakes. Chocolate, orange, cookie dough-stuffed, cookies & cream, tiramisu, red velvet...I just want to try it all! I will, of course, document the results & recipes on here, so keep an eye out.

As for these Winter Wonderland cupcakes, they're so simple to make: angel food with peppermint chips inside. Let me tell you, I was a VERY happy birthday chick with these. And I know you will be, too. :)

WINTER WONDERLAND CUPCAKES

Angel Food Cupcakes:

•  6 egg whites
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup powder sugar
• 1/2 cup + 3 Tbsp. cake flour
• 1/3 Andes peppermint baking chips

Whipped Cream Topping:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup Cool Whip
•  1 tsp. vanilla extract
• mini marshmallows, for topping (use hot cocoa-sized marshmallows; you can find a container of them in the coffee/cocoa aisle for really cheap)

 Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine cake flour and powder sugar. Sift together, or whisk until incorporated. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites for 1 minute on medium speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar; increase setting to high speed and beat until mixture creates soft peaks. SLOWLY add in sugar, and continue to beat for 3 minutes, or until peaks become stiff. Turn off stand mixer.
Using a rubber spatula, GENTLY fold in flour mixture to egg whites and baking chips, in 3 increments. Be careful not to overmix. When mixture is completely incorporated, fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.
Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until cupcakes are puffed up and toothpick comes out clean. (You may not even have to bake them for this long, so keep an eye on them while they bake.) Cool completely.
Topping:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, with whisk attachment, beat heavy whipping cream and Cool Whip on high speed, until stiff peaks form. While beating, add vanilla extract.
Fill a piping bag and swirl onto cupcakes. Add mini marshmallows for extra crunch and flavor, and enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes

If you couldn't really tell, I'm in a pumpkin mood. I used to be pretty anti-pumpkin (I still kind of am), but added with cake mixes, now I'm warming up to it. And I've got 2 more pumpkin cupcake recipes to make, so hopefully I'll be fully converted. We'll just have to see!

These cupcakes took 2 tries to get right. The 1st was for a friend's Halloween party; everyone liked them, but my mother (whose judgment I trust, along with my husband) said she couldn't taste the cheesecake filling. So it was back to the drawing board. When I made it the 2nd time around, they turned out much better, & the flavors were much more present. So now with the recipe perfected, it's ready for you to try! :)

Ghost army!

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE CUPCAKES

White Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 cup dry milk powder
• 1/3 cup oil
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:

• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup powder sugar
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. caramel extract (optional)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Cinnamon Buttercream:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup Cool Whip
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups powder sugar

Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients with a whisk; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat oil, egg whites, sour cream and vanilla extract for 2 minutes. Add flour mixture on low speed, alternating with milk. Mix until just combined. Fill liners 1/2 full; set aside.
Filling:
In a medium bowl, or stand mixer bowl, beat all ingredients except chips until combined and fluffy. Stir in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
Add 1 heaping tablespoon of filling to each cupcake. Bake for 18-22 minutes; cool completely on wire racks.
Buttercream:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, Cool Whip and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Add cinnamon and mix until combined. Add powder sugar on low speed, 1 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Pipe onto cupcakes and enjoy!
**Ghost option: right after piping your cupcake, stick 2 mini chocolate chips and 1 regular-sized chocolate chip into place. Now you have a funny ghost to show off! (Note: I am not clever enough to come up with this on my own...thank you, Pinterest!)

Sweet Surprise Cupcakes

November is now upon us, & I've been slacking in updates. I have one more semi-Halloween themed cupcake for y'all. They're just super good & super enjoyable to eat! I know I did; I can only eat 1 in one sitting, though...sometimes my sweet tooth tells me when enough is enough.

 So what is the sweet surprise inside, you ask? It's a cookie dough ball with M&M's instead of chocolate chips. Pair that with peanut butter frosting...you'll be singing a sweet song all day, guaranteed.


SWEET SURPRISE CUPCAKES

Chocolate Cupcakes:

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Candy Cookie Dough Filling:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• about 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup mini M&M's

Peanut Butter Frosting:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp. Cool Whip
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2-3 cups powder sugar

Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and sour cream.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla extract. Stir in flour, alternating with buttermilk mixture. If cake mix is too thick, add a little milk to thin it out.
Fill liners 2/3 full; bake for 16-20 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks. When cooled, cut a small cone out of the middle, discarding the cake.
Cookie Dough:
In a medium bowl, or a stand mixer bowl, beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Add vanilla extract. Mix in flour on low speed, adding the milk in small increments. When dough is soft & formed, stir in M&M's with a rubber spatula. Form into 1 Tablespoon-sized balls, then press into each cupcakes.
Frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, peanut butter, Cool Whip and vanilla extract for 2 minutes. Add powder sugar, one cup at a time, on low speed, mixing until desired consistency is reached. Pipe onto cupcakes, and top with chocolate shavings, if desired. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Apple Pie Cupcakes

It's Autumn! It finally hit about 2 weeks ago, & for a girl who can never seem to get used to Southern Utah heat, this change in weather is a GODSEND. And what food item screams Autumn? Pumpkin, of course.I'm actually not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but I thought, What if pumpkin pie was combined with apple pie? Hence, pumpkin apple pie cupcakes were born.

I have to say, these are probably my favorite cupcakes I've come up with. The perfect balance of pumpkin pie & apple pie, with a light cream cheese frosting...mm-mm-mmm! These were tender & moist once cooled, but be warned: they will become a tad bit dense once you freeze 'em. Nevertheless, these are still so yummy. So break out some milk & watch them autumn leaves fall! 

 PUMPKIN APPLE PIE CUPCAKES
Pumpkin Cupcakes: 
     2 cups flour 
     2 tsp. baking powder 
     1 tsp. baking soda 
     1 tsp. meringue powder (optional) 
     1/2 tsp. nutmeg 
     1/4 tsp. salt 
     1/2 cup butter, softened 
     1 cup sugar 
     3/4 cup pumpkin pie filling 
     2 eggs 
     1 tsp. vanilla extract 
     1/4 cup milk

Apple Pie Compote:

     2 small apples OR 1 large apple, cored/peeled/chopped 
     3 Tbsp. butter 
     1/4 cup sugar 
     1 Tbsp. cinnamon 
     1 tsp. lemon juice
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Buttercream: 
     4 oz. cream cheese
     1/4 cup butter, softened
     1/4 cup Cool Whip
     1 tsp. cinnamon
     1 tsp. vanilla extract
     2 cups powder sugar 
Cupcakes: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, meringue powder, nutmeg and salt; set aside.
In a medium saucepan, add butter, apples, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Stir lightly to coat apples; cook for 4-5 minutes, or until apples are softened. Remove from heat; cool for 5 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter, sugar and pumpkin pie filling for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined. Add vanilla extract.

Add dry ingredients on low speed, alternating with milk, and mix until just combined. Fold in apple compote.
Fill liners 2/3 full; bake for 16-20 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks. 
Buttercream: 
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together cheese, butter and Cool Whip until light and fluffy. Add cinnamon and vanilla extract.
Slowly add powder sugar, half a cup at a time, scraping down the bowl when needed, until desired consistency is reached.
Pipe onto cupcakes and enjoy!

Better Than Whoopie Cupcakes

As you can guess, these are my take on Better Than Sex cupcakes. But I wanted it to have a slightly less sensual name, because I'm weird like that. :) It is a triple chocolate cupcake with an Oreo crust, chocolate mousse filling, topped with chocolate ganache & chocolate cream cheese frosting. This recipe is simple to follow, but it IS a little time consuming. I finished making & assembling these after 3 hours...but that was mostly because I was socializing during the time. So you may get these done much quicker than me.

I have to say, these are BOSS cupcakes! What makes them so good is the filling, which recipe I used from Food For a Hungry Soul. It is AWESOME! I used the whole recipe & ended up with a ton left over. So you can either half the recipe, or you can make it whole & scarf the leftovers down (personally, I suggest doing the latter). So for all you chocolate lovers out there, this cupcake is for you. I hope you enjoy! 

BETTER THAN WHOOPIE CUPCAKES

 Oreo Crust:

12 Oreos halves, finely crushed

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Chocolate Cupcakes:

1 ¼ cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 Tbsp. dark cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. meringue powder (optional)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk, if needed

1/4 cup chocolate chips

Chocolate Mousse Filling (adapted from Food for a Hungry Soul):

1/2 cup powder sugar

2 cups cold heavy cream

1 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache:

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

2 Tbsp. heavy cream

Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream:

4 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup Cool Whip

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups powder sugar

(It may look weird, but you'll thank me later!)

      Mousse Filling: 

Combine powder sugar and 1/2 cup heavy cream in a medium saucepan; stir over low heat. Add chocolate chips to mixture, stirring frequently to melt chips and mixture becomes well blended; remove from heat. Add  vanilla, and stir to combine; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the remaining (1 ½ cups) heavy cream, slowly adding sugar. When all sugar is incorporated, increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
Fold in chocolate mixture into whipped cream, careful not to overmix. Refrigerate for 45-60 minutes. Cupcakes: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease each liner with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, soak Oreo crumbs with melted butter, stirring to evenly coat crumbs. Place 1 tablespoon of mix into each cupcake liner, pressing down with the back of a spoon.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powders, baking and meringue powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add vanilla extract and sour cream until just combined.

Add dry ingredients on low speed, alternating (if needed) with milk, until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Fill liners 2/3 full; bake for 16-20 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.
When cupcakes are completely cooled, fill a piping bag with mousse filling, fitted with an open-star tip (or cut the end of the bag). Cut a cone-shaped hole out of cake, and pipe a generous amount of filling into cupcake; replace the cake hole and cover the filling.
Ganache: 

In a microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate chips and heavy cream in 30 second intervals, until mixture is melted and well mixed. (You may need to add a tiny bit more cream to reach the right consistency.) Spread ganache evenly over cupcakes using a spatula or paring knife. Let ganache set, about 5 minutes.
Buttercream: 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together cheese, butter and Cool Whip for 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and cocoa powder. Slowly add powder sugar, half a cup at a time, until consistency is reached.
Pipe onto cupcakes, and enjoy!

A Few of My Favorite Things

Hello! This isn't a cupcake recipe update; that will come in a few days. But I wanted to share some of my favorite things, pertaining to desserts. You should definitely check them out! :)

FAVORITE COOKBOOKS
Your Cup of Cake:
If you're looking for easy and delicious cupcake recipes, this is your #1 source! All of the recipes are cake box-based, which sounds like it wouldn't be very good, but trust me, they are sublime. This is my go-to recipe book when I want quick cupcakes. Lizzy Early is fabulous, too, and she's based in Utah! I would love to meet her! (check out her website for cupcakes, cakes, puppy chow and more!)
Better Homes and Gardens Cupcakes:
BHG has been around forever, so you know you can trust 'em when they come out with a cookbook. These recipes are simple and taste oh-so-good!
The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook:
OH MY HECK. This is, without a doubt, one of THE greatest things EVER CREATED. Lindsay Landis is a culinary genius, because cookie dough is probably my favorite food. Everything in this just looks SO GOOD. I cannot emphasis enough, guys. This is a must for your dessert cookbook collection!

FAVORITE WEBSITES
The Baking Robot:
The whole concept--a robot baking up yummy concoctions--is cute in and of itself, and the recipes are a lot of fun to try. They're creative and bring out the inner child in all of us (for some, like me, that's pretty easy to do!). Plus, it's just funny to read each post; case in point, a tortilla crepe cake. Say what?!
The Domestic Rebel:
This website is amazing. It has some of the coolest, most delightful dessert recipes ever, from brownie bombs to cupcakes to truffles. And this recipe is just to die for, especially. Your sweet tooth will be begging you for more!
Cupcakes Garden:
Your home for daily cupcake recipes from around the worldwideweb! It features 3 original cupcakes every single day, so this is the place to go for new creations and inspirations. Just about any kind of cupcake is on this site, so you won't ever run out of ideas.

FAVORITE CUPCAKE RECIPES (there are so many I've tried and loved, but these ones are my top 3, so far.)
Angel Food:
Out of all the cupcakes in the world, angel food is my all-time favorite. So soft and fluffy and light and sweet and and and...I've loved these cakes ever since I was a little girl. This recipe can easily be cut in half (so you're not wasting TOO many egg yolks), and you still end up with a TON of cupcakes. Plus, you can eat 2 or 3 or 4 and not feel too guilty. ;)
Dark Chocolate Cookie Dough:
Coming in a very very VERY close 2nd (we're talking 9/99 of an inch, people--& so what if this measurement doesn't exist?! you get my drift!!) is this true beauty. It's the Holy Trinity of Flavors: dark chocolate, raw cookie dough, and cookie dough frosting. How often do I want one of these stunners? Um, EVERY DAY! Seriously, if I got fat(ter) from eating these, I wouldn't even care because THEY'RE SO GOOD! (That's a lie--I would care. But that's a secret!)
Boston Cream Pie:
These are little heavenly darlings. Seriously. The cake is light, the custard is to die for, and the homemade chocolate ganache is out of the park. They're simple to make, too, so you won't be sweating in the kitchen. Win win!

FAVORITE CUPCAKE CREATORS
Icing Bliss:
Fiona Rinaldi makes some of the most beautiful cupcakes I've ever seen. They're just perfect!
Carina's Cupcakes:
These gorgeous cupcakes are a lot of fun to look at!
Scrumptious Bun:
Notice a pattern? All these lovely ladies are from the UK! And these beauties are just adorable.

So there you have it! These are a few of my favorite baking things. I hope you enjoy these tasty things, too! :)