Mini Lime Cupcakes

I always love when a holiday rolls around because that means some themed baking is going to happen in my house. With St. Patty’s in a few days, I asked Noah what we should bake and he said cupcakes….so cupakes it is!

I have had this recipe pinned for quite awhile and have been waiting for the perfect recipe to bake up these little guys. I love that they are lime instead of the traditional mint or pistachio flavored cupcakes I came across for St. Patrick’s Day. I also love that they are itty bitty for easier portion control…unless you feel like you have to eat all the ugly ones since you don’t want your husband’s new co-workers to question your baking abilities….yeah, that totally didn’t happen.

Noah calls these cupcakes green tiny little baby ones. I think that kid is pretty funny. You know why else he’s funny? He is a typical boy so clothing is sometimes optional, even when cooking. I decided if he ever has a food blog it should be named “The Naked Chef” and my mom thought the tagline could be “Don’t burn your business” or “No pants, no problem.” That’s how he rolls, see.

Sorry for the tangent, he just cracks me up. I think the socks totally make the outfit.

The cake had a light lime flavor but man did the frosting pack an amazing lime zing. They were just perfect for the springtime that we are all dreaming about. It’s actually supposed to be in the 60′s today but then get chilly again this weekend.

Just wait and see what awesome cupcakes I found for Easter, you might just die.

Hope you all have a happy and safe St. Patty’s!

Mini Lime Cupcakes
recipe from A Farm Girl Dabbles

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
5 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. finely grated lime peel
Green food coloring (I always use gel food coloring because it’s more vibrant)
1-1/2 cups buttermilk

for the frosting*:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Tbsp. finely grated lime peel
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth.  Add sugar and beat to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then the lime juice, lime peel, and food coloring. Batter may look curdled, but that’s just fine. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, in 3 additions. Spoon batter into liners, about 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean. This took about 12 minutes for me, but it will depend on the size of your tins, so pay close attention to your baking time. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely before adding frosting. This recipe yielded 86 mini’s for me but once again, it will depend on the size of your muffin tin.

3. For the frosting: beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth.  With a medium-large plain round tip, pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes, or simply spread it on with a knife.  Sprinkle a bit of fresh lime zest over tops, if desired.

*The frosting only made enough to frost about 2/3 of my mini’s. I would recommend making a recipe and a half if you have a tiny mini muffin tin (the silicone ones seem to be bigger so if that is what you are using you should be fine with the original amount).

Superbowl Roundup 2013

Looking for some yummy treats to whip up for the Super Bowl? Well, you are in luck because I have compiled a list of delicious appetizers, main dishes and desserts that would be perfect for the big game.

Crispy Baked Asian Wings – they take a little extra work but they are well worth it. Make sure to cook a huge batch because they will disappear fast. Mix up the flavors with bbq, honey mustard and buffalo.

Cheesy Bread – This is simple to throw together and always a huge crowd pleaser. How could you go wrong with bread and cheese?

Extra Crispy Spicy Fried Chicken – I don’t think anything needs to be said for this one.

Easy Stromboli – When I think of Super Bowl food, pizza automatically pops into my head. Stromboli is easy to make for a crowd and super portable.

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps – Super Bowl food is typically high in calories (ie delicious) so these are a great alternative and healthy option.

Blue Moon Cupcakes – Beer, cupcakes, football. Yep.

Chocolate Guinness Cupakes – Just in case you prefer your beer with chocolate!

Football Brownie Bites – Obviously these are perfect for the game. So fun and festive!

Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

So do you all follow How Sweet It Is? If you don’t, you must follow the link know because she is amazing and quite hilarious. The recipes she dreams up are spectacular and this is one of them!

I only recently became a fan of sweet potatoes and now I’ve kind of become obsessed. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately since I certainly don’t need 12 of these in my house), Joel hasn’t jumped on my sweet potato band wagon yet so I’ve had these bookmarked for awhile waiting for the perfect opportunity to make them for someone else. When we were invited to a friends house recently to watch the Husker game I knew the time had come. And brought my cupcake holder home empty!

The cupcakes themselves were warm and spicy with a nice crunchy texture from the graham cracker crust. The marshmallow frosting was really, really sweet. I’m not a big fan of frosting in the first place so it was a bit much for me but the frosting lovers reported that it was yummy. The caramel drizzle of course adds more sugary goodness. The pecans added another layer of crunchy texture which I really enjoyed (but they are optional so do as you please).

These cupcakes would be a perfect update to the regular ‘ole sweet potato pie that usually graces the Thanksgiving buffet.

Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting
recipe from How Sweet It Is
makes 12 cupcakes

Graham crust:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Cupcakes:
1 1/3 cups loosely packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
6 ounces cooked, mashed sweet potato
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with liners. In a small bowl, mix melted butter, sugar and graham cracker crumbs until moist, then press about 1/2-1 tablespoon of crumbs into the bottom of each liner.

2. In a large bowl, whisk egg and sugar together until combined and no lumps remain. Add in vanilla extract and butter, then whisk in sweet potato. Add in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, then add in milk and stir until combined and smooth. Drop about 1/4 cup of batter on top of each graham cracker crust. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until cupcakes are set and spring back at the touch. Let cool completely before frosting.

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff
3 cups of powdered sugar
1-2 tsp. milk, if needed

Beat butter in the bowl of electric mixer until creamy. Add in fluff and beat for 2-3 minutes, then add in vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until fully incorporated. Once all the sugar has been added, beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. If mixture if too runny, add a bit more sugar. If it’s too thick, add a bit of milk one teaspoon at a time. Frost cupcakes and drizzle with caramel sauce and chopped pecans.

Chocolate Mayo Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

As you know, Joel and I aren’t chocolate fans but our little man is quite crazy about it. Because of this little fact, I knew he had to have chocolate cupcakes for his birthday party (I also made lemonade ones to fit into the yellow theme and to make us happy). Once he saw them he was wildly saying “cucake” over and over again. He has just a bit of a sweet tooth, don’t you think?

Once it was time, we lit candles and sang happy birthday. I wish you all could have seen the look on his face. He seemed very worried and concerned over why 30 people were staring at him and singing. He really was quite freaked out. But then the cupcake was plopped down in front of him and he went into a chocolate daze.

He blew out the candles all on his own then picked up the cupcake, looked at it…

and stuck his face in the frosting.

He tested the frosting for awhile…

then decided to stick the cupcake wrapper on his head as his hat (he has an obession with hats too).

He never actually tried the cake so I made sure that it didn’t go to waste and it was one of the best chocolate cakes that I have ever eaten. Just because I don’t care for chocolate cake doesn’t mean I don’t eat it…I keep trying it to see if it grows on me. And this cake is more than ok in my book. It was incredibly moist and had a light texture for a chocolate cake, due to the mayo. I know mayo sounds weird but trust me, it’s good!

The frosting was velvety smooth and had a wonderfully rich chocolate flavor without being too much. I had never made a sour cream frosting but I definitely will be whipping it up more often in the future.

When the cake was combined with the chocolate frosting it was a bit too rich for me but I’m sure most would love the double chocolate hit. I personally think the cake would pair wonderfully with Whipped Vanilla Bean Frosting. And the chocolate frosting would be great on a yellow cake to add some intense richness.

Chocolate Mayo Cake
recipe from Bon Appetit

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate  (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups boiling  water
2 3/4 cups all purpose  flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking  soda
1/4 teaspoon baking  powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) dark brown  sugar
1 1/3 cups mayonnaise (do not  use reduced-fat or fat-free)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla  extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 20 muffin cups with liners. Combine chopped chocolate and cocoa powder  in medium metal bowl. Add 1 3/4 cups boiling water  and whisk until chocolate is  melted and mixture is smooth.

2. Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into another medium  bowl. Using electric mixer, beat both sugars and mayonnaise in large bowl until  well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended  after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 4 additions  alternately with chocolate mixture in 3 additions, beating until blended after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.

3. Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean,  15-25 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan for 5 minutes then remove to wire rack. One cooled pipe or spread chocolate frosting on top (recipe follows).

Chocolate Frosting
recipe from Annie Eats

9.5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4 tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. sour cream

1. To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Set aside to cool until just barely warm.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and salt.  Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate and then the sour cream.  Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well blended.  Frost cupcakes immediately before the chocolate hardens and the frosting sets.

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes

Chocolate, beer and cupcakes? I’m sure many of you are thinking it couldn’t get any better. I wasn’t sure at first since you all know I don’t really like chocolate cake and am not a beer drinker. Well, I am glad I tried them out because they were quite delicious.

You can definitely taste the beer in the batter which surprised me since the Blue Moon Cupcakes I made last month didn’t leave a boozy flavor behind after baking. Probably because Guinness is such a deep, strong flavored stout. I couldn’t find dark chocolate cocoa so I just used regular but I can imagine they would be even more amazing with the dark chocolate. Cause if I’m eating chocolate I always pick dark. The vanilla bean whipped frosting was light, fluffy and really complimented the unique flavor of the cake.

This is the perfect cupcake for St. Patrick’s Day since they are made with Irish beer and all. I kept the decor simple since I made them for a friend’s housewarming party but they would be so fun dressed up with some St. Patty’s cupcake picks or course green sugar.

Want another reason to eat these? They are good for you. Yep, you heard me right. Studies claim Guinness is good for your heart because of the antioxidants in it (like in some fruits and veggies). Drink a beer or eat a cupcake instead of your fruits and veggies. Maybe you shouldn’t take advice from me….it’s questionable.

And this is what happens when you have a not so steady setup….a mass cupcake suicide. I lost 5, so sad.

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes
recipe from Sweetapolita

1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces) stout or dark beer (I used Guinness)
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1  cup sifted King Arthur Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tin with liners (I got 32 cupcakes out of the batter).

2. Place the stout and butter in a large, heavy saucepan and heat on medium heat until the butter melts, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the sifted cocoa powder until smooth. Pour into a large heatproof measuring cup or bowl and let cool.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (flat beater), mix the eggs and sour cream on medium speed (I use #4 on KitchenAid) until well combined, about 3 minutes.

5. Add the cooled cocoa mixture, and mix on medium speed (I use #4 on KitchenAid)  until combined, about 1 minute.

6. Add the dry ingredients slowly and combine on low-speed (I use #2 on KitchenAid) until blended, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of bowl, and then mix for another minute.

7. Scoop batter into prepared cupcake tins. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes clean, about 15-20 minutes.

8. Let cupcakes cool on wire racks for about 10 minutes, remove from cupcake pan and cool completely on wire rack. Frost cupcakes.

Whipped Vanilla Bean Frosting

3 sticks + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
3 cups sifted  confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed (I use “4″ on my KitchenAid). Butter will become very pale & creamy.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 6 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy, and fluffy.

3. Best used right away.

Recipe linked to Mangia Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, These Chicks Cooked, What I Whipped Up Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday and Fusion Friday.

Blue Moon Cupcakes

I’ve been an a huge cupcake kick lately. I made 3 different kinds of cupcakes in just a couple weeks (mind you they were for events but still it’s a bit excessive). They are just so fun and tasty and make a big impact with not much effort. When I saw these Blue Moon Cupcakes at one of my favorite blogs, Erica Sweet Tooth, I knew they would be perfect for our Super Bowl party last month. And they were a really big hit with everyone.

The cake was light and airy with a great hint of citrus. I couldn’t taste the beer in the cake but that was more than fine with me since I don’t like beer. I took Erica’s advice and poked holes in the cupcakes and brushed them with beer. I still didn’t taste it all that much but it made the tops moist and delicious.

The frosting was amazing to say the least. I added even more orange zest than the recipe called for because I love the fresh flavor of orange and I knew it would be so tasty with the cream cheese. I’m not one of those people that love frosting so much they eat it with a spoon but this frosting….it could have happened. I will be keeping this frosting as a favorite recipe for cream cheese frosting (with or without the zest).

These are perfect for any get together, you have to give them a try!

Blue Moon Cupcakes
recipe from Erica Sweet Tooth

3/4 cups butter, at room temperature
1-3/4 cup sugar
2-1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp orange zest
1 cup Blue Moon beer, plus more for brushing on tops
1/4 cup milk
Orange wedges and sanding sugar for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

4. Add eggs, beating after each addition then add the vanilla and zest.

5. Combine milk and beer and alternatively add this mixture and the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture with the mixer on low speed, starting and ending with the flour.

6. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 18 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.

7. When cupcakes are done, poke holes in the tops of the cupcakes with toothpicks and brush some beer on each while still warm.

For the citrus cream cheese frosting:
12 oz cream cheese, cold
6 tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
4 cups powdered sugar

1. Cream together the cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the citrus juice and zest and gradually add the powdered sugar until well-combined.  Beat until smooth for about 2 minutes.

3. Load frosting in a piping bag fit with a large star tip and pipe cupcake tops once cooled.

Recipe yields 24 cupcakes.

Recipe linked to Mangia Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, What I Whipped Up Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday, Fusion Friday and Sweets for a Saturday.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

 

First off I have to start by saying Happy 27^th Birthday to my husband Joel. We have spent many birthdays together but the past two have been especially meaningful seeing him not only as the love of my life but as a father to our son. He is such a fun, loving daddy and I just love watching him interact with our little man. I hope that Noah grows up to be as spirited, positive and social as Joel.

Now, onto the food. When I found these cupcakes, I knew they would be an instant hit with Joel. Snickerdoodles are one of his favorite cookies and he also quite enjoys cupcakes so I knew the combination would be spectacular. And it totally was. The cinnamon cake combined with the sweet cinnamon cream cheese frosting was the perfect treat! They were a huge hit with his colleagues. They are a definite must try!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
recipe from Recipe Girl

CAKE:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole milk

ICING:
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

TOPPING:
2 Tablespoons sugar + 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 28 muffin tins with paper liners.

2. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with additions of milk, beating until combined after each addition.

4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake about 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

5. Prepare frosting: In a medium bowl, use electric mixer to blend cream cheese and butter. Add sugars, vanilla and ground cinnamon. Spread onto cooled cupcakes, or scoop into piping bag and pipe on the frosting decoratively. Place sugar-cinnamon mixture in a fine sieve and tap it lightly over the cupcakes to give them a light sprinkle.

Caramel Apple Cake Pops {The Improv Cooking Challenge}

I am so honored to have been asked (along with over 100 other food bloggers) to participate in The Improv Cooking Challenge hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain. Each month we are given two ingredients and asked to make a recipe from them. For the first month of this awesome challenge, we were presented with apples and caramel. I immediately knew I would make these yummy Caramel Apple Cake Pops.

Aren’t they the cutest darn things you have ever seen? Well, maybe not the cutest. This guy totally wins in my book. Sorry, I love sneaking in photos of my little man whenever I can! This is Noah at 3 months as a giraffe. He is going to be a monkey this year.

I love that these look just like tiny caramel apples but when you bite inside it’s a moist, spicy cake that is accented by the sweet, gooey caramel and salty, crunchy peanuts. Yum! The cuteness of these treats does come at a cost. They are kind of time-consuming to make since they all have to be dipped and rolled. But they are totally worth it. And it is so fun to see your guests reaction to them which is so important to me. I bake and cook because I love to feed others and make them happy! These do the trick!

These were great as written but I think next time I want to punch up the apple taste. I was thinking of two different routes for this. Either dicing an apple or two into small chunks and stirring them in or possibly grating an apple and mixing that in (possibly replacing some of the applesauce). I wasn’t sure about the grated apple…thinking it might add too much moisture. Caramel Apple Cake Pops
recipe from Fun Stuff Cupcakes

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup applesauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/2 cups roasted peanuts, chopped
30 wooden sticks
2 pkgs. (14 oz. each) caramels
5 Tbsp. milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 30 mini muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Stir applesauce, sugar, oil and egg in large bowl until well blended. Add flour mixture; stir until blended. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling three-fourths full.
2. Bake about 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
3. Line baking sheet with waxed paper; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place peanuts on plate or in shallow dish. Insert craft sticks into tops.
4. Place unwrapped caramels and milk in large microwavable bowl; microwave on high 2 to 3 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring after each minutes. Working with 1 cupcake at a time, hold cupcake over bowl and spoon caramel over cupcake, rotating stick until completely coated. Immediately roll in peanuts to coat cupcake, pressing nuts lightly with fingertips to adhere to caramel. Stand cupcake (stick side up) on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cupcakes (caramel may need to be reheated briefly if it becomes too thick). Let stand 20 minutes or until caramel is set.

Lady Behind the Curtain-Bringing the simplicity of entertaining into your life.

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

Linked to the following wonderful blogs:
Full Plate Thursday
Sweet Treats Thursday
Mangia Monday
Totally Tasty Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday
Cast Party Wednesday
What I Whipped Up Wednesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Holiday Sweet Swap

Cherry Limeade Cupcakes

Joel just got through with his yearly review and got really great feedback. I wanted to surprise him with a dessert he would love and immediately thought of Cotton Candy Cupcakes. He loves cotton candy (I personally do not) and always gets cotton candy ice cream when we visit Cold Stone. Well, I searched Fargo high and low but had no luck finding the cotton candy flavoring that is called for in the recipe. Not surprising but disappointing nonetheless. But I will be purchasing cotton candy flavoring to make these for Joel…maybe for his birthday? You say his birthday isn’t for 3 months? Yes, I’m a little bit of a compulsive planner. Sue me.

Anyway, the second cupcake that I knew he would just love was Cherry Limeade Cupcakes. We love Sonic limeades but don’t get them too often since we do not have one in town. I thought this would be a unique, great surprise that he would really enjoy. And he did.

The cupcakes had an amazingly light texture that neither of us could believe. We just kept eating them to make sure the first wasn’t a fluke. Joel absolutely loved the frosting due to all the maraschino cherry juice which he loves. The sweetness of the frosting balanced out the lemon-lime zippiness in the cake.

Check out these Paula Deen cupcake liners I picked up at Michael’s. Oh Paula of course your cupcake liners would say such a thing – “A Well Balanced Diet is a Cupcake in Each Hand!” And that is why I find her so entertaining!

Cherry Limeade Cupcakes
recipe from The Culinary Enthusiast

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups milk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
zest of 3 limes
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. pure lemon extract

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake pans with liners.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
4. Put the sugar and lime zest in a mixer bowl and mix until the sugar is moist and fragrant.  Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment beat at medium speed for 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.
5. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is mixed well, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Continue mixing for 2 minutes.
6. Divide the batter between 18-24 cupcakes, filling each about 1/2 full.
7. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the touch. Transfer the cupcakes cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes. Frost and decorate after fully cooled.

Cherry Frosting
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
4-8 Tbsp. maraschino cherry juice
red food coloring (optional)

Combine the powdered sugar, butter and maraschino cherry juice in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth. Add more maraschino cherry juice as needed to achieve desired texture. Add red food coloring if desired (I did not add any).
Frost cooled cupcakes. Garnish with lime slices and maraschino cherries, if desired.Linked to Fat Camp Friday,  Sweets for a Saturday, Recipe Sharing Monday, Mangia Monday, Tasty Tuesday, This Chick Cooks , Cast Party Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday, This Week’s Cravings and Fusion Friday.

Vanilla Bean Buttercream and Completed 4th of July Cupcakes!

So this is the final installation of my 4th of July cupcake “series.” The ultimate, sweet, creamy and dreamy frosting! I’m pretty sure if a recipe is from the Brown Eyed Baker that you really can’t go wrong and I’m definitely glad that I gave her Vanilla Bean Buttercream a try! These disappeared quickly among our big crowd and from the one bite I got I totally understand.

I didn’t want to go with anything too out there so I thought my favorite white cake recipe would be great topped with this frosting. Anything with vanilla bean is sure to be a hit with me. My favorite drink at Starbucks (I don’t like coffee) is the Vanilla Bean Frappuccino and this buttercream totally tastes like it…amazing. I’m not usually a huge fan of frosting, especially buttercream, because it’s always sugary but this was just the right consistency and sweetness. I could have eaten it with a spoon.

After frosting a few pretty ones for pictures, my sweet 2nd cousin went in for the kill with her cupcake decorating skills. She was so sweet and waited very patiently for me to frost and photograph my cupcakes before it was her turn to help. I think she did a pretty darn good job for a 3 year old.

Here’s a great tip for filling piping bags without making a huge mess. Fit the piping bag with your tip then place it in a glass. Fold the bag over the glass then fill it with your frosting. Pull the bag back up and pipe.

I really hope you enjoy these amazing recipes, you won’t regret it.

Vanilla Bean Buttercream
recipe from Brown Eyed Baker
Yield: 3 cups (Enough for 24 cupcakes)

2½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
2½ cups confectioners’ sugar
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons heavy cream

1. In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Using a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into butter and beat mixture at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds.
2. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully incorporated, about 30 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 20 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Linked to:
Sweet as Sugar Cookies
Cupcake Apothecary
Everyday Sisters