Welcome Spring with Lavender Cupcakes

First of all, happy spring!  This winter has seemed like it has lasted an eternity.  I am so ready to shed the layers and start wearing open-toed shoes and short sleeves.  I am so sick of bundling up and wearing boots everywhere I go.

Anyway, I know I have been on a little bit of a blogging hiatus lately, but work has been super crazy these past couple of weeks.  My normal schedule has been wake up, go to work, go to the gym, come home and do more work.  I think things are finally going to slow down a little bit, so I can concentrate a little more on blogging again.  I have felt like something has been missing for the past couple of weeks, and I think that void has been all of you guys!  I figured I would welcome myself back with a new cupcake recipe.  Because this week marks the first full week of spring, I thought I would share a floral recipe.  Ever since I introduced myself to pinterest, I have been eying up these Lavender & Honey cupcakes.

I decided to make my own version of the cupcakes.  I decided to make Lavender cupcakes with a honey frosting topped with lemon zest.  I modified the cupcake recipe slightly, but I didn't want to make a cream cheese frosting, so I made more of a honey buttercream.   The lemon zest on top was the perfect addition to give the cupcake some zing (if that's a word).  Overall, I was very happy with how this cupcake turned out!  So perfect for spring! The taste was very refreshing, and they were not too heavy or overly sweet.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs (2 yolks, 1 whole)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons lavender extract (found at Sur La Table)
2/3 cup cold milk
red & blue food coloring (optional)

For the frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup honey

Topping:
2 lemons to zest

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 ° and line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.

In an electric mixer, cream room temperature butter and sugar together.  Add in your eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla extract. If you are using food coloring, you can add it in here.

In a separate bowl, mix your flour, baking soda and salt.  Slowly add your dry ingredients to your butter and sugar mixture, making sure to keep your electric mixer on a slow-medium speed while you do so.

Lastly, stir in your milk and lavender extract.  Fill your lined muffin tins about 3/4 of the way and cook for about 20-24 minutes.  Ovens tend to vary slightly in temperature, so make sure you check towards the end of the timer with a toothpick.  Once the toothpick comes out clean, your cupcakes should be done.  Be sure not to overcook, otherwise they will become dry and crumbly.  Let cool for about an hour before frosting.

To make the frosting, start with room temperate butter and cream on a medium-high speed for about 3 minutes.  Slowly add in your powdered sugar a little at a time.  Once the sugar and butter are well mixed, add in your honey and heavy whipping cream.  Put into a piping tube and frost with your favorite tip!

Lastly, zest two lemons over top of your cupcakes.  Not only does this add some great flavor, but it also looks pretty and adds some color to the top of your cupcakes. 

 

Almond Cupcakes with Cherry Buttercream

Okay, so I know I promised I had some more fall flavored cupcakes, but this recipe is a special recipe.  I promise I still have some fall cupcakes on my to-do list, and trust me, they will be worth the wait!

Anyways, these cupcakes are for my Mom's birthday.  Like me, my Mom has a huge sweet tooth.  She prides herself in the ability to eat a quart of ice cream in two days (impressive, I know).  Her absolute favorite ice cream is the vanilla flavored ice cream with large chunks of maraschino cherries.  These cupcakes are inspired by her favorite flavor.

Now - let's cut to the chase.  The ingredients are

Cupcake
- 1 box of white cake mix
- 1/3 cup of melted butter
- 1 cup of water
- 4 eggs (two whole and 2 yolks only)
- 1 tsp of almond extract
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract

Frosting
- 1 cup of melted unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 3 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 20-25 maraschino cherries, drained overnight and diced
- 3-4 TBSP of juice from maraschino cherries

Garnish (optional)
- Sliced almonds (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 TBSP of warmed honey
- Confectioner's suger

For the cupcakes, preheat your oven to 350 ° and line 24 cupcake liners. Mix your cake mix with the melted butter and water on about medium speed.  Mix until smooth.  Add in eggs one at a time while mixing on medium-low.  Then add in your almond and vanilla extract.  Mix on medium for about a minute or until mixture is smooth and creamy.  Here is a picture of what your mix should look like:

 Fill your cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way and pop in the oven for about 20 minutes, or follow the instructions on your box.  They should be a nice golden color.

For the frosting, whip your room temperature butter for about 3-4 minutes on medium speed. It should become light and fluffy.  Drop to a low speed and add in your sugar one cup at a time.  Add in your salt and vanilla extract. Up the speed to a medium high and a mix for about 1 minute.   Add in your chopped cherries.  Please note, you must strain them overnight.  They will carry a lot of unwanted moisture and your chunks will end up being soggy.  I also blotted them with a paper towel once I diced them to get rid of any excess moisture.  Lastly, add in your cherry juice 1 tbsp at a time until you get your desired taste. Continue to mix on medium for another 30 seconds or so to make sure your ingredients are mixed well. 

To frost them, I used a piping bag with no tip.  With the piping pack straight up and down, start in the middle and work your way in a counter-clockwise position around the cupcake.

For the garnish, toast your almonds on medium high heat until they are slightly browned, about 5-8 minutes.  Make sure to keep them moving so they do not burn.  Take the almonds off the heat and stir in your honey.  Let cool for a few minutes.  Add about a pinch or so to each cupcake.  Lastly, I sifted powdered sugar on top.

Eat and enjoy!

Ooooy Goooey S'Mores Cupcakes

Ever since I started this blog, I have been promising one of my very bestest friends that I would make her s'mores cupcakes.  I made them a few years ago, and she has been raving about them ever since.  So, I finally decided I would give in and make them again.  After all, she has been helping me to get off my butt and start training for another half marathon.  So, I of course reward her hard work and dedication to me with a bunch of cupcakes!

This recipe is PERFECT for Fall.  There is nothing better than a warm fire, comfy sweater, and of course, s'mores.  I figured I would shy away from the traditional pumpkin theme of Fall and give you all something different.  Don't worry, I have s'more (get it- "some more", "s'more" haha) great Fall cupcake recipes up my sleeve that involve pumpkin.

These cupcakes have a crunchy, graham cracker crust, with chocolate cake, marshmallow buttercream, and a Hershey's chocolate and graham cracker garnish.

Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1 1/2 cup of crushed graham crackers
• 1/2 cup of melted, unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 tsp of salt

Cupcakes

•  1 box of chocolate cake mix
• 2 full eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/3 cup of vegetable oil

Marshmallow Icing 

• 1 1/2 cup of room temperature butter
• 8 oz of Marshmallow fluff
• 1/3 cup of confectioner's sugar

Preheat your oven to 325 °.  Line 24 cupcake trays with liners.

First you want to make the graham cracker crust.  In a food processor, crush your graham crackers until you have 1 1/2 cups.  It took me about 1 and a half sleeves.  Then, in a medium sized bowl, add the graham crackers to your melted butter and mix together with a spoon.  Next add in your sugar and salt and mix well.  It should be like a grainy consistency.  Add in about 3/4 a TBSP of your mixture to the bottom of each liner and flatten out to make a nice, thin crust.  Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool before adding your cupcake mixture.

To make the cupcakes, I cheated and used a box mix.  You can either follow the recipe on the box, or feel free to use my alterations above.  I like to use more egg yolk because it makes the cupcakes richer.  I also like to substitute the water for milk in chocolate box mixes to make for a creamier cupcake.  Add in all of your ingredients and mix well until mixture is smooth.  Fill the liners with your cupcake mixture until they are about 3/4 of the way full.  Bake according to the package.  I baked mine at 350° for about 19 minutes.  Let them fully cool before icing them.

To make the icing, start out as you would making buttercream.  Cream your room temperature butter in a mixer on low speed for about 3 minutes, or until smooth and creamy.  Slowly add in your marshmallow fluff and mix on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes.  Then slowly add in your confectioner's sugar a little bit at a time until you get the desired consistency.  Frost your cupcakes using a piping bag.  You may want to put a little extra icing in the center so that you can easily place your garnishes on top.

To garnish, I first used a torch to "toast" my marshmallow icing.  This gave it that "burnt marshmallow" flavor as well as caramelized the top for a nice crispy coating.  Then add on top a chocolate square and small piece of graham cracker.  There you go... the perfect campfire treat!

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

I love to make themed cupcakes for special events and holidays.  This weekend brings the celebration of every collage-aged person's favorite holiday: St. Patrick's Day.  Although St. Patrick's Day was originally started as a day to celebrate the life of Ireland's most sacred saint, St. Patrick, it has turned more into an excuse for people of (almost) all ages to dress in head-to-toe green and drink way more than they should.  So, what better way to celebrate the life of St. Patrick than with a drunken cupcake.  Why not combine deliciousness with boose?  Since Irish Car Bombs (a shot of Bailey's and Jameson dropped into a glass of Guinness) are one of the most popular St. Patty's Day drinks, I decided to turn it into a cupcake.  I like to think this cupcake tastes better than the actual drink itself.  The cupcakes itself is Guinness flavored, stuffed with a soft, Jameson genache, and topped with a Bailey's buttercream icing.

Please note: most of the alcohol cooks out of the cupcake.  However, the frosting has a good amount of Bailey's in it.  It will not get you drunk, but I would keep away from small children and pregnant woman just in case.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

Guinness Cupcakes
1 Box of Chocolate Cake Mix
1 cup of Guinness
3 eggs
1/4 cup of water (or more Guinness)
1/3 cup of vegetable oil

Genache
2 cups of bittersweet or dark chocolate (use good quality chocolate, not bakers chocolate)
2 cups of cream
2 tsp. of Jameson

Bailey's Buttercream Icing
3 sticks of unsalted, room temperature butter
3 3/4 cups of confectioner's sugar
4 1/2 TBSP of Bailey's Irish Cream

Directions:

Guinness Cupcakes- Preheat your oven to 350°.  Line about 24 cupcake liners into a cupcake tray (I only got 19 out of mine). Using a stand mixer, mix together the cake mix, water, oil, and Guinness on low for about 30 seconds.  Scrape down the sides, as needed.  Then, add in your eggs and mix together on medium for about 2 minutes or until batter is smooth and creamy.  Fill  the cupcake liners about 2/3s of the way full.  Bake for about 17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out smooth.  Let cool for at least an hour and core out the center for the genache.

Genache:

In a small pot, bring your cream to a slight boil.  Pour the cream over top of the chocolate and let sit for about a minute.  Whisk together until the chocolate melts completely into the cream and the genache turns to a smooth, milk chocolate color.  Add in your Jameson and continue to whisk together. The Jameson should add a nice shine to your mixture.  Let cool for a couple of minutes.  Using a spoon or small ladle, add your genache to the center of the cupcake.  Put in the fridge and allow genache to cool for 30-40 minutes.

Bailey's Buttercream Icing:

Using the whisking paddle of your stand mixer, cream the room temperature butter for about 4-5 minutes on medium-high, scraping down the sides when necessary.  It should become light and airy.  Then, slowly add in your confectioner's sugar, continuing to mix on medium high.  After the mixture becomes light and fluffy, add in your Bailey's Irish Cream.  Top your cupcakes with the buttercream however you like and enjoy!

Here is a picture with the gooey, genache-filled center 

Strawberries and Champagne Cupcakes

What do you think of when you think of Valentine's Day?  Chocolate, Strawberries, Champagne?  Well I have a special cupcake recipe that combines all of these delicious treats.  These strawberries and champagne cupcakes are a sure fire way to your "special someone's" heart.  But, I have to warn you, they are very time consuming.  I spent almost an entire day creating these bad boys, but they are definitely worth it!  This recipe calls for a homemade strawberry cake batter, strawberry champagne filling, topped with a champagne buttercream and chocolate hearts.

So... let's start with the the cake batter.

For this recipe you will need:

1 1/3 cups of frozen or fresh strawberries (I would only use fresh if they are in season)
3 cups of flour
2 tsp. of baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cups of whole milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup of butter at room temp.
1/2 cup of coconut oil
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two cupcake trays with 24 liners.

First you want to cut up the strawberries and put them into a food processor.   Combine until you get a fairly smooth texture (it is okay if it is a little chunky).  It should look like this:

You can set the strawberries aside.  Then, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.  Then cream your butter and coconut oil until light and fluffy using the paddle attachment on a standing mixer.  (Note: I normally put the coconut oil in the microwave for about 10 seconds to let it get a little soft.  It does leave a very slight coconut taste, so you can always remove the coconut oil and replace with butter.  I really like the moisture that coconut oil brings to the recipe, so I like to use it.)  Next, add in your sugar, one cup at a time.  Take your strawberry puree and mix it together in a separate bowl with the vanilla and milk.  Take your dry ingredients and add about half slowly into your mixer.  Then, add in you strawberry mixture.  Lastly, slowly add the rest of your dry ingredients.

If you used fresh strawberries, your mixture will be a normal vanilla color with chunks of red.  However, if you used frozen strawberries, then you will have a slight pink color to the batter.

Take your batter and fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way.

 Pop in the over and cook for about 22-24 minutes.  Here is what they will look like:

Let cool and core out the center for your filling. 

Next you want to make the filling:

Here are the ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup champagne
2 1/2 cups frozen or fresh strawberries
4 tbs. cornstarch
3/4 cups of sugar

In a medium saucepan, whisk together your water, champagne and cornstarch.  Allow to thicken until it is reduced to about half.  Then add in your strawberries cut into bite size pieces and add in your sugar.  Cook at medium high heat for about 10 minutes and allow to thicken.  Then set aside and cool.  Note:  you may want to make this first because it does take about an hour to cool.

Fill your cored cupcakes with the filling.  They should look like this:

Next comes the champagne buttercream frosting. You will need:

2 sticks of butter
3 1/3 cups of powdered sugar
1/3 cup champagne
1 tsp. vanilla
4-5 drops of red food coloring (optional)

In a standing mixer, again with the paddle attachment, cream together your butter.  Slowly add in 3 cups of the powdered sugar, stopping and scraping down the sides with a spatula when necessary.  Then add in your champagne and vanilla.  Then, add in the last of your powdered sugar to thicken up a little.  Mix on medium high until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Then add in your food coloring and mix on low until you get the desired color.

I applied my frosting using a piping bag and Wilton's Open Star 1mm tip (my favorite :-))

Lastly, you can make your candied hearts.  I also managed to spell out "love" for V-day. I melted my chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute at medium power. Stirred and put in again for 30 seconds.  That did the trick!  Then allow the chocolate to cool for about 5-10 minutes and put into a piping bag.  I then let it cook for another 5 minutes so the chocolate wasn't too runny and hard to work with.  It helps to run under cool or warm water to get the right texture you want.  Then cut the tip of the piping bag about a quarter of an inch up and pipe your shapes onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.  See below:

Allow to cool int he freezer for about 20 minutes or so and they should pop right off!  Be sure not to make the lines too thin or the chocolate will break.  Top your frosted cupcakes with the chocolate and ta-da!  An impressive V-day treat is ready to be served.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes over the weekend... and OH MY GOSH were they delicious.  The gooey center, topped with a heavenly, whipped frosting made these cupcakes to die for! 

Seriously, just look at that gooey center! I promise you, they taste just as delicious as they look.  You see, the trick is to freeze the dough ahead of time so that when the cupcake bakes, they center has to unfreeze first, thus leaving an ooey gooey center.  Genius!

After you freeze the (egg-less) cookie dough balls overnight, whip up some vanilla cupcake batter. Either from scratch, or a box is fine.  Fill your cupcakes 2/3 of the way and drop one ball in each cupcake.  After you bake them, frost(I used Wilton Open Star 1M Tip) and top with miniature chocolate chips. 

Here is the finished product!  Enjoy!

I am in no way claiming this recipe to be my own.  In fact... if you want to make them yourself, check out Kevin & Amanda.