Cupcake BIRTHDAY!! 1920s style :)

Happy birthday Shavonne!!! In honor of #29, we celebrated 1929 style (before the Crash, of course) with a speakeasy, gambling and martinis--cupcake martinis that is! When asked by the birthday girl to provide the desserts, of COURSE I said yes and couldn't wait to begin my project. After getting approval for a few colors (green, purple and red, in case you couldn't tell), I then began planning the cupcake and frosting flavors. The red ended up being a recipe I concocted--Cherry Almond cupcakes (guest starring Amaretto!) with Cherry-Almond-Vanilla frosting. The green ones are Creme de Menthe, from 125 Favorite Cupcakes, and the purple ones are "Purple" Velvet cupcakes (using Martha Stewart's Red Velvet recipe). Creme de Menthe was topped with mint cream cheese and Purple Velvet just had plain ol' cream cheese.
Now to the assembly. Plastic martini glasses (big and little), red Jelly Bellys and purple and green M&Ms, and a TON of frosting--these are the tools needed. For the mini martini glasses, I began with a few jelly beans, added a mini cupcake, and topped it off with a swirl of frosting. DONE. For the larger glasses, I put a few M&Ms in the stem to prevent the frosting from dripping too far down and then "painted" the inside of the glass with frosting warmed up in the microwave to make it a little runny-er. Then into the fridge for it to harden. The big cupcakes were actually made in the LARGE cupcake tins, but filled halfway, so it was a flatter cupcake. Drop that baby into the glass and either swirl the frosting or pile it on top and smooth it out with a butter knife and garnish with some leftover candy. The "straws" are cocktail forks (with or without, they look great). You can see the mini cupcakes modeled in Hello Cupcake's newsletter, and the larger cupcake "martinis" on Jelly Belly's web site.
I had SO MUCH FUN making these cupcakes, but also lost a lot of sleep stressing about whether or not I could pull it off. But, since 1929 WAS in the midst of Prohibition, we couldn't break the law and have REAL martinis, now could we :)


Side note: Special thanks to Brian (college football writer for AOL Fanhouse, FYI) for the AWESOME cupcake plate in the background.

Persimmon Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting, 12/01

What is a persimmon? Well, it's a funny looking fruit. But I was challenged (ok not really challenged but asked) to make a persimmon cupcake from Art's donation of the ingredient, so I set out to find a recipe. I found one here (and A LOT of other cool recipes, which I will be trying out in the near future!!) that seemed to be pretty reputable. There was orange juice and pumpkin pie spice involved, and while I do have to admit this was not my favorite cupcake, those who KNEW persimmons and what they should taste like were satisfied with the flavor. One review was that it "tasted like winter" which I guess is good because persimmons seem to only be ripe at this time of year for a few weeks (?)--kind of like the Macinaw Peach (if you know Seinfeld, you get it)!!! So if you like persimmons, I suggest this recipe. It was fun, however, to try a new recipe with a new flavor since I feel like I am running out of new ideas and flavors (I know it's not true, but I'm in a cupcake rut, I guess!!). Next up--festive and FUN Christmas cupcakes:)

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Nutter Butter Turkeys, 11/17

Gobble Gobble! Happy (early) Thanksgiving. Since SOMEONE gets a whole week off at Thanksgiving (no complaints here, even if it means a little pay cut), this is Cupcake Wednesday's Thanksgiving. And for the festivities, I have pumpkin cupcakes from a tried and true recipe (into which I added pumpkin pie spice! Oh yes, I am THAT daring) and my cream cheese frosting. Topping these babies off are little "turkeys" made with 1 1/2 Nutter Butters, a few pieces of candy corn, mini chocolate chips, and a little extra frosting. I got the idea from another web site (just Google "Nutter Butter Turkey Cupcakes") and, while they have wings as well, I could NOT for the life of me fit the wings on the turkey. So guess what, my turkey can't fly (wait, can turkeys fly anyway? I know they can run really fast). The turkey cupcakes got rave reviews for their design, and would be great for little kids, but as it is, we turn in to little kids whenever we get around cupcakes, so they worked perfectly for us!

Fun Cupcake-Themed Items

So this is a new topic for my blog, but since I have received so many FUN cupcake themed items in the last year or so, I thought they (and the gift givers) deserved a shout out. I will add posts periodically. The first blog of this sort is dedicated to Lisa (see her blog), who found, at Bath and Body Works, this awesome hand sanitizer!! It absolutely smells like Red Velvet cupcakes, and it even has GLITTER! It's such a Catch-22--I want to use it but I don't want it to get used up too quickly. And at this time of the school year (think flu season and no one covering their mouths--you would think a 16 year old knew to do that by now but I guess not...), teachers are grateful for any type of germ fighter!!

Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting with Jelly Bellys, 11/09

Cupcake Wednesday took place on Tuesday since our week is totally messed up (but I'm not complaining about a four day weekend!). The spiced cupcakes are from Crazy About Cupcakes, and the cream cheese frosting (my own) was dyed a light shade of brown for the base. To celebrate the fall month of November, and the coming of Thanksgiving, I took an idea from What's New, Cupcake! and decorated the cupcakes like "Indian Corn." I had the most fun picking out the Jelly Belly colors and decorating them in a fun pattern. Squished together, they REALLY do look like corn on the cob! The leaves are another issue. The book suggests making it from philo dough, which I did, and it was my first time working with it. Well, mine looks NOTHING like theirs :( , but I tried. The definitely LOOKED like leaves, but propped up around the corn they just kind of fell flat. I suppose I will have to practice to get the technique right. Go to Hello Cupcake's website to see how it REALLY should look (or buy the book, it's TOTALLY worth it!).

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting in a Graveyard Scene, 10/20

It is getting closer to Halloween and my holiday spirit is picking up. For this week's design, I incorporated some ideas from What's New Cupcake, by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, along with my own ideas. For the base cupcake, I used red velvet--Martha Stewart's recipe--because it seemed kind of appropriate. The frosting, of course, was cream cheese (my own combination and ratio of ingredients). After frosting, I rolled the cupcakes in ground-up chocolate cookies to make the "dirt," thus beginning my graveyard scene. On separate occasions, I made the trees (the outline of which came from What's New Cupcake) and the grave markers (broken up bits of graham cracker, dipped in melting chocolate, and piped on RIP letters. The rest is store-bought courtesy of Walgreens--candy corn pumpkins and gummy skeletons I cut into pieces and stuck in the frosting. The scene was put together hastily before lunch, but the cute factor is still there, and I like the way it turned out. I think under different circumstances I would like to have put these on a platter and sprinkled more "dirt" on the bottom to fill in the spaces and make it REALLY festive, but I can live with the outcome for today.

PS. As ordered by my Dad, I have reserved some of the leftover cupcakes for him, that are not to be frozen by Mom--this rule (#576 in our lifetime--me, Steve and Erin, that is) is called the King's Fifth (maybe he needs a shirt with this on it). This rule does have more practicality behind it than the Neopolitan ice cream rule though!!!

Honey Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting as Candy Corn, 10/06

It's October!! Candy corn and Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins galore!!! These cupcakes were inspired by two things--a candy corn candle my mom got me last weekend (the "cupcake" in the back!), and the left over candy corn in my pantry from my attempt at candy corn-infused vodka:) The cupcakes are honey flavored, because that is the closest I could think of candy corn tasting like, and it's the same recipe as the "bee" cupcakes. The frosting is just store-bought but dyed with gel dyes to get a vibrant color. Then, using a large star, I swirled the yellow, then orange on top of that, and a dab of white. Festive!!!

Caramel Apple Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting, 09/01

Cupcake Wednesdays is back!! Which means so is school but a girl's gotta make a living somehow. So the first design for the beginning of the school year is, what else, an apple!! I've never been given an apple though (I have, however, been graced with Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, which I prefer), but it still reminds me of school and fall (and yes, I consider the first day of school to be the first day of fall!!). The cupcakes are caramel apple cupcakes from Crazy About Cupcakes, and the design is from my newest cupcake book, What's New Cupcake? by the authors of Hello Cupcake! My new book--courtesy of Marnie :) The "apple" shape is created from cutting off a tiny bit of the bottom of a mini donut, and then topped with a BUNCH of store-bought frosting dyed red. I then rolled the top of the cupcake GENTLY in red sugar and let them set in the fridge. While that was going on, I cut a tootsie roll length-wise and rolled it into a stem shape. I cut a green leaf out of a green airhead candy and scored it down the middle. I did think these cupcakes looked difficult to put together, but in the end they were not really that difficult!! The hardest part was getting the frosting on the cupcake/donut combination. And once the sugar soaked in to the frosting, combined with the apple/caramel/cinnamon flavor of the cupcake, it tasted a little bit like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and well, there is nothing bad about Cinnamon Toast Crunch :)

Brown Sugar Pound Cake Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting, 06/02

Bittersweet yes, as this is the last cupcake Wednesday for a while. It does, however, mean that they schoolyear is nearly over, so I won't mourn too much. To celebrate the onset of summer (I don't care what the calendar says, to teachers, summer starts when school ENDS), I developed a beachy scene, creativity that was inspired by my newest cupcake book (courtesy of Marnie!), "What's New Cupcake?" It was also my first venture into a cupcake "scene". The cupcakes are from Martha Stewart, and the frosting is some leftover vanilla buttercream, with the remainder being from a can of store-bought frosting. I expected the cupcakes, with the term "pound cake" in the title, to be heavier, but they were not overly heavy. The "sand" is brown sugar, and to create the waves I just piled on the frosting (after tinting it blue) and then created peaks with a butter knife. I was pleased with the end result. I cut up some Swedish Fish and shoved them in the frosting to add to the scenery. All in all, it makes me excited for my first full day off, when I go to the beach and enjoy the sand on my feet!!

Peanuts and Popcorn Cupcakes, 05/26

How did I get into this creative mood? I found MULTI-COLOR marshmallows!! Albertsons!! Anyway, the ideas for these cupcakes came from two different books, Hello, Cupcake and Hey There Cupcake! The popcorn cupcakes, designed with yellow and white marshmallows, are on top of a white cupcake recipe (from Hey There Cupcake) with some leftover white buttercream frosting. To make the "kernels" you cut one mini marshmallow into three slices and then place another whole marshmallow on top (the stickiness of the cut side of the slice helps bind it together). They turned out better than I expected. I was pleasantly surprised. The peanut-like decorated cupcake came from Hey There Cupcake! and they were just as--surprisingly--easy. I made the peanut butter cupcake recipe from their book and filled the cupcake well (probably too high, but oh well), then balled up little pieces of foil to make an indentation. After they came out of the oven, I sliced off the tops (and ate a few--what??) to make a level area for frosting. I used a peanut butter cream cheese frosting from a different cupcake requested by my nana, and then piped on little lines to make it resemble a peanut. I like the combination of the two designs--it reminds me of circus food, or my diet (excluding the liquids) on football game days :)

Blondie Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, 05/19

I have wanted to try these cupcakes for a while, but could not for the life of me find toffee chips. Well, let me tell you they are in the baking aisle by the chocolate chips (how I missed them I have no idea). Anyway, this is from Martha Stewart's Cupcake book, so how on earth could they be bad? Well, they weren't, and far be it for me to questions Martha Stewart, but I did add a little extra to the recipe. After mixing up the ingredients, I realized that these were, in fact, supposed to be like the brownie type of blondie, but I wasn't into something so heavy. So I added 1/3 cup of milk and a splash (maybe 1/4 of a cup) of sugar-free caramel flavored Torani syrup (can you say addicted?). The batter was thinner after those additions, and was exactly what I had been hoping for. The cupcakes rose well and I topped them off with vanilla buttercream from Hey There, Cupcake (and some with leftover cream cheese frosting from the week before), and added a cashew on top for a little "flair" :)

Mango Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Toasted Coconut, 05/12

As summer approaches (and the countdown is on the board!), the cupcakes are more summer inspired. That, and summer fruit is just really on sale now (the mangoes have been super cheap!). This cupcake recipe is from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes, and while I sometimes don't have the best luck with these recipes, this one turned out the way I like my cupcakes. I added more mango, and was worried that the mango flavor would not be strong enough, but surprisingly it was!! I then made my cream cheese frosting and rolled it in recently toasted coconut. A good summer cupcake, and one I would definitely make again! (And thanks to Brian for my birthday present--the fun plate in the background!!)

Margarita Cupcakes with Lime Cream Cheese Frosting, Sugar Crystals and a Lime Wedge, 05/05

Ok so in the past, I said I don't celebrate holidays on which I have to go to school, but maybe it's the southern California connection that I would prefer to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. For this day, which happened to fall on a Wednesday, I made my own version of several different designs I had seen browsing on the Internet. The recipe was a Lime Cupcake recipe from Crazy About Cupcakes (it's the lemon recipe, but altered for lime--I have had good luck with the lemon, so I figured I couldn't go wrong). To "spice" it up a bit, I added about a 1/4 cup of tequila (the cheap stuff)--nothing too overpowering, and it didn't really alter the consistency of the batter. They baked up nicely and then I frosted them with Lime Cream Cheese--cream cheese frosting recipe with some lime juice (so add a bit more powdered sugar to get the right consistency). After frosting them, I rolled the edges in clear sugar crystals (visit a Michaels Craft store), stuck a straw in it, and cut a little lime wedge! Bottoms up!!

Honey Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting and "Bees", 04/28

Ok but seriously, how cute are these cupcakes? I can't exactly pinpoint the exact inspiration for my Bee Cupcakes because it came from a few locations (you would not believe how popular this theme is!). A recipe from a magazine I pulled out, a few cupcake books (Hey There, Cupcake! is one of them), and the internet (in the end, I used this location for the design for the bees). The honey cupcake is moist and rose to the perfect little domed top (like I've said before, I HATE flat cupcakes), with a slight hint of honey in the taste--it's perfect in that it was not overwhelmingly honey-flavored nor was it unnoticeable. The frosting was just a canned vanilla frosting, but I used it because, as Hello, Cupcake! correctly advises, these frostings hold the color to a truer hue, and they are easier to pile on. I used a large star tip to swirl the frosting (after tinting it a light shade of yellow) and then began assembling the bees. I used a toothpick dipped in black food color to dab on the eyes, pressed it into the cupcake and followed with a brown M&M, then a yellow one. You could probably go with one more brown, but I was running out out candies. The wings are almond slices--I just placed those next to the bees after they had been assembled (I did try to match up the wing size a little bit). I simply adore these cupcakes--they came out much cuter than I was expecting, and I'm not bragging, but rather trying to encourage the further creation of these cupcakes because they were just so easy!!

Tropical Cupcakes with Rum Buttercream, Topped with Pineapple and Papaya, 04/21

Spring is approaching (well, I guess technically it is here, but it's 60 degrees outside in Southern California and it's APRIL). In honor of the season, I have chosen a fruity cupcake, Tropical, if you will, which also works well in anticipation of summer (33 SCHOOL DAYS!!). This tropical cupcake is from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes, which is essentially a white cupcake with Malibu-soaked dried fruit (papaya, mango and pineapple)--of which I included more fruit than called for--and macadamia nuts (which I cracked open and toasted myself, thank you very much). The fact that the fruit had been reconstituted in rum definitely contributed to the lingering coconut-rum taste, even after the cupcake had been baked. The toasted macadamia nuts gave the cupcake a stronger macadamia flavor as well, so there were a lot of flavors and tastes going on in this cupcake. To top it off, I frosted them with Rum Buttercream (from the same cookbook). Honestly, I don't think I've had a crush on something so much since my John Allred days (oh yeah, I brought it back!). This frosting is just fabulous, and with rum extract, you don't have to use as much. I topped the frosting off with little bits of dried pineapple and papaya, which reminded me of two things--a mosaic in an art gallery (because of the little pieces) and, for some reason, a 70s cupcake--I think it's the colors that remind me of the linoleum we used to have in the kitchen from when our house was built circa 1978 (?). But pretty nonetheless, and doesn't make me feel as guilty for an "unpretty" cupcake like last week :)

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Frosting, 04/07

I have to say, after the last two weeks, these cupcakes seemed rather anti-climactic, which is why it has taken me so long to post. Not that they were bad, they just weren't . . . cute. The snickerdoodle cupcake recipe is from Martha Stewart's cupcake cookbook, and on her website as well. They were cinnamon-y like a snickerdoodle, and light in texture. The mini cupcakes were very moist (plus I might have undercooked them . . . what, it's my cupcake!!). Since I envision snickerdoodle cookies and light and crispy, the only frosting that seemed to be appropriate was a whipped cream-type frosting, but not everyone is a whipped cream fan, so I compromised with tried-and-true Vanilla Cream Frosting from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes. After frosting them, I sprinkled the tops with sugar and cinnamon to finish the look. They are simple, sure to please most everyone, and (as commented TWICE), they go perfectly with coffee:)

Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes with Chocolate and Vanilla Frosting, 04/07

For the last birthday in March (but we were on spring break), Marnie got to choose her cupcake for the first Wednesday back. She said sweet, maybe chocolate-y. From a little Betty Crocker cookbook on cupcakes and sweets my mom gave to me before my flight to Baltimore over spring break, I found these cupcakes. They were from scratch, which I liked, and knew I could use them for the brainstorm brewing in my head. Now, if you know Marnie, there are a few things that immediately come to mind. One of those things is her favorite saying (and if it's not, it might as well be), "MOOOOVE COW." Yes, she has bouts of road rage, but hey, I'm not judging. And while I like to give credit where credit is due, after weeks of decorating cupcakes and making designs from someone else's recipe, I MADE MY OWN. First I frosted the cupcake with vanilla frosting, and then added chocolate frosting to the sides and top. I cut a LARGE marshmallow in four slices, short-wise, and frosted the noses pink. I cut one of those slices in half to make the ears, dipping the sticky side in pink sprinkles. I then cut a Milk Dud in half and pressed it in for the eyes, finishing the cupcake off by piping on nostrils and a mouth. So, between this week's cupcake and Easter's cupcakes, I have enough designs in my repertoire for my unborn children to have a barnyard-themed party--oh you better believe it!!

Coconut Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting and Shredded Coconut, AND Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, 04/ 04

It's Cupcake EASTER!! Ok so it's not Wednesday, but I couldn't ignore the cuteness of these cupcakes this year--they are much better than my first foray into themed cupcakes LAST Easter. None of these cupcakes are my own creation, but instead I found them on the internet. Visit the site and scroll through to find each version and its directions. Now, on to the cupcakes themselves. The chocolate cupcakes are the duckies, and that was just a mix from a Betty Crocker box (half used from the Valentines Day cupcakes). I frosted it with some green tinted cream cheese frosting (left over from St. Patty's Day), and then built the duck (two donut holes, yellow tinted vanilla frosting, and a cut-up Sour Patch kid for the beak). The other two cupcakes are my own adaptation of a white cupcake recipe from A Bakers Field Guide to Cupcakes. I REALLY wanted a coconut cupcake, but I couldn't find a recipe I liked well enough--so I made my own. And they were FABULOUS (not to brag too much). So I toasted 1/2 cup of coconut and added it to the batter at then end, stirring it in with a spatula. Then, to get the consistency I wanted, I added a (generous) amount of Malibu rum (and then took a sip--what???). I would say it ended up being 1/4 cup. They baked up to perfection! After frosting them, I dipped the bunny into shredded coconut, cut a LARGE marshmallow for the ears, plopped on some jellybeans for the eyes and nose, and added two TINY marshmallows for its muzzle. The basket has green-tinted coconut, Robin's Eggs candy and jellybeans, with the handle being a pipe cleaner. Having not eaten sweets for WEEKS, I was thoroughly satisfied that this was the first cupcake I was able to eat. They were festive and tasty and perfect for Easter!

Pina Colada Cupcakes with Pineapple Pudding Frosting, 03/24

Since Courtney's birthday was yesterday (happy birthday!!!), her request was for Hungry Girl's Pina Colada cupcakes, which I made several weeks ago for another birthday, but I wasn't kidding when I said these were just fabulous. And easy AND low-calorie. Seriously, get the book. Anyway, to make them a bit more festive, I added a little pineapple chunk and maraschino cherry to fit the "island" theme that comes to my mind whenever I think of pina coladas (and no, there is no rum in here, but again, that's what comes to my mind and I wanted to "cute-sy" up this picture). My favorite part, though, is the cupcake holder. Courtney definitely is a cheetah and zebra print girl and luckily the local cake store had these fun wrappers, so in honor of her birthday, I thought it would be fun to add this little touch! See the up-close pictures, they really are adorable. I can see an animal-theme cupcake for future use of these holders!!

Pistachio Cupcakes OR Irish Cream Cupcakes, with Cream Cheese Frosting, 03/17

While there was no planned St. Patrick's Day cupcake (for a few reasons--A) I'm not Irish and don't quite feel the pull, B) I decline to celebrate days when I don't get them off from work, and C) anything remotely "Irish" reminds me of Notre Dame and I do all I can to avoid THAT upchuck reflex), I received some St. Patty's Day themed cupcake holders, and so the plan materialized. There are two types because I wanted to try the Pistachio cupcake recipe from Martha Stewart's book (and the green reminded me of St. Patrick's Day anyway), but because of nut allergies, I also made Bailey's Irish Cream cupcakes, from Crazy About Cupcakes (having made them before, I knew they would turn out well. Cream cheese frosting went with both flavors, although the Bailey's cupcakes have green sprinkles, while the Pistachio cupcakes have green-tinted frosting, just to be different. I tried a new frosting technique from one of my new cupcake books, A Baker's Field Guide to Cupcakes, a recent birthday present. You frost your cupcakes and use the back of a spoon to pull the frosting up (it was initially used on a cupcake that had "ocean waves" as the decoration)I think it might have worked better with frosting that wasn't as pliable as cream cheese frosting, but it still looked different and gave it some texture. Hopefully the close-up will illustrate it well enough.

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting OR Strawberry Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting, 03/10

First off, a bit of a self serving moment--HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME. That's right, the big 3-0 and I can't even eat birthday cake. Believe me, I will be freezing a few of these babies to enjoy in April. Well, the reason for strawberry cupcakes is that strawberry is my favorite flavor, and having made these cupcakes before (they are the Sprinkles Bakery recipe, as given to Martha Stewart), I can vouch for their deliciousness. The frostings vary because I had some leftover strawberry frosting (also from Sprinkles via Martha) but wanted to try a yummy sounding recipe in 125 Best Cupcake Recipes, Strawberry Cream Cheese Buttercream. YUMMY. Well, my mistake in substituting an ingredient might have made it less cream cheese-y but that is the lesson I will have learned. While it called for strawberry jam, I decided to just use pureed strawberry for a "healthier" alternative. Well, unbeknownst to me, strawberry puree is more liquid-y than jam (ok I KNEW it but didn't it didn't really cross my mind at that point), so the frosting came out WAY too runny, and I literally had to add about 1 more cup of powdered sugar, so I'm sure it changed the taste a little bit. Next time, I will slowly add the puree, but I do think I will stick to the puree (it just seems more pure, you know?). The comments heard 'round the room was that it tasted like a strawberry smoothie. Good to know!! Well, these are my birthday cupcakes, happy birthday to me, and while everyone else celebrates it today, I'll celebrate April 8th!! :)

Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream Frosting, 03/03

I must admit, when you don't get to taste the cupcakes, it makes it rather difficult to write about them. But that is the sacrifice I have made, and I will continue to use reviews of the cupcakes to report on the success of Cupcake Wednesday (I have, however, frozen two of them to indulge as soon as Easter hits). The yellow buttermilk cupcakes were from Martha Stewart's cupcake cookbook, and even though I cut the recipe in half (which is difficult when there are 5 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks) and used regular flour in place of the cake flour portion (using 1/4 cup less according to my mom), they came out fluffy and moist and nicely rounded on the top (I hate the cupcakes that come out flat). The maple buttercream frosting was from PureMapleProducts.com, although I substituted maple extract for the maple syrup (halving the recipe, I used three teaspoons of maple extract) and added a bit more milk, slowly, until I found the right consistency. Despite the strong smell of the extract (my fingers smelled like maple syrup for DAYS), the report on the frosting was that it was NOT (again, despite the smell) as maple-y as one would think. Thanks to this frosting, I now have just about every extract available at Vons!! My mom dubbed these cupcakes "Breakfast Cupcakes" (because I was going for the pancake inspiration), so that is what they shall be called!

Lemon Buttermilk Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting, 02/24

Thanks to the wonderful southern California weather and very fruitful lemon trees (thanks Mom and Art!), I had an abundance of lemons in my refrigerator, taking up room, but I felt too bad to let them turn bad. So I found a new lemon cupcake recipe, this time from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes, for my next cupcake. Although I tend to have issues with this book because the cupcakes don't rise very well (I have decided to just amend each recipe to include baking soda), these cupcakes rose very well, and I added a little extra zest for that super-lemony taste, just in case. :) The frosting took a little time to decide, because I wanted to do something new, but couldn't decide what type of frosting to make. I settled on a Lemon Buttercream (recipe here) that, when mixed, was absolutely light and airy and, texture-wise, fabulous (couldn't taste it--Lent, remember?). For the frosting technique, I used what I think Hello, Cupcake! calls the "Rustic" Frosting technique. I plopped a glob of frosting in the middle and fanned it out to the edges, lifting the knife up at the end of each movement (girls of the '80s, imagine feathering your hair, but with frosting--that kind of wrist snap!).
So because I have absolutely no taste information on these cupcakes, here are the "reviews" from lunch: "Enough zest in the frosting to make it taste like lemon;" "The buttermilk reminds me of buttermilk pancakes I make;" "I can taste the buttermilk;" "They're so light and airy!" Those are the specifics. So to review, not too buttermilk-y, but enough to contribute to a light and airy texture, enough lemon in both the cupcake and the frosting, and good enough for seconds!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, 02/17

Milk and cookies anyone? These cupcakes were unique on a couple levels. First of all, they really were like chocolate chip cookie in cupcake form. The batter was a little denser, the cupcake came out a bit heavier and chewier. These cupcakes were from Crazy About Cupcakes, although I must admit I adapted them a little bit. I added mini chocolate chips to the batter (which did NOT sink to the bottom) in addition to the topping the book suggested (a mixture of chocolate chips and brown sugar on top of the cupcake before the frosting). I would have nixed this component of the cupcake, though, and instead just filled the cupcake up to the top, instead of halfway to the top as the book directed. To compensate for a lower cupcake, I swirled the frosting, which was also a new attempt on my part to create my own little recipe. So I already found my perfect cream cheese frosting recipe (to my personal liking--not necessarily the perfect combination and consistency for all), and instead of the last 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, I added cocoa powder. Although it was less cream cheese-y than I had wanted, the frosting came out very light and airy--not what I expected from cream cheese frosting. It almost had the texture of a mousse, which pretty much rocked. I enjoyed making these cupcakes because all pieces were new, and I have discovered I like finding minor adaptations to make them my own creation. Also because it was the last cupcake (or sweet for that matter) that I will be tasting without the punishment of my own self-inflicted penance because I gave up sweets--cupcakes and all--for Lent.

Pina Colada Cupcakes with Pineapple Pudding Frosting; Valentines Day Mini Cupcakes, 02/10

There were two cupcake themes today. First of all it was Claudia's birthday, and her request was from one of my favorite cookbooks, but not one I ever expected to use for Cupcake Wednesday--Hungry Girl!!!! I kid you not, these books (and website) has changed my life. Healthy, low-cal options for "regular" food, like cupcakes, dips, ONION RINGS. But I digress. So the first cupcakes were pina colada, and the frosting is a mixture of pudding, cream cheese and pineapple that tastes divine (I could eat it by the spoonful). The great thing about these cupcakes is that--despite the few ingredients--they are SUPER moist. In fact, they are such a favorite I was threatened by my brother if I did not bring some home (so as to not repeat the Runts Cupcake incident--oops!). They will reappear--Courtney is changing her request to these. So seriously, BUY THIS BOOK because it ROCKS.
The second installment was inspired from Hello, Cupcake!, a valentines day theme (and as much as I despise this holiday--and no I'm not lonely--I thought they were cute) that looked easy enough. I made some mini cupcakes from last week's batter, and then just a chocolate cake batter mix to make little chocolate ones. Then some big marshmallows and lots of valentines candy transforms these cupcakes into a box of chocoloates!!! Special shout out to mom for saving the heart shaped box. And from far away, they actually kind of look like chocolates (to quote Cher from Clueless: "It's like a Monet...from far away it looks good...")!