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!