{Candace's Cupcake Buttercream}

Buttercream Frosting Recipe


Ingredients
* 3 cups powdered sugar
* 1 cup butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 tbsp whipping cream

Directions:

1. Cream the butter with the sugar.

2. Then add the liquids.

Note: To make it chocolate, add 3/4 cup cocoa and an extra tbsp of whipping cream. Easy!!  Oh, that only makes enough to frost about 12 cupcakes (depends on how much frosting you use on each one, though), so I doubled it.

(source: Candace M)

What Kind Of Cupcake Are You?

What Kind of Cupcake Are You?

http://www.teennick.com/quizzes/quiz_main.php?id=3518

(Click on the link or quick link above to find out!)

{Sweet Potato Cupcakes}

Ingredients:

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 tsp. baking powder
* 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp. baking soda
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1-1/2 cups sugar
* 3 eggs
* 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
* 1/2 tsp. vanilla
* Finely shredded orange peel
* Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line twenty four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups; set cups aside.

In medium bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition until combined. Add sweet potatoes and vanilla, beating until combined. Add flour mixture; beat until combined (batter will be thick).

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake about 20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool in pan on wire rack for 1 minute. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Place Cream Cheese Frosting in large resealable plastic bag. Cut a 1/4-inch opening in one corner of bag. Pipe frosting on top of cupcakes. Sprinkle with orange peel. Makes 24 cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting: In large mixing bowl beat one 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened, and 2/3 cup butter, softened, with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons bourbon or milk and beat until combined. Beat in 8 cups powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, until smooth and of a good piping consistency. Makes 4-1/3 cups.

{Pink Ribbon Cupcakes}

Pink Ribbon Cupcakes

Bake a Batch for the Cause. Take these to a bake sale to support breast cancer research.

What you need:

* Reynolds® Baked for You Baking Cups (Pink Damask)

* 1 package (18.25 ounces) yellow cake mix

* 1 container (16 oz.) ready-to-spread white

* frosting* Red food coloring

* Light pink sugar crystals

* Pink fondant

Instructions:

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F.

2. PLACE Reynolds Baking Cups in muffin pans; set aside.

3. PREPARE cake mix following package directions for 24 cupcakes. Spoon batter into baking cups.

4. BAKE following package directions (17 to 23 minutes). Cool.

5. TINT frosting pink with red food coloring. Spread the top of each cupcake with tinted frosting.

6. SPRINKLE tops with pink sugar crystals.

7. ROLL out fondant. Cut into strips measuring 4 inches X 1/4 inch.

8. SHAPE fondant strips into ribbon shape. Place on cupcakes.

Tip - You could also just use small strips of actual pink ribbon!

{Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes}

This cupcake has little pockets of grape jelly. The cupcake itself is moist and toothsome, and the chunky peanut butter frosting is smooth and rich without being cloyingly sweet.

This recipe for PBJ cupcakes is from Buttercup Bakes at Home.

PB&J Cupcakes

Makes: 12 to 14 cupcakes

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 large eggs, room temperature
* 3/4 cup milk
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 cup grape jelly
* Chunky Peanut Butter Frosting (see recipe below)
* Coarsely chopped peanuts or crushed peanut butter cups, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake papers.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in two parts, alternating with the milk. Add the vanilla.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups until each is about two-thirds full. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
5. When cupcakes are thoroughly cool, fill a squeeze bottle with jelly, and then invert the tip of the bottle into the center of a cooled cupcake. Carefully squeeze about 1 tablespoon jelly into center of cupcake. Repeat with remaining cupcakes. Frost with Chunky Peanut Butter Frosting, and garnish with roasted salted peanuts or crushed peanut butter cups.

Chunky Peanut Butter Frosting:

Makes: 2 1/2 cups (enough to frost 14 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
* 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
* 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 2 cups confectioners' sugar
* 1/2 tablespoon milk (a few drops more if needed)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. On low speed, slowly add 1 cup sugar, then a few drops milk. Increase mixer speed to medium-high, and mix thoroughly. Add remaining sugar and a few more drops milk if necessary.
3. Increase mixer speed to high, and mix until frosting is fluffy and reaches a good spreading consistency. Use immediately.

Cherry Petites

This recipe is from my grandma's recipe collection.

Grandma Ella's Cherry Petites

Filling ingredients:

* 2-8 oz. cream cheese

* 3/4 c. sugar

* 2 eggs

* 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Mix with mixer until creamy.

2. Set aside.

Ingredients:

* 1 box vanilla wafers

* 1 can cherry pie filling

* cupcake liners

Directions:

1. Place 1 wafer in each cupcake holder.

2. Put 1 tsp. filling on top of each wafer.

3. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes.

4. Once cooked, add 1 tsp. cherry pie filling to each.

5. Enjoy!

{National Cherries Jubilee Day!}

September 24th is National Cherries Jubilee Day

Cupcake of the Day - Vanilla cupcake with chunks of cherries, topped with a dab of whipped buttercream. (Need I say more!)

Happy National Cherries Jubilee Day!

{Happy Checkers Day!}

September 23, 2009 is Checkers Day

In honor of this day, challenge a friend to a game of checkers.

Afterwards, enjoy some black & white striped checkered-topped cupcakes!

Happy Checkers Day!

{Spaghetti Cupcakes}

Ingredients:

* 8 ounces spaghetti, cooked & undrained

* 4 eggs, slightly beaten

* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

* 1/4 teaspoon pepper

* 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce

* 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Grease 12-cup muffin pan; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine spaghetti, eggs, Parmesan cheese & pepper.

4. Evenly press into muffin cups to form a "crust."

5. Evenly top each cup with spaghetti sauce, then mozzarella cheese.

6. Bake 15 minutes or until bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Optional:

Add happy faces using broccoli flourets for hair, eyebrows or noses. Use sliced black olives or pimiento olives for eyes. Pepperoni or sliced tomatoes for mouths. Bake an additional 10 minutes.

{Cupcake Cookies}

Ingredients:

* 3 cups graham crackers, finely crushed (about 40 crackers)
* 1 cup whipping cream, unwhipped
* 2 cups miniature chocolate chips
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 lb butter, softened
* 1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
* vanilla frosting or chocolate frosting

* candied sprinkles'

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix all ingredients together.

3. Fill small candy liners (smaller than the smallest cupcake liners) with dough.

4. Place side-by-side on cookie sheet.

5. Bake for 10 minutes.

6. Cool and frost with white or chocolate frosting.

7. Whatever you do...Don't forget the sprinkles!