Lemon Pomegranate Cupcakes with Pomegranate Buttercream

Cupcake Palooza 2016 Day 7

One of my most requested cupcakes is Raspberry Lemon. I think that no matter what the weather is outside people like to have that little taste of summer. However, in the winter raspberries are hideously expensive and when you are doing 10 dozen cupcakes at a time that makes a hit on the wallet. Enter pomegranates. I love them, I remember eating them at recess in elementary school with my friends and taking turns picking out the seeds. It was a fun treat and always brings fun memories of my childhood. An added bonus is some enterprising soul decided to make pomegranate juice and sell it at every grocery store on the planet. Well thank you very much, that makes my frosting so much easier!

Things I learned.

1. Pomegranates aren't that hard to seed once you get the hang of it.
2. Pomegranate juice makes lovely purple stains on your apron...wear one.
3. Pomegranate syrup would be delicious on waffles
4. Lemon curd should be eaten with a spoon. Always. 
5. Your microwave has an automatic sensor that can suddenly decide that what you are doing on the stove is too hot and will turn on the fan all by itself. Who knew? I just thought the microwave was possessed.

Cupcakes
1 lemon cake mix
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 c. flour
2 1/2 c. lemon curd

1. Mix cake mix, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in mixer until combined. Mix on med-high speed for 2 minutes
2. Put 1/4 c. batter in cupcake liners
3. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes
4. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks
5. Core cupcakes and set aside
6. Fill with lemon curd and replace cupcake cores
7. Squish down to distribute the lemon curd.

Frosting
1 cup butter
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup pomegranate juice
2 lbs Powdered sugar
Pomegranate seeds

1. Make pomegranate syrup by boiling pomegranate juice until reduced by half. Let cool until at least room temperature. Longer if possible
2. Cream butter, vanilla and salt. 
3. Add powdered sugar and syrup. You can add additional pomegranate juice if the frosting is too thick.
4. Add a couple of drop of red food coloring to make the frosting more pink
5. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. 
6. Decorate with pomegranate seeds

Banana Caramel Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream

Cupcake Palooza 2016 day 6

Banana Caramel Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream
24 cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 white cake mix
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 c. flour
1 cup mashed banana
1 tsp cinnamon

1. Mix cake mix, milk, bananas, oil, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla in mixer until combined. Mix on med-high speed for 2 minutes
2. Put 1/4 c. batter in cupcake liners
3. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes
4. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks

Frosting
1 cup room temp butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 T milk
3/4 c. caramel ice cream topping (I like Mrs. Richardson's)
2 lbs approximately powdered sugar

1. Cream butter, vanilla and salt together. 
2. Add most of the caramel topping and beat again
3. Slowly alternate adding powdered sugar and milk until everything is mixed in. Beat on high speed 2 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.
4. Pipe onto cupcakes.
5. Drizzle remaining caramel over frosted cupcakes. You can also add a caramel to the top if desired. 

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream

Cupcake Palooza day 5

Right about now I'm asking myself how the heck I got roped into doing this. Surely there is an easier way to win friends and influence people....and this frosting kind of reminds me of those buttercream mints you get at wedding receptions. Just for the record...

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream
24 cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 Devils Food Cake Mix
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla
1/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 bag Andes mint chips
1 tsp mint extract

1. Mix cake mix, milk, oil, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and mint extract in mixer until combined. Mix on med-high speed for 2 minutes
2. Fold in Andes mint chips
3. Put 1/4 c. batter in cupcake liners
4. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes
5. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks

Frosting
1 cup room temp butter
2 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp mint extract
1/2 tsp salt
6 T. milk
2 lbs approximately powdered sugar

1. Cream butter, vanilla and salt together. 
2. Alternate adding powdered sugar and milk until the frosting is the desired consistency. 
3. Add mint extract until the frosting is as "minty" as you want. Mine was pretty minty.
4. Add a couple of drops of green food coloring if you want green frosting. It's totally not necessary if you choose to cut it out.
5. Pipe onto cupcakes.
6. Decorate with leftover Andes mint chips, a full Andes mint or chocolate sprinkles

Cannoli Cupcakes

Cupcake Palooza 2016 Day 4

I go to Baltimore every year for work and while I'm there we always make a point to go to Vaccaro's Italian Pastry Shop. I try to get something different every time but we usually get a bunch of cannolis to go so that we can have a late night treat at the hotel. This was my attempt at recreating that dessert in a cupcake version. Not being anywhere close to an Italian grocery or specialty shop I had to improvise on the cannoli cream and I think it was pretty close. Close enough for northern Utah anyway. And yes, this is the same chocolate buttercream that has made an appearance already. I decided that if I could use the leftover frosting as I went it would make 10 dozen cupcakes a bit easier every night. And, an added bonus was that I didn't have vats of leftover frosting at the end of the 12 days.

Cannoli Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
24 cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 Butter Vanilla Cake Mix
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla
1/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp baking soda

1. Mix cake mix, milk, oil, sour cream, eggs and vanilla in mixer until combined. Mix on med-high speed for 2 minutes
2. Put 1/4 c. batter in cupcake liners
3. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes
4. Remove from heat and cool on wire racks
5. Core cupcakes when cool and fill with cannoli cream
6. Replace cores and squish down to distribute the cream into the cupcake

Cannoli Cream

1 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1. The night before you are making the cupcakes strain the ricotta in a cheesecloth lined strainer overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Squeeze any excess liquid from cheese
3. Puree in food processor 3-4 minutes to kind of whip it and make it lighter and fluffier
4. In mixer combine ricotta, powdered sugar and vanilla until mixed well
5. Fold in chocolate chips

Chocolate Buttercream

1 cup room temp butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 baking cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
2 lbs (ish) powdered sugar
A few tablespoons milk

1. Cream butter and vanilla together
2. Add cocoa and salt until butter is smooth and chocolaty
3. Alternate adding milk and powdered sugar until frosting is the consistency and sweetness you desire. 
4. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes
5. Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles or additional mini chocolate chips

Rocky Road Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

Cupcake Palooza 2016 Day 3

Mr Jiggle's favorite ice cream is Rocky Road; he could eat it every day. This is a tribute to that beloved food group.

Rocky Road Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
24 cupcakes

Cupcakes

1 Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix

1/3 c. milk

1/2 c. oil

1 cup sour )cream

4 eggs

2 tsp pure vanilla

1/4 c. flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 c. chopped almonds

1 jar marshmallow fluff

1. Mix cake mix, milk, oil, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, flour and baking soda until combined. 
2. Mix on med-high in mixer for 2 minutes
3. Fold in chopped nuts
4. Fill cupcake liners with 1/4 c. batter
5. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees
6. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack
7. When cupcakes are cool core and set aside cores
8. Fill cupcakes with a couple teaspoons of marshmallow fluff
9. Replace cake cores in cupcakes. Squish them down if you need to.

Chocolate Buttercream
1 cup room temp butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 baking cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
2 lbs (ish) powdered sugar
A few tablespoons milk

1. Cream butter and vanilla together
2. Add cocoa and salt until butter is smooth and chocolaty
3. Alternate adding milk and powdered sugar until frosting is the consistency and sweetness you desire. 
4. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes
5. Decorate with miniature marshmallows and additional chopped almonds

Key Lime Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream

Cupcake Palooza 2016 Day 2

Last year I tried to do lime cupcakes and it was a dismal failure. I threw away 12 dozen cupcakes that night. I've stewed about it all year long and this was what I came up with. It was a hit. The cake did stick to the liners more than other flavors because of the sugar content in the lime juice but overall, it was a success and was received well.

Key Lime Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream
24 cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 white cake mix
1/2 c. lime juice
1/2 c. oil
1 c. sour cream
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 c. flour
1 can key lime pie filling or lime curd

1. Mix cake mix, milk, oil, sour cream, eggs and vanilla in mixer until combined. Mix on med-high speed for 2 minutes
2. Put 1/4 c. batter in cupcake liners
3. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes
4. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks
5. When cupcakes are cool, core and set cores aside
6. Fill cupcakes with 2 tsp of filling and replace the cake core on top. You might have to kind of squish to get it back on. That's ok.

Frosting
1 cup room temp butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
6 T lime juice
2 lbs approximately powdered sugar

1. Cream butter, vanilla and salt together. 
2. Alternate adding powdered sugar and lime juice until the frosting is the desired consistency. 
3. Add a couple of drops of green food coloring if you want green frosting. It's totally not necessary if you choose to cut it out.
4. Pipe onto cupcakes.

Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes

 Cupcake Palooza 2016 Day 1

Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
24 cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 Devils Food Cake Mix
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla
1/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
24 chocolate truffles (I used Ferrero Rocher; you can do homemade if you're ambitious)

1. Mix cake mix, milk, oil, sour cream, eggs and vanilla in mixer until combined. Mix on med-high speed for 2 minutes
2. Put 1/4 c. batter in cupcake liners
3. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes
4. Remove from heat and quickly core cupcakes
5. Place truffle in cupcake and put the pan back into oven for 1-2 minutes to slightly melt the chocolate into the cake
6. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks

Chocolate Buttercream
1 cup room temp butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 baking cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
2 lbs (ish) powdered sugar
A few tablespoons milk

1. Cream butter and vanilla together
2. Add cocoa and salt until butter is smooth and chocolaty
3. Alternate adding milk and powdered sugar until frosting is the consistency and sweetness you desire. 
4. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes

Caramel Macadamia Nut Cheesecake

I saw a recipe for this cheesecake on the internet somewhere...somewhere being the critical word here and immediately decided that I needed to make it. So, I diligently printed it out and stuck it in my purse so that I would have it when I went to the store to pick up the ingredients. Fast forward a couple of days, or a week, and I am at the store today ready to shop and I look in my bag and what should I find? No recipe. Not a tattered full sheet, not a scrunched up half sheet, not a crumpled sticky note even, a big fat nothing where that recipe should be. So, because I hate being that person that stands in the aisle of the grocery store surfing the web and clogging up good cart space I decided to wing it. I've done cheesecake before and I've made caramel sauce before so surely I can figure this out, right?

This is what happened when I combined recipes in my repertoire and the picture in my head from the missing one I printed out. Not bad at all I say. Not bad at all. And, I got to lick the caramel sauce spoon. Bonus!

Caramel Macadamia Nut Cheesecake
10 inch cheesecake

Cheesecake
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. sugar
6 T. melted butter
3 bricks cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare springform pan with parchment and foil. Spray lightly with non stick spray.
2. Mix 1/4 c. sugar, cracker crumbs and melted butter together until a crumbly consistency. Press into bottom and slightly up the sides of your pan.
3. Beat cream cheese, 1/2 c. sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth.
4. Add eggs one at a time beating until smooth.
5. Pour batter over the graham cracker crust and gently place in oven.
6. Bake for 60-70 minutes. The cake will puff up but is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan to room temperature and refrigerate for a couple of hours before removing from pan.

Toasted Macadamia Nuts
1 c. Macadamia nuts

1. Put nuts on a baking sheet covered with foil.
2. Bake in 325 degree oven for approximately 15 minutes. (really I am guessing on time, I just let it go until the nuts smelled toasty)
3. Remove from oven and let cool

Caramel Sauce
1 stick butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 c. whipping cream
1 T. vanilla extract
generous sprinkle of Kosher salt

1. In saucepan over med heat mix butter, sugar, cream and vanilla together.
2. Stirring constantly bring to a boil. Cook approximately 7 minutes. I like mine a little thicker so I cooked it for 9 minutes.
3. Set aside and let cool slightly.

Remove cheesecake from pan and carefully put it on your serving plate. I swiped a dab of caramel on the plate to help keep it from sliding all over. Pour caramel over cheesecake evenly reserving a little bit to drizzle over the nuts. Sprinkle top with nuts and drizzle the rest of the caramel over the cheesecake. Refrigerate over night or until ready to serve.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Day 12. Hallefreakin'lujeah!

Honestly I haven't eaten these tonight but the early reviews from Randy and Bri are positive. Moist cake made with pie filling. Sort of like the muffins that you mix a cake mix and a can of pumpkin. Sort of the same idea only with eggs and apple chunks. And caramel apple pie filling is probably not NEARLY as "healthy" as pumpkin would be. Ok, it's not really the same at all but I tried. The frosting is my caramel cream cheese and that is always a winner. I'm always looking for things I can slather it on.


Caramel Apple Cupcakes
2 1/2 doz cupcakes

1 yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 can caramel apple pie filling
1 1/2 tsp apple pie spice
1 stick butter
1 8oz brick cream cheese
1/4 c. (ish, I honestly just squirt) caramel ice cream topping
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3-4 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line your pan with liners.
2. Open pie filling and run a knife through the apples several times to cut them into chunks instead of the slices.
3. Mix cake mix, eggs and pie filling until well blended.
4. Fill cupcake liners with 1/4 c batter and bake for 17 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
5. Let cool completely.
6. Cream butter and cream cheese.
7. Add caramel and vanilla and mix well.
8. Gradually add powdered sugar mixing well until frosting is the right consistency.
9. Frost cupcakes and drizzle more caramel over the top.

Blueberry Pancake with Maple Cream Cheese

My mom made breakfast every single morning that I can remember growing up. This wasn't a granola bar or dry cereal kind of breakfast, it was eggs and bacon and pancakes. Now, I always preferred waffles to pancakes but if there was any kind of berry involved I was all for pancakes. As a kid we had mostly huckleberries but one of my favorite books when I was little was "Blueberries for Sal" so I could pretend those huckleberries were blueberries. And in my imagination I could hear those berries hitting the bottom of the bucket of the person that picked them. "Kaplink, kaplank, kaplunk". Anyway these definitely brought those memories back as I was taste testing the batter and frosting.

These cupcakes are really rich, like it's a good thing that they aren't oversized rich. The maple cream cheese frosting is delicious and the bacon is the perfect garnish. The saltiness helps cut the sweetness of the frosting and really ties the cupcake together with that breakfast for dessert taste.

Blueberry Pancake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
2 1/2 doz cupcakes

Cake:
1 box white cake mix
1/2 c. oil
1 c. buttermilk
3 eggs
1 T. vanilla
1 T. apple pie spice
3/4 c. sour cream
1 12 oz bag frozen blueberries

Frosting:
1 stick butter
1 8 oz cube cream cheese
1 T. maple flavoring
3-4 c. powdered sugar

Bacon for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.

2. Sift cake mix and apple pie spice  into a bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine  eggs, oil, sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla extract.

4. Stir in cake mix and spices.

5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 17-22 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

6. Frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese. Add maple flavoring and slowly add in powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Add 1 Tbsp. milk if it becomes too thick.

7. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes

8. Garnish with a piece of bacon.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Day 8. These have been on my list of treats to make for a while. I love anything pumpkin and the minute it starts to get cooler I'm thinking about pumpkin cake, cookies and bread. These were made from the recipe at yourcupofcake.com. I made no changes and mine aren't as pretty as hers but they still taste pretty darned good. I'll definitely do them again.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Cake:

1 box yellow or white cake mix (you can use Spice mix and omit spices)

1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. cinnamon

15 oz. pumpkin puree

3 eggs

1/2 C. applesauce or oil

1/3 C. milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

6 Tbsp. butter, melted

1/4 C. sugar

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Cinnamon Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 C. butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 1/2 - 4 1/2 C. powdered sugar

Extra cinnamon and sugar for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.

2. Sift cake mix, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon into a bowl an set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, applesauce, milk and vanilla extract.

4. Stir in cake mix and spices.

5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 17-22 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

6. Place your melted butter in a small bowl.

7. Combine sugar and cinnamon in another small bowl.

8. Use a pastry brush to brush melted butter on the tops of your cupcakes (they can be cooled or nearly cooled), then roll the tops of the cupcakes into your cinnamon-sugar to get that "snickerdoodle" look.

9. Frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese. Add cinnamon and vanilla extract and slowly add in powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Add 1 Tbsp. milk if it becomes too thick.

10. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and sprinkles extra cinnamon-sugar on top

Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes

Day 7 and I'm too tired to expound on this one except to say the banana cream is fab.u.lous and I may have just squirted it into my mouth straight from the piping bag when I was done doing the cupcakes...Maybe. Possibly. Probably.

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes
Your Cup of Cake

Chocolate Banana Cake:

1 box Devil's Food cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 C. oil

3 bananas, mashed

1/2 C. milk or buttermilk

1/4 C. sour cream or plain yogurt (optional)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Chocolate Buttercream:

1 C. butter, softened

1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 Tbsp. milk

3-4 C. powdered sugar

Banana Cream Filling:

1 small pkg. banana cream instant pudding mix (jello mix)

2 C. heavy whipping cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, bananas, milk, sour cream and vanilla extract until smooth.
3. Stir in cake mix until smooth.
4. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 16-22 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
5. Chocolate Buttercream: Beat butter until smooth. Add cocoa, vanilla and milk and beat again. Slowly add in powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.
6. Filling: Using a whisk attachment on your Kitchen Aid or hand mixer, whip cream and pudding mix until stiff peaks form.
7.  To Assemble: Pipe a ring of chocolate buttercream around the edge of the cooled cupcakes. Then use a food scoop or a spoon to place the filling in the middle.

Pineapple Cream Cupcakes

Day 6, I think. I've lost count. These are a little bit of summer in this super frozen month. I followed the recipe on Your Cup of Cake pretty darned close. The only variation I made was I added pineapple juice to the frosting and because I didn't have actual crushed pineapple I zapped a can of tidbits in the blender and used that instead. It appears to have worked just fine.

Pineapple Cream Cupcakes
adapted from Your Cup of Cake
2 1/2 doz cupcakes\

Pineapple Cake:

1 box yellow cake mix

1/3 C. melted butter, cooled

3 eggs

1 1/4 C. crushed pineapple with juice

3 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 C. butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 T. pineapple juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3-4 C. powdered sugar

Maraschino Cherries for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line pans with liners2. combine butter, eggs, pineapple, and vanilla extract3. Stir in cake mix and blend until smooth4. Fill cupcake liners with 1/4 c. batter and bake for 15-17 minutes5. Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and pineapple juice. Gradually add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Pipe onto cupcakes6. Top with sprinkles and a cherry. Pretend it's summer outside :)

Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Day 5. Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes. My most requested cupcake never mind the time of year. These didn't get the pretty raspberries on top as it is December and they are expensive like gold but the pink sprinkles are pretty too.

The original post was for a scratch lemon cake. Tonight I used lemon cake mix as my base instead. I have a much more consistent result if I start with a mix and then add stuff to it. When I'm baking in bulk it's the only way to go. I also used the leftover raspberry Jello to flavor the frosting.

Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes
2 1/2 doz cupcakes

1 lemon cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1 c. buttermilk
3/4 c. sour cream
1 1/2 tsp lemon extract

Raspberry Lemonade Frosting

1 stick butter
1 8 oz cube cream cheese
3-4 cups powdered sugar
2-3 T. Milk
1 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 T. raspberry Jello

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix cake mix with eggs, oil, buttermilk, sour cream and lemon extract
3. Stir until smooth
4. Fill cupcake liners with 1/4 c. batter and bake for 15-17 minutes
5. Cream butter and cream cheese
6. Add extracts and Jello and mix well
7. Gradually add powdered sugar and milk until right consistency
8. Beat until fluffy. Frost cupcakes.

Raspberry Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

Day 4? I think so. It's starting to run together, the cupcakes I've done and the ones that are still on the plan. The things that I know I am going to do to a recipe and all the little tweaks that I consider before I actually do it. Mostly, right now, I'm sticking pretty close to the plan as I can't afford a major flop at 8:30 at night.

These are super rich but super yummy and as an added bonus chocolate frosting is so pretty piped onto the cupcakes.  I also have a weakness for raspberry pie filling and have to confess I ate the left over right out of the can. Add it to a chocolate cupcake and you've pretty much got heaven in a paper liner. The chocolate raspberry buttercream just takes it to a whole other level.

Enjoy. Feel free to moan a little :)

Raspberry Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Raspberry Buttercream
2 1/2 dozen cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 Devils Food Cake Mix
3 eggs
1/2 c. oil
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Filling:
Raspberry Pie Filling (Wilderness brand)

Chocolate Raspberry Buttercream:
2 sticks softened butter
1/2 c. Hershey's unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp raspberry Jello
2-3 T. milk
3-4 c. powdered sugar

Jet Puffed Hot Chocolate Marshmallows to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix cake mix with eggs, oil, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla
3. Stir until smooth
4. Fill cupcake liners with 1/4 c. batter and bake for 15-17 minutes
5. Cream butter for a couple of minutes until fluffy. Add cocoa, vanilla, Jello, and milk. Mix until smooth.
6. Gradually add powdered sugar until you reach your desired thickness. Add a little more milk if needed
7. Once cupcakes are cool, use a knife to cut a cone shape out of the center of each cupcake. Fill the hole with a spoonful of pie filling
8. Pipe frosting over filling and garnish with marshmallows

Orange Cream Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

It's Day 3. I had a day off yesterday as Mr. Jiggle is out of town and couldn't deliver the cupcakes this morning. But...tomorrow is a new day and he comes back tonight so cupcakes for dinner!

These are kind of summery but in this super cold, ucky, freezy, weather I'm willing to take any glimmer of summer I can get. As an added bonus they are lighter than chocolate which seems to be better received for whatever reason. Apparently I'm not the only one in the world that prefers other flavors to chocolate!

These are flavored with orange juice and orange zest and the cake is really yum. The real star of course is the frosting. Seriously, orange cream cheese?? Gah, so.good. It reminds me of the frosting on orange rolls without the cinnamon and those are some of my favorite treats.

Orange Cream Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
2 1/2 doz cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 white cake mix
1 small package vanilla pudding
4 eggs
2/3 c. oil
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. orange juice
2 T. orange zest
2 T. pure vanilla extract

1. Mix dry ingredients together.
2. Add eggs, oil, sour cream, buttermilk, orange juice and vanilla. Mix well for 2 minutes.
3. Add orange zest and mix.
4. Fill cupcake liners with 1/4 c. batter and bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes.

Frosting:
1 stick butter
8 oz cream cheese
2 tsp vanilla
2-3 T. milk
2 tsp orange zest
1 T. orange jello mix
3-4 c. powdered sugar

1. Cream butter and cream cheese together.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar and milk.
3. When right consistency add vanilla and orange jello mix.
4. Blend in orange zest and beat until fluffy.
5. Frost your cupcakes!

Nutella Rocky Road Krispy Treats

It's that time of year again that we are hosting weekly block parties in our backyard. Well, I have to figure out easy treats for each week so that I can cram them in while I'm still working regular hours. Sometimes that works better than others...

My neighbor has been diagnosed with Celiac disease and so I have been trying to be more aware of that when planning what I'm going to take. There's nothing fun about going to a pot luck and not being able to eat anything either because it has the dreaded food element in it or you're worried about it being cross contaminated. At least this way she knows she can eat what I bring.

I've been playing with Rice Krispy Treats and this is a good version. One I will definitely do again.

Nutella Rocky Road Treats

¼ cup  butter

1 (10½-oz) bag miniature marshmallows

2/3 cup Nutella

2 tsp vanilla extract

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1 jar Marshmallow Fluff

1 cup miniature marshmallows

½ cup chopped toasted pecans

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick foil, extending foil 2 inches beyond the edges (this is the best trick EVER!!)

2. In a 6-quart pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add marshmallows and stir with a rubber spatula until almost melted.

3. Stir in Nutella and vanilla and continue to stir until mixture is blended and smooth.

4. Remove from heat. Stir in cereal until it's evenly coated with the marshmallow mixture.

5. Press mixture into pan in an even layer and cool completely.

6. Spread Fluff over cooled cereal in pan. Evenly scatter mini marshmallows, pecans, and chocolate chips on top, gently pressing down to adhere.

7. Remove from pan and peel off foil. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container

PMS Cupcakes

This post should really be written by Bri, she is the pastry chef of the day but she's otherwise occupied at the moment. (Shocking right?) She's been doing all the grocery shopping since my crash (I'm still working out how to get her to keep doing that indefinitely) and picked up all the parts for Better Than Sex Cake. This morning as she was assembling it however she kept saying "This is such a chick treat" and "This is like PMS medication" so we renamed them PMS Cupcakes. That felt a little better for my 17 year old and they are in smaller doses than the actual cake so maybe they are just the right size for PMS and that's about it....

She used a German Chocolate cake mix, I think it would have been good with Devil's Food too. We couldn't find a poking device that was the right size so next time I'm planning on making bigger holes but overall it was super good. Definitely a do again.

PMS Cupcakes
24 cupcakes

1 box chocolate cake mix
4 eggs
1 cube butter melted
1 cup milk
1/2 c. flour
1 can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz caramel topping
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup (ish) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
crunched Health bar for garnish
caramel topping for garnish

Prepare cake batter with cake mix, eggs, butter, milk, and flour. Mix until fluffy; about 3 min on med high speed. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full (1/4 c.) and bake for 18-20 min at 350 degrees.

While cupcakes are baking mix caramel and sweetened condensed milk in a mixing bowl. Remove cupcakes from pan and place on cooling rack over a baking sheet. With a skewer poke holes in the warm cupcakes and using a spoon drizzle caramel mix over the cupcakes. Be patient and use most of the caramel. On a cake you would just pour it and walk away but you do have to babysit the cupcakes and give them a couple of layers.

Whip whipping cream, add vanilla and powdered sugar. Pipe onto cupcakes. Garnish with candy bars and caramel drizzle.

Refrigerate cupcakes until ready to serve.

Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes

Ah cupcakes, how do I love thee?? With lots of frosting and served on the regular! I had knee surgery a few weeks ago so food at my house has been consisting of things I can throw in the crock pot that I put in the freezer pre-surgery, pizza, or burgers. There hasn't been a huge amount of yummy treats coming from my kitchen. You'd think that would reflect in a positive way on the scale but so far my chubbiness has increased exponentially with my limited mobility despite the lack of treats. Boooo!!

I was feeling pretty good and had a Sunday afternoon to kill while we waited for ribs to smoke (another post altogether) so these cupcakes made their debut. I think that the lime could have been a little bit stronger...possibly use regular margaria mix instead of strawberry or just increase the lime juice but overall I really liked them. I loved that there was a little salt on the frosting to help cut the sweet and give it that bit of margarita authenticness. Well,  authentic as a virgin margarita can be :)

Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes 
2 dozen cupcakes

Cake:
1 box white cake mix
1/2 c. flour
4 large eggs
1 cup oil
1/2 c. strawberry margarita mix
1/2 c. pureed sweetened strawberries (I used frozen)
1/4 c. lime juice
1 small box strawberry jell-o


Frosting:
2 pounds powdered sugar
2 cubes butter (1 cup)
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. pureed strawberries
3 Tbs strawberry margarita mix
1 Tbs lime juice

Garnish:
Margarita salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with wrappers and set aside
2. In mixer bowl combine cake mix, flour, eggs, oil, pureed strawberries, margarita mix, lime juice and jello. Mix on med for 3 minutes until batter is well combined and starting to get thick. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. I usually use a 1/4 c. measuring cup. Bake for 18-19 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on cooling racks
3. Prepare frosting: In mixer bowl beat butter until fluffy. Add strawberry puree on low and beat until smooth. With the mixer on low speed slowly add sugar. Alternate with the margarita mix/lime juice until well combined. Beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy. Pipe onto cupcakes. Garnish with a sprinkle of salt.

Peach Cupcakes with Spiced Peach Buttercream

Jeff and I went to the farmer's market on Saturday and brought home a half bushel of peaches. We ate a bunch just cut up, made some jam and made these fabulous cupcakes. These were a definite do again. Like maybe this Saturday. The cake had just a hint of peach but anything more would have been overpowering. The frosting was really the star. The brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg pushed the peach flavor into something other than just peach frosting that was AWESOME! Eat with a spoon awesome! I did do a batch using a spice cake mix but the white was received better by all who taste tasted. Just an FYI :)

Peach Cupcakes
2 doz.

1 white cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/4 c. water
1 box peach Jello
1/2-3/4 c. pureed peaches
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix cake mix with eggs, oil, water and cinnamon. Add Jello and mix well. Add peaches and mix gently together. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full (1/4 c.). Bake at 350 for 18-21 minutes.

Spiced Peach Buttercream Frosting
(enough to frost 4 doz cupcakes)

3/4 c. softened butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. pureed peaches
2 lbs powdered sugar

Cream butter, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together. Alternate adding peaches and powdered sugar until frosting is piping consistency. Add vanilla. If you want to tint the frosting a little bit peach colored add 2 drops yellow and 1 drop of red food coloring.