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!