High Heel Cupcakes

I LOVE LOVE LOVE THESE!!!

Make and decorate your favorite cupcakes and decorate in the colors/designs you want. 

To make High heels:

Use a Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookie for the bottom of the shoe and a Pepperidge Farm Piroette Wafer for the heel. 

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

1 - 10 z  box yellow cake mix plus the ingredients on the box to make the cake...eggs, oil, water etc

2 - 3.4 oz pkg instant banana pudding
4 cups milk
1 - 8 oz Kool Whip
20 vanilla wafers

Directions:

Prepare cake mix according to pkg directions for a 9 x 13 cake.  Once cake comes out of the oven, allow to cool for just a couple of minutes.  Using a wooden spoon handle, poke holes into the cake, all the way to the bottom of the pan.  You will want the holes to be fairly big so that the pudding has plenty of room to get down into them.

In a bow whisk together the pudding and the  milk, stirring until all of the lumps are gone.  Let the pudding sit for a couple of minutes so that it starts to thicken, but not set completely.  It should still be pourable. 

Pour the puddin all over the cake, spreading it out and making sure it goes into the holes.  Place into the fridge to set and cool. 

Once the cake is completely cool, spread on the whipped topping, sprinkle on the crushed vanilla wafers. Top with sliced bananas to serve.

Options:

Chopped Nuts
Cherries

Candy Bar Cake

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 4-6 (1.5 ounce) Hershey Bars milk chocolate candy, coarsely chopped w/ almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F Grease and flour 3 (8-9 inch) round cake pans.

2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, milk, eggs, oil (follow pkg ingredients and directions.  Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

4. To make the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the white sugar and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in the whipped topping, and chopped chocolate**. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cake.

**Use two of the chopped candy bars to garnish the top/sides of the cake.

Grandma's Pie Crust

Ingredients:
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups shortening
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup water

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, shortening, sugar, and salt. Blend together with a pastry cutter until crumbly.

2. In a small bowl, mix egg with water. Blend into flour mixture. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

Cupcake ~ Ice Cream Cones

fROM: http://www.onecharmingparty.com/

We're all about parties around here but sometimes my kids wonder when it's their turn for a birthday. These mini cupcakes are perfect for celebrating an unbirthday, for serving to the neighbor kids who come over to play all summer, or for selling at your lemonade stand. You'll need: mini cones, cake batter, and frosting.

Mix up your favorite cake recipe, from a box or from scratch. I added sprinkles to some of the batter for an instant confetti cake.

Put your mini cones into a mini muffin pan. I've seen these mini cones at both Target and Wal-Mart, so they should be easy to find. Pour batter in up to the bottom line on the cone--not too full or they will overflow. Less is better. Bake at the temperature the cake mix or your recipe calls for. I baked mine for about 12 minutes and it seemed just right, but every recipe varies.

Once cooled, add a swirl of frosting to resemble an ice cream cone and you're all set. This will easily make 60 mini cupcake cones (but you don't have to make that many).

Cupcakes

FROM:  http://www.makeit-loveit.com/

different things you can do with them.

Buttercream or fondant? Filling or glaze? Blue or yellow?

So many options. Ok.........I might like cupcakes a little too much!

Not to mention the cute liners you can get these days.

Like these. Too cute, right?

There are a few tips that work for me that I want to share.

I am going to show you how I add a jam filling to cupcakes.

How to put a buttercream swirl on your cupcakes.

Also how to put fondant on your cupcakes.

Here are some of the supplies:

1. Buttercream --see recipe below

2. Piping bags

3. Jam

4. Piping tips

Many of you have asked for my buttercream recipe.

I haven't ever included it because I do not use my own recipe. I use the Wilton recipe.

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1 teaspoon Clear Vanilla
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approx. 1 lb.)
• 2-4 tablespoons milk

Cream shortening with electric mixer. Add vanilla and milk. Add sugar, 2 cups at a time. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored for 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.

YIELD: 3 cups

Jam Filled Cupcakes

Bake cupcakes.

Cut tip off of piping bag and drop filling tip into the bag and fill the bag with any type of jam you like. Insert the tip halfway into the cupcake and squeeze a small amount of jam into the cupcake.

**Tip- you can use any type of filling you want.

Now you have a sweet fruit surprise in your cupcake.

Topping your cupcakes with a buttercream swirl.

First lets talk about putting buttercream into a piping bag.

Fold the bag back and spoon in the buttercream. Then fold the bag back into place and twist the top of the bag until the buttercream comes out of the end. This way you don't get buttercream on the outside of the bag while filling.

To put a swirl of frosting on a cupcake, use a 1M tip.

When making the swirl, start by squeezing a small amount of buttercream on top of the cupcake to make a frosting base. Then make a swirl around that base, then another swirl around the base. Then one more swirl will go on top of the base. When you get to the top, stop squeezing and lift straight up. You should have the base and three swirls around the cupcake.

Don't they look ready for a party?

Fondant Covered Cupcakes

Bake your cupcakes and then frost them with a layer of buttercream.

**TIP- -If your cupcakes ended up baking flat (without a dome on top), make a dome with the buttercream. Just make it thicker in the middle.

Roll out your fondant and cut out a circle that fits the top of your cupcake.

I used the smallest circle cutter from the same set I used in the Flag Cake post.

Place the circle of fondant on top of your cupcake and work it with your fingers to smooth it out and get it to fit to the edges.

Now add your decorations.

I just piped a dot border and cut out fondant flowers for the top.

Buried Treasure Bunt Cake

From baking banter at King Arthurs Flour
http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/

Tart lemon cake filled with sweet, gooey coconut is just the ticket for a bright, fresh spring day.

Here are three ingredients you might like to keep handy in your pantry.

Cream of tartar is a stabilizer for any kind of meringue, or egg white-based filling or topping. You may also find it called for in old-fashioned cookie recipes; it was one of the original leaveners in snickerdoodles, for instance.

Coconut flavor is one of the 27 extra-strong flavors we offer. Just 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon is all you need to add great flavor to cake, cookies, scones, pancakes… you name it. Vanilla-butternut flavor, anyone?

Lemon oil is the perfect stand-in for grated lemon rind (zest), when you don’t have any fresh lemons on hand. Substitute 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon lemon oil for the zest of 1 to 2 large lemons. It’ll make your cakes, icings, cookies, and muffins positively sing.

Let’s get started. Since it’s all about lemons, we’ll begin by making lemon glaze.

First, grate the rind from 2 medium-to-large lemons.

A Microplane grater-zester does a fine job here. It’s one of those tools you don’t use every day, but when you need to zest a lemon or lime – man, you’ll be glad you have it.

Set the grated rind aside; you’ll be adding it to the cake batter later.

Now, take those two denuded lemons and squeeze them; you want 1/3 cup lemon juice. Any extra, stir into your bottled water with a bit of Splenda for delicious calorie-free lemonade.

Stir 3/4 cup sugar into the 1/3 cup lemon juice. If you have superfine sugar, so much the better; it’ll dissolve more readily.

Set the glaze aside while you make the filling and cake.

First we’ll make the coconut filling.

Put the following in a mixing bowl, and start to beat, using your mixer’s whisk attachment:

2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Add 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, and beat at high speed till the mixture forms fairly stiff peaks. When you scoop some up in a spoon, it should hold its shape easily.

Stir in 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon coconut flavor or 2 teaspoons vanilla. Or both. Can’t get too much of a good thing, and that includes complementary flavors.

Mix 2 cups shredded or flaked sweetened coconut with 2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, and add to the egg whites.

Stir to combine.

Set the filling aside while you make the cake. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Lightly grease a 10” to 11” Bundt pan, or a 10” tube pan.

 Put the following in a mixing bowl:

1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt* (*Use just 1/2 teaspoon salt if you choose to use salted butter)

Beat till well combined.

Add 4 large eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl after you’ve added the first 2 eggs.

Look at that lovely, fluffy batter!

Add 3 cups (12 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour alternately with 1 cup milk.


 


Beat at low speed as you’re adding the flour and milk.  Stir in the grated lemon rind, or 3/4 teaspoon lemon oil.

Spoon about 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. You want to add enough to cover the bottom, and start to come up the sides, barely; but not so much that you don’t have enough left over to cover the filling.

Distribute the stiff filling atop the batter, centering it within the ring of batter so it doesn’t touch the sides of the pan. Pat it down gently.

Dollop the remaining batter on top, again smoothing it with a spatula.

Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

It should rise nicely, and turn golden brown on top.

Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack.

After 5 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen, and turn the cake out onto a rack. Place another rack on top, and flip it over, so it’s right-side-up.

Oh, boy… isn’t it a pleasure to work with a great Bundt pan! No sticks, no tears – that’s one perfect-looking cake. Aside from the coconut filling you see peeking out around the inner edge… promise of good things to come.

Brush the cake with the glaze.

Brush the glaze on heavily; you have plenty.

Once it’s soaked in, brush some more on. The result is a mildly lemon cake with a moist, assertively lemon outer crust.

 

Now comes the hard part – wait till it’s completely cool before you make that first slice!

4th of July Cupcakes

Drop the batter by the tablespoonful into the cupcake liners. Some we swirled with a toothpick. 

Fork the frosting, I did the same thing...tinted some of the frosting red and some blue. I put the blue and red frostings up the side of my icing bag and the white in the middle.toothpick and others we left as is. Both looked really neat on the inside.

Batter for 12 regular cupcakes, 9 big-top cupcakes, 6 extra-large cupcakes, or 42 mini-cupcakes

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup canola or corn oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Batter for 24 regular cupcakes, 18 big-top cupcakes, 12 extra-large cupcakes, or 72 mini-cupcakes

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola or corn oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg and yolk (or eggs, for the larger quantity) and sugar until thickened and lightened to a cream color, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix in the oil and vanilla until blended. Mix in the sour cream until no white streaks remain. Mix in the flour mixture until it is incorporated and the batter is smooth. The batter is ready to bake, or for additions such as nuts, fruit, or other flavorings.

Frosting

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, such as Crisco, at room temperature
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Make the cupcakes. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners.

Fill each paper liner with a scant 1/4 cup of batter, to about 1/2 inch below the top of the liner. Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack.

Carefully place the wire rack on top of the cupcakes in their pan. Protecting your hands with pot holders and holding the pan and rack together, invert them to release the cupcakes onto the wire rack. Turn the cupcakes top side up to cool completely.

Make The Frosting. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter, vegetable shortening, and salt to blend them. On low speed, beat in the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, and almond extract until smoothly blended, then beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute to lighten the frosting.

Using a thin metal spatula, spread about 2 tablespoons of frosting evenly over the top of each cupcake.

The cupcakes can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.