Red Velvet Cupcakes

       Hello Everyone. I want to start by saying that I'm back for real this time. I recently realized that I hadn't blogged in well over a year. I'm 15 now. I've still been baking though so I don't know what my deal is. Also, I appreciate how nice and encouraging everyone has been towards me! I think the main reason I gave up for so long was that I was so intimidated by the perfection from blogs like Bakerella or Sprinkle Bakes, and I was sort of lazy. I've also been busy with other things. But I'm going to start blogging again for those 1or 2 people that might occasionally read my blog.

      Ok enough blabber. I love all things red velvet: cake, cake balls, whoopie pies, cheesecake, even Duff Goldman's ice cream that I'm kind of obsessed with. Good stuff. So one day I was thinkin that I've never made homemade red velvet cake... I know right? So I got online and started my search. I settled on this recipe from the Magnolia Bakery because well, it's from the Magnolia Bakery. Spotted on The Sweetest Kitchen (fabulous blog btw). I got tons of compliments. It made around 3 dozen cupcakes for me.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients
3 1/3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons red food coloring
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well. In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overheat.

In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.

For a 9 inch 3 layer cake: Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

For approx. 3 dozen cupcakes: Bake for about 18-22 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of  cupcake comes out clean.

I frosted my cupcakes with my favorite cream cheese frosting. I may have doubled it for this recipe. I don't remember, but I also use this frosting for my Oreo cupcakes and coconut cupcakes.

Ingredients

1 package softened cream cheese (8 ounces)

3/4 cup softened butter (room temp)

1/2 tsp vanilla (I usually add way more)
1/2 tsp almond extract (I don't add this for all recipes, sometimes I use coconut flavoring)
2 3/4 cup powdered sugar (That's the original recipe, but I pipe it on so I always add more. Sometimes up to 6 cups to get the right consistency. Yes it's pretty sweet.)
Directions
In a large bowl beat the first four ingredients until smooth. Gradually add as much powdered sugar as needed for the consistency you want. Then pipe that bad boy on.

Have a good day now :) I look forward to your comments!

Want S'more? Cupcakes that is!

These S'mores cupcakes really do taste like s'mores! For the frosting I whipped up some homemade Marshmallows (Recipe coming soon!) and spread them on the cupcakes.

S'more Cupcakes

Makes 24

1 "Family Size" box Pillsbury Fudge Brownies

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

--------------------------------------
20 graham crackers

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1/2 sugar

1 bag mini chocolate chips

2 Hershey Bars

Start by preheating you oven to 350 degrees, & line your muffin pans with 24 cupcake wrappers. making the brownie mix according to package instructions, but use 3 eggs instead of 2 for cake-like brownies. Set aside.

For the Grahm Cracker "Crust", combine graham crackers and sugar in food processor, pulse until crackers are crushed into small even crumbs. Slowly add melted butter a little at a time, pulsing after each addition until you get a mixture that's still crumbly, but firm when pressed. Drop a Tablespoon of the crumbs into each cupcake liner & press them down with a small glass. I used a Mini-Tart Shaper from Pampered Chef. On top of that, sprinkle on 1 teaspoon of mini chocolate chips. Pop that into the oven for 5 minutes to firm the crust & start melting the chocolate chips.

Remove the pans from the oven & fill them 3/4 full with the brownie batter. Then, sprinkle another teaspoon of mini chocolate chips & another Tablespoon of the Graham Cracker mixture. Place pans back in the oven & bake for about 20 minutes.

 When they come out they'll look like this! Now you have to decide what you want to do for the frosting.

You can whip up some of Martha Stewart's Marshmallow Frosting.

Or you can spread on a little Marshmallow Fluff & stick a big marshmallow on top like Rebecca from Homemaker's Habitat did.

Or spread on some homemade marshmallow like I did, then stick on a Hershey's piece & Your done!

Happy Baking!

Chocolate Overload Cupcakes & Breast Cancer Awareness

These fabulous looking cupcakes are made with homemade Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache AND Chocolate Mousse Frosting. I've been meaning to share the recipe for my Chocolate Mousse Frosting since I featured it on my Chocolate Candy Bar Surprise Cupcakes. The recipe is super easy!

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Milk

1 box of Chocolate Pudding Mix

1 Container of Cool Whip

All you need to do is Whisk together the milk and pudding mix, and then add the Cool Whip (make sure that the Cool Whip is room temperature). You could also use different flavors of pudding mix if you like.

As you also may know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So bake some Pink cupcakes to show your Support!

Happy Baking!

Mini Oreo Cheescakes

Cookies and Cream Mini Cheesecakes from

Martha Stewart Cupcakes

As soon as I saw this recipe from The Busty Baker (Originally from Martha Stewart Cupcakes) I knew I had to make them for my mom's birthday! She loved them! Well at least she said she did, and that's good enough for me! My brother ate the most of them though.

Ingredients:

42 Oreos or other cream filled chocolate sandwich cookies

(30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped)

2 pounds cream cheese (room temperature)

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs room temperature (lightly beaten)

1 cup sour cream

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 275F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners, or if you use aluminum foil liners (like I did), you dont need muffin tins. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add the sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in the vanilla. Dump eggs in gradually, and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand with a rubber spatula.

Divide batter evenly among cookie filled cups, fill each almost to the top. (You can also sprinkle extra Oreo crumbs on top before baking.) Bake until the the filling is set, this will take approximately 22 minutes. Remember to rotate the cheesecakes halfway through. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate (in tins) for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

Happy Baking!

Chocolate Candy Bar Surprise Cupcakes!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Mousse Frosting and a Candy bar Surprise inside!

This is a Fun and Simple Recipe Idea to use for any occasion!

Start by making your favorite Standard Cupcake Recipe, but don't fill up the Cupcake Liners quite as full as you normally do. Once you fill up your cupcake liners, insert a small bite-size candy bar of your choice (I used 3 Musketeers, but you could use Snickers or Milky Way as well). If you can't find the bite-size candy bars, you can cut the Fun-Size bars in half like I did.

Yummy!

I frosted mine with my Special Chocolate Mousse Frosting! (Recipe coming Soon!)

Happy Cupcaking!

Cream Filled Chocolate Cupcakes!

Creamy Center Cupcakes & Vanilla Frosting from:
Taste of Home's Cupcakes! Muffins and More

First, Prepare and bake a box cake according to the package instructions and let the cupcakes cool.

Light & Fluffy Cream Filling

3/4 cup shortening
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, cream the sugar & shortening until it's Light & Fluffy.
Add the Marshmallow Cream and Vanilla & Mix Well!

To Fill the Cupcakes:

Cut a small hole in the corner of a Pastry Bag or plastic bag and enter a small tip. Fill the bag with the Cream and push the tip down to the center of the cupcake and squeeze the bag to release the Filling (Only for a few seconds). The Cupcake may expand a little.

Once your cupcakes are all filled up you can start making the Frosting! Here is the recipe I used, It's from Taste of Home's Cupcakes! Muffins and More cookbook as well.

Vanilla Frosting

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons butter (softened)

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used clear vanilla)

Food Coloring, optional

Beat all ingredients until smooth & fluffy.

To Frost, insert a Decorating Tip into the corner of a Pastry Bag & cut a small hole just big enough for the end of the tip. Fill the bag & Frost!

Good Luck!