Almond Cupcakes

Tonight our family held a little cupcake war in our kitchen.  We only used one kind of cupcake, but the frosting was a free for all.  I found this recipe on allrecipes for our cupcakes.  For my frosting, I used a cool whip frosting, which I thought was delicious with the almond cupcake.  But the judges didn't agree with me.  I lost.  They preferred the frosting from the can that you buy at the store (and the 3D Christmas trees, over my abstract, modern art Christmas tree).  However, they are only 8, 6 and 4 and they seemed to be easily swayed by sprinkles and piled high frosting.  Go figure!

Almond Cupcake

adapted slightly from: www.allrecipes.com

1 c. white sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond extract

3/4 c. milk

1 1/2 c. flour

1 3/4 tsp. baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter.  Add the eggs, almond extract and vanilla and mix well.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.  Alternately add in the milk and flour mixture to the batter, mixing well after each addition.  Spoon the batter into prepared muffin tins (about 2/3 full).  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the cool whip frosting:

1 package vanilla pudding (the small box)

1 carton of cool whip (the small one)

1 c. milk

caramel syrup (ice cream topping)-optional

In a medium bowl, mix together the pudding and milk until combined.  Stir in the cool whip.  It will set up a little if you put it in the fridge for a few minutes.  Frost your cupcakes, then drizzle caramel syrup over the top.

*makes 12 cupcakes

Banana Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I love these cupcakes!!  I may have eaten this frosting by the spoonful as I was making it.  My friend made them for us at work and I couldn't wait to try them myself.  They're moist and deliciously sweet, and the banana in the cupcake balances out the peanut butter frosting very very well.

Banana Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 ½ c. sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 ¼ c. ripe banana, mashed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix until batter is smooth.
4. Combine all dry ingredients and mix into batter in 3 parts,
alternating with buttermilk.  Reduce speed to low and mix for 2 more
minutes
5. Line cupcake pan with wrappers.  Using a spatula gently fold mashed
bananas into batter.  Scoop into cups until 2/3 full.
6. Bake for 25 minutes and let cool.

FOR FROSTING

2 c. powdered sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. creamy peanut butter (i used chunky b.c that's all I had :)
3 tbsp milk

Combine powdered sugar, butter and vanilla. Then add 1 cup peanut
butter and milk. Mix until spreadable.

Makes 18

Ruby Red Grapefruit Cupcakes

My good friend from work introduced me to these amazing cupcakes and I couldn't wait to try them myself.  They are absolutely delicious!  I love their light peach color, their fresh and fragrant taste, and the frosting is a dream in and of itself.  I would have never thought of using grapefruit in cupcakes but it's the perfect balance of sweetness with a subtle fruity twist.

Ruby Red Grapefruit Cupcakes

Thanks Martha Stewart

Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ruby red grapefruit zest
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 Tablespoons ruby red grapefruit juice
1 drop red food coloring (optional)
1/2 cup milk

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line 12 muffin cups.

2.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.

3.  Cream together butter and sugar. Add zest, juice, and food coloring and stir until smooth.

4.  Add eggs and continue to beat until well combined.

5.  Add flour mixture and milk alternately, stirring to mix.

6.  Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Do not overfill or the cupcake tops will spread too far before rising.

7.  Cool completely and frost with Ruby Red Grapefruit Frosting.

Frosting

Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons ruby red grapefruit juice
1 Tablespoon ruby red grapefruit zest
4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1.  Beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth.  Add juice and zest and beat again.

2.  Add powdered sugar, a cup at a time, and beat after each addition until of a spreadable consistency.

The Brightest Cupcakes You'll Ever Eat

I thought these cupcakes looked like so much fun! It was my nieces birthdays (a day apart) so I threw a little party while they were here. These may have caused a slight breakdown as I had been looking forward to making them all day, and had worked so hard on our house to get everything unpacked and the nails and other sharp objects put away before the kids came to visit (post move-in and construction items), but it left little time to make them. I was already tired and as I reached into the cupboard to find the food coloring, I remembered I had l let a friend borrow them! Since the food coloring was the most exciting part (however they were delicious!) I was quite upset. So, needless to say, I drove "into town" at 9:30 p.m. to buy some food coloring. It was a good thing in the long run because I was able to get the gel food coloring, which worked very well.

It looks just like play-dough.

Colorburst Cupcakes
1 white cake mix
2 eggs
1 C sour cream
1/2 C milk
1/3 C vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients until incorporated (about 30 seconds). Scrape sides of bowl and then beat on med-high speed for 3 minutes.

Divide the batter into separate bowls, depending on how many colors you use. I used 4 colors and it came out to about 1 1/2 cups-ish per bowl.

Use gel food coloring to color batter to desired intensity. (Gel food coloring works better by providing lots of color with less food coloring. I found it in my local grocery store.)

To give the cupcakes a striped look, put a spoonful in at a time and a tip Our Best Bites gave was to set out a little bowl of water and dip your finger in the water and then spread out the batter. This is so the batter doesn't stick to your finger.

Bake them according to the package directions, until a toothpick comes out clean. (Make sure they're not undercooked. My toothpick came out clean and I think they could have used an extra couple of minutes.)

Find a great frosting recipe to top them off with.

I have never had so much fun making cupcakes before; you can get so creative. They just look so yummy (I love that you can see the colors through the wrapper) and they're so much fun to eat!