Week 29
Chocolate and zucchini? I never would have put these two together in a cupcake, but these are de-lish-uss!
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup cocoa, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp allspice
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl mix together the sugar, butter and oil. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, and zucchini.
In a separate bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined. Spoon batter into liners. Bake for approximately 20 minutes (don't overcook them or you will lose all the moist goodness - you want them to look almost done in the oven - they will continue to cook for a few minutes after you pull them from the oven).
Frost cupcakes with your favorite frosting or eat them plain!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Unfortunately...I Am Not Martha
The cover of the February 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine shows a delicious chocolate tart adorned with colorful meringue hearts. So for Valentine's Day I was thinking I would make a batch of red velvet cupcakes and put the meringue hearts on top. I decided to make a practice batch today.
I am not Martha! My cupcakes and meringue hearts tasted great....but the hearts did not look like hearts. They looked more like shark's teeth. I have never claimed to be artistic but you would think that a heart would be easy. NOT! The project was fun and I will try again, but next time I will download a heart template instead of freehanding the hearts.
I am not Martha! My cupcakes and meringue hearts tasted great....but the hearts did not look like hearts. They looked more like shark's teeth. I have never claimed to be artistic but you would think that a heart would be easy. NOT! The project was fun and I will try again, but next time I will download a heart template instead of freehanding the hearts.
February 2010
meringue hearts
( a.k.a. shark's teeth )
meringue hearts
( a.k.a. the letter Y? )
Friday, January 29, 2010
Scrabble Cupcakes
Blog Disclosure
This past week I have been reading about legal issues associated with blogs and most articles suggest posting a disclaimer on the blog. So....the information provided in this blog is for fun and entertainment only. I go to great lengths to credit and provide links to everything posted here that is not my original work. If I choose to feature a specific entity or product it is because I believe strongly in that product and want to share it with my readers. I have never received any type of compensation for text or images posted on this blog and will not do so in the future.
Now that we have that out of the way....thank you very much for participating in the cupcake universe!
Now that we have that out of the way....thank you very much for participating in the cupcake universe!
Sweet Things Cake (logo)
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Baby Sock Cupcakes
I am preparing to make a cupcake tower for a baby shower and came across these baby sock cupcakes. I am going to mix in some sock cupcakes with the real ones!
How to Make a Baby Sock Cupcake
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Be My Valentine...Cupcake
When I opened my email this morning, there was a new catalog from one of my fav-o-rite places to order cupcake decorations and supplies...Fancy Flours . It's never too early to start thinking about Valentine's Day Cupcakes!
sugar hearts
Heart wrappers
cake stand wrapper
Bee Mine picks
Lips cupcake picks
conversation heart cupcake picks
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Alice in Cakeland
This afternoon I watched a preview of the upcoming Johnny Depp movie Alice in Wonderland. Shortly after that I saw a link to Alice in Cakeland - a bakery in The Netherlands. The owner is Rebecca Treherne, an American who now lives in Rotterdam with her Dutch husband. The bakery is also on Twitter & Facebook.
Her bakery offers American-style cupcakes in regular, mini & designer (create your own). The flavors are named after Alice in Wonderland characters and look yummy!
Her bakery offers American-style cupcakes in regular, mini & designer (create your own). The flavors are named after Alice in Wonderland characters and look yummy!
Cheshire Chocolate
Mad Berry
Tweedle-Dee-Nilla
White Chocolate Rabbit
wedding cupcake tower
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Recipe of the Week - Lemon Blossoms
Week 28
This is my absolute favorite Paula Deen recipe - Lemon Blossoms. Mini cupcakes so lemon-y they will make your mouth pucker. Make a double batch because they will disappear fast!
Lemon Blossoms
18 1/2-ounce package yellow cake mix
3 1/2-ounce package instant lemon pudding mix
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil (at 7000 ft. I decrease the oil to 1/2 cup)
Glaze:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray miniature cupcake tins with vegetable oil cooking spray. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil and blend well with an electric mixer until smooth - about 2 minutes. Bake for 12 minutes. Turn out onto a tea towel.
To make the glaze, sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, zest, oil, and 3 tablespoons water. Mix until smooth.
Using your fingers, dip the cupcakes into the glaze while they're still warm, covering as much of the cake as possible, or spoon the glaze over the warm cupcakes, turning them to completely coat. Place on wire racks with waxed paper underneath to catch any drips. Let the glaze set thoroughly, about 1 hour, before storing in containers with tight-fitting lids.
This is my absolute favorite Paula Deen recipe - Lemon Blossoms. Mini cupcakes so lemon-y they will make your mouth pucker. Make a double batch because they will disappear fast!
Lemon Blossoms
18 1/2-ounce package yellow cake mix
3 1/2-ounce package instant lemon pudding mix
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil (at 7000 ft. I decrease the oil to 1/2 cup)
Glaze:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray miniature cupcake tins with vegetable oil cooking spray. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil and blend well with an electric mixer until smooth - about 2 minutes. Bake for 12 minutes. Turn out onto a tea towel.
To make the glaze, sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, zest, oil, and 3 tablespoons water. Mix until smooth.
Using your fingers, dip the cupcakes into the glaze while they're still warm, covering as much of the cake as possible, or spoon the glaze over the warm cupcakes, turning them to completely coat. Place on wire racks with waxed paper underneath to catch any drips. Let the glaze set thoroughly, about 1 hour, before storing in containers with tight-fitting lids.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Vampire Cupcakes
My friends Kristi & Caryn are huge fans of the Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse books. I know I am the only person on the face of the earth that hasn't read any of the Twilight series and I haven't seen see the movies either...but I have downloaded these books to my Kindle. I promise to get started.
Are there vampire cupcakes out there? Yes!
Photo via Kitchen Kapers blog
Photo via Zen Cupcake blog
Friday, January 22, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
(Cupcake) Pants on the Ground
Pants on the Ground by General Larry Platt has taken the country by storm! After appearing on American Idol last week, Larry has been featured on viral video, TV and a possible record deal is in the works.
Maybe Larry can write a second verse that says "cupcake pants on the ground..."
Maybe Larry can write a second verse that says "cupcake pants on the ground..."
Life is Good pants
Cupcake Furniture by Jellio
Jellio has fun cupcake furniture...and more!
this giant cupcake can be a seat or ottoman
$900
cupcake tables with glass tops come in lots of colors
$750
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Let it Snow (more)...Let it Snow (more)...Let it Snow (more)!
It is snowing like crazy this week at Lake Tahoe (10-12 feet by the weekend) so I could not resist more snowflake cupcakes!
Snowflake cookies from Rolling Pin Productions