Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

 

To make these cupcakes, use any vanilla cake recipe that you wish, replacing the liquid in the recipe with pink lemonade concentrate, undiluted. You can also add a few drops of food coloring if you want it more on the pink side.

For the icing, use:


1 lb. unsalted butter (softened)
2 stick salted butter (softened
1 small pkg. lemon instant pudding mix
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar ( or more to suit your taste)

pink food coloring

In mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter until smooth and silky. Turn speed to low and add the pudding mix. when it is all incorporated, slowly add the cream, a little at a time. When fully incorporated bring speed up to high and beat for 5-7 minutes. Turn speed back down to low and add food coloring and add powdered sugar by tablespoons, tasting along the way. When it is sweet to your taste, beat again at high speed for a good 5 minutes to really break down any graininess that you might get from the powdered sugar. Bring back down to low speed and beat for a while to get rid of air bubbles. this recipe needs to be refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature before decorating or serving.

For this cupcake stand, I just used foamboard and cake dummies I found how to make this cupcake stand from Cake Journal.

Rhonda Christensen
2009
All Rights Reserved
This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Hello Stripes!

I was trying to figure out how to make a Hello Kitty for a grown daughter and not make it too child like.  Not really sure if I accomplished that or not, but this is the result.  I had no fondant, but did have gumpaste and chocolate.

While I was scouring the internet for some ideas, I came across this striping effect for the cake.  Thought I would try it out and I loved it!!!

Here I used a vanilla cake recipe and tinted it pink and a chocolate cake recipe.  My batter was very thick, so I would suggest using something a little more thin.

I used a 1/2 cup measuring cup for this one, but if you want the stripes to be even closer and have a thinner batter, use about 3 tablespoons for each color.  If you are making more than one pan, make sure you do them at the same time so the batter will come out more evenly.

Keep alternating the two different batters until you have the pan half full.

Since this was so thick, I did had to tap it down after each addition.

Here it is just out of the oven.  Well after I took the cake out, it sank!!  I used an eggless recipe and I always have trouble with them!  Sorry, but you still get the idea for the cake.  ;0)

Here is the inside!  Oh man that is a lot of cookies and cream filling!!  lol!!  The effect is totally different then just marbling the batter.  It would be so fun to experiment with different colors and flavors!!

I then iced the cake with buttercream icing.  I let the icing set up for a couple of hours before hand painting stripes using luster dust and alcohol.

Then I had to try out some disco dust for the first time!  Oooo it's so fun, but messy!  Can't wait to use it again!

I have a candy mold that I used for the gem border.  I didn't like the pink color of this chocolate, so I used some magenta petal dust mixed with alcohol and then sprinkled pink disco dust on them.

Each gem was painted and dusted singly. 

I added the gems around the top and bottom border.  I thought it kink of looked more like a drum.  Oh well!  

I also made the Kitty and the "K" out of gumpaste.  The "K" was also sprinkled with disco dust before adding it to the cake.  Small pink isomalt gems were sprinkled on the top.  This was a fun cake to experiment with and the birthday girl and her daughter loved it.

Tutorial by Rhonda Christensen

2011

All Rights Reserved

This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes

This is a super delicious strawberry cupcake recipe that I found from Candice Nelson of Sprinkles Cupcakes.  I was so yummy that my hubby had some for breakfast this morning!!

Ingredients:

Makes 1 dozen.

• 2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
5. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
6. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

Sprinkles Strawberry Icing

Makes enough for 1 dozen cupcakes.

• 1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air.

 Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

Be creative with your icing techniques.  There are no wrong ways of icing a cupcake!

And who says you have to eat a cupcake like....a cupcake?!!  Fresh strawberries, strawberry puree and whipping cream made this look and taste more like an elegant dessert for a sweetheart treat!!

Tutorial and Photography by Rhonda Christensen

2011 All Rights Reserved

This material may not be reproduced without permission from the author.

Easy Flavored Party Popcorn

This is such an easy treat to make for any occasion and there are so many flavor options!

Here is all you need to make Jello Popcorn:

8 cups popped popcorn

1/4 cup butter

3 tablespoons corn syrup or honey

1/2 cup sugar

1 3oz box jello, any flavor (don't use sugar-free)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Line a jelly roll pan with foil and spray lightly with a non-stick spray and set aside.  Place popcorn in a very large mixing bowl.

Place the butter and corn syrup in a sauce pan on medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted.

Add the sugar....

...and jello and stir to combine.

Increase heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat so it just simmers.  Continue simmering for 5 minutes.  The mixture will start out thick and will stay somewhat thick although will become a little more liquid.  

After the sugar mixture cimmers for 5 minutes, immediately pour over the popcorn, being careful to not touch the hot syrup!!  It's very hot!  Mix right away, stirring so that all the popcorn gets well coated.

Spread out the popcorn evenly onto the prepared pan.  Put it in the oven for about 10 minutes.  Some jello flavors have more mix in them then other, so if one flavor is more liquid, it may need another minute or two in the oven.  Remove the pan and let cool.  Break the mixture into pieces and store in an airtight container.  

You could also leave them soft and gooey and you could make them into balls, but if you are going to pack them up for giving it's better if it's been baked to give it that crunch!

Here I have lime, raspberry, orange and lemon flavors. Can't wait to experiment with more flavors!

***

Tutorial and Photography by Rhonda Christensen

All Rights Reserved 2010

This material may not be reproduced without permission from the author.

Easy Turkey Cupcakes

Need a quick Thanksgiving treat?  Here is an easy, but cute cupcake to add to your holiday table.

(I know the pictures aren't that great!!  I really had to do these in a hurry! Sorry!!)

With a #104 petal tip, pipe red icing in a ruffled wave around the outer rim of the cupcake.

With a #104 tip, pipe orange inside of the red icing.

Again with a #104 pipe yellow icing through the middle.

Using a #7 tip and brown or chocolate icing, start at the bottom, middle of the ruffles.  Let the icing build up a little and then move slowly drag your tip up through the middle, stopping before you get to the top edge of the yellow ruffle.  Add a little extra for the head.

With a #3 tip pipe an orange beak, a red waddle and white for the eyes.  With the brown or chocolate icing and a #1 tip, pipe small pupils on the white eye part.

Tutorials and Photos by Rhonda Christensen

2010- all rights reserved

This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

These rich hazelnut shortbread cookies are great with a cup of coffee or a cup of hot cocoa!!

What you will need:

1 cup whole hazelnuts, toasted, divided*

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon double-strength vanilla

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cups Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread)

1 square unsweetened chocolate for baking, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper, allowing 1 inch to extend past the sides; set aside.  Grate 3 tablespoons of the hazelnuts with a rotary grater or finely chop in a food processor.  Place butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl, beat on medium speed of electric hand mixer until creamy.  Gradually add flour and grated hazelnuts.  Mix on low speed until dry ingredients begin to blend with butter mixture.  Increase speed to  medium=high and beat just until mixture forms into a dough.

Distribute dough over the bottom of prepared pan.  Roll using a lightly floured rolling pin to create an even thickness.  Bake 43-45 minutes or until deep golden brown.  Remove pan from oven to a cooling rack.  Coll 10 minutes.  Invert pan onto a cutting board and remove parchment and immediately cut warm shortbread lenghtwise into eight rows and crosswise into sixths to make 48 small rectangles using a very long knife.  Spread rectangles apart slightly and cool completely.

Coarsely chop remaining hazelnuts using a food chopper and place in on a plate or tray.  Place hazelnut spread and chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl.  Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 60-70 seconds or until melted and smooth, stirring after 1 minute.  Dip one end of each shortbread rectangle into chocolate mixture and roll in nuts, coating all sides.  Place on parchment-lined surface to set.  If chocolate mixture begins to thicken, return to microwave 10-15 seconds or just until it thins but is not hot.

Store cooled, finished shortbread in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers for up to one week.

*To toast the hazelnuts, spread over a cookie sheet in a single layer and bake at 350 degrees for 8-16 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and fragrant.

Rhonda Christensen
2010
All Rights Reserved

This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Cake Boards- First layer of Foundation

 

I know that most of you experienced decorators out there now how and why you should cover your cake boards, so this is for the decorators that are just starting out.

I see many cakes that are being used with the cardboard disks that are not covered or are covered in tin foil.  Uncovered boards will get greasy and flimsy.  Foil covered boards will tear when the cake is cut and really doesn't look that attractive.  Here's just one way that I do mine.

I use different board types depending on what I want to do and the look I want to achieve.  I have used the cardboard cake rounds, foam board* (my favorite!), particle board that I have my neighbor cut for me, and the heavy precut rounds or square wood from the hardware store.  But no matter which one I use, they are always covered with contact paper to protect the boards and to keep them from getting yucky.  You can also use Wilton Fancy Foil, plastic wrap, press and seal wrap, but I have found that none of them hold up as well as contact paper.

A little info about using contact paper.....always use the white or the clear contact paper.  Using contact paper with colors or dyes in them can be unsafe.  If you wish to be creative with your cake board, you can always use some kind of fun paper or gift wrap on the board, but always cover it with the clear contact paper.

First, start by measuring how much contact paper you need.  I just place a circle or square on the contact paper and cut it out a few inches larger.

For a round, cut off each corner to make a circle.

Flip it over and with a bench scrapper, smooth out the bubbles that have formed on the top side of the board.

Flip it back over and cut slits with scissors all the way around the board.

 

Starting at one end, start folding the cuts up to the bottom of the board, overlapping them a bit.

Finished board.

This picture shows one half inch foam board and as single cake circle.  I used the thin one for under the cake.  After it was iced, I attach it to the thicker foam board for more stability and this one was used for the base of the cake.

On this one, I used double sided tape to stick the cake to the base cake board.  You can also use the tape runners that are used for scrapbooking.

At this point, you can either put an icing boarder around the base of the cake to hide the board that the cake is sitting on.

I covered the board that this cake is sitting on with Mame's modeling chocolate.

These leaves are also made from modeling chocolate and dusted with luster dust.  The chocolate doesn't pick up the colors as well as fondant or gumpaste would though!

The leaves where used for a top border for the cake.  Pumpkins were also cut out and used.

 

  Now the most important part is to hide the contact paper creases.  Double sided tape was used again around the bottom board.  Then starting in the back of the cake, add some ribbon that will compliment the colors of your decorations. 

 

Make sure you pay attention to the cake boards when you are looking around at cakes.  They usually always have a finished look.

*Foam board can be purchased at most craft stores.  Investing in a hot knife is also very useful, but the foam boards can be cut with a serrated knife.  A hot knife cuts through the board like butter!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are some of the different techniques that I used:

Wall-E's board was 1/2 inch thick foam board covered with 12x12 inch scrapbook paper and then covered with clear contact paper.

This 1 inch wooden board with covered with contact paper, that was covered with fondant and embossed with patchwork cutters.  The pattern was lightly dusted with luster dusts.

Square wooden board covered with contact paper, then fondant.  A mixture of gel paste colors and corn syrup and water was brushed on the surface to give it a watery look.

This board was a heavy wooden board covered with contact paper and fondant.  The lining technique can be found here.





Tutorial and Photography by Rhonda Christensen
All rights reserved- 2010
This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.