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.

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 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.

Spooktacular Halloween Cupcakes

How fun is Halloween. This year, I would like to

share the step by step instructions to create

Fun and Spooky  Key Lime Cupcakes!

You will need:

2 dozen of your favorite cupcakes, baked and iced

( I used Rhonda's Pink Lemonade Cupcakes,

substituting Limeade for the Lemonade concentrate along with green food coloring

and iced the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.)

Airbrush

Americolors Airbrush colors

Avocado, Violet, Orange

White and Black Confectioner's Melts

Plastic Piping Bags

1-1/2" Egg Molds

White and Black Candy Clay*

1" and 3" circle cutters

#8,#4 Piping Tips

PME Wheel Cutter

* Candy Clay Recipe

I used a half recipe and have some left over.

(Be sure to Check out A&H CakeDesign for

Americolors, PME tools and Ateco Cutters.)

 Melt 1/2 cup white confectioner's melts. Pour into a plastic piping bag and

cut off tip. On Parchemnt paper, pipe 8 lines intersecting in the center, as shown above.

Connect the lines, creating a "spider web".  You will need two dozen webs.

Make extra to allow for breakage. These are easier to handle if piped in heavier lines.

Allow to set and carefully lift off parchment paper with a thin spatula.

 With remaining white chocolate, fill 8 egg cups.

Allow to harden then pop out of mold and set aside.

Wash and dry chocolate mold.

Melt 1/2 cup black confectioners melts and fill 16 cups.

Allow to harden and set aside.

 Roll out white candy clay on surface dusted with confectioner's sugar.

Using 3" circle cutter, cut 8 circles.

 Stand white egg on end and drape the 3" circle over it, creating

a ghost's body.

 Set aside and allow to firm.

 Using the black candy clay, roll out between sheets of wax paper
Cut a 1-1/2" wingspan using the PME wheel cutter.
Make 8 batwings

These do not need to be perfect. In fact the presentation

is much cuter if they all are a bit different.

Place 8 eggs, narrow end up, over the wings and allow to firm.

They should attach to the chocolate, but if they are difficult, you

can use melted chocolate to attach.

Using the 1" circle cutter, cut 8 circles.

Using the large end of your piping tube, cut 8 circles.

Score the wings, as shown above. ( Please forgive the blurry photo!)

Then cut down the center, creating a set of wings.

Place on the sides of  8 black egg, narrow end down.

Set aside.

Using the large end of your piping tube, cut a curve from both

sides of the 1/2" circles.

Cut in half, as shown, using the PME wheel cutter.

These will serve as ears to the bats and owls.

Set the ears in place.

Roll out white and black

candy clay somewhat thin.

Using the end of the #8 piping tube

Cut 16 circles for the owls eyes.

Then cut 16 pupils using the end of the #4 piping

tube as your cutter.

Place the black pupils on the white eyes

and set in place on the top side of the owl.

Cut 8 more circles using the #8 piping tube as the cutter.

Cut evenly in half and place, as shown, to create eyes for the bat.

Cut 16 Black circles using the #8 piping tube.

Set in place on ghost, as shown.

Spray 8 each of the cupcakes in purple, orange and green.

Carefully place the spider webs in place. Expect breakage.

Then set the owl, ghostie, and bat on top of the cupcakes.

Now go PARTAY!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Tutorial and Photography by Jacque Benson

All Rights Reserved 2010

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

Caramel Brulee Cupcakes

These turned out so yummy!!!  I took them to a business function and everyone was taking extra home with them!

Start out with any basic white cake recipe, either from scratch or mix, substituting Coffee-Mate Creme Brulee liquid for the liquid in your recipe.

 

When your cupcakes are cool,  cut a hole in the middle of the cupcake with a sharp paring knife, cutting at an angle.  

  

Remove the plug. 

  

I filled the cupcakes with Nestle's La Lechera Dulce de Leche caramel. ( I love that stuff!)

  

Then replace the plug and squish down to even out the top 

  

 I made my icing with half butter and half shortening, some vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and of course powdered sugar.  For the liquid, I used the Creme Brule coffee creamer again, heating it up until very warm, but not boiling.  I don't have exact measurements because I didn't measure!  Sorry!!  I just mix it until it's light and fluffy!! 

 

I added the icing swirl and drizzled with caramel ice cream topping.

How to Make a Giant Cupcake

This is the Wilton's Giant Cupcake pan. It's really easy to do and wasn't complicated like I thought it would be. I did do a few changes as how much to put in the top part of the pan (3 cups instead of 4 1/2 cups).



This is the cake recipe that I used:




Preheat oven to 325 degrees.


I Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Cake mix (or any flavor)
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 small box Devil's Food instant pudding (or one that will compliment your cake flavor)
pinch of salt

Mix dry ingredients well. In another bowl, mix:
4 jumbo eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup butter, melted

Mix for 30 seconds and then for 2 minutes on medium speed. Put 3 cups batter in top section. 4 cups in bottom section or just to a little over half full

Bake for 45 - 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Frost and decorate as desired!!


For this cupcake, I used the chocolate icing recipe that comes on the can of Hershey's Cocoa. It's really yummy! Icing was put on before the top layer was added. Then I used a cream cheese icing and used a 1M tip to swirl it on. The decorations are made of fondant flower cutouts.







Author--Rhonda Christensen. 2009---all rights reserved.

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


***And a handy tip from Mame ***

One thing I tell my students who may have hot hands...and/or also tend to trim their pastry bags too much [where a coupler slips right through] --

Instead of throwing those bags away, place it over another bag that has the coupler fitted right -It acts like a double insulation!