Cherry Passion Fruit Frosting

Happy Monday! Is everyone surviving so far? Ok good! Today I want to talk frosting! Creamy, sweet, slightly tart, perfectly whipped, frosting!

I’ve been playing around with a lot of new flavors lately and have absolutely fallen in love with the tartness of a fresh cherry complimenting the sweetness of a chocolate cupcake. I decided to add some passion fruit to the mixture, and I am happy to tell you, it is hands down one of the best frostings I have ever made! I used a concentrate from “The Perfect Puree of Napa Valley” and was so happy with how well the passion fruit flavor came through in my frosting. The Perfect Puree of Napa Valley, a company based in California, specializes in all natural fruit and vegetable purees, concentrates, and drink mixes. Through a partnership with CraveLocal, I was able to get some samples from Perfect Puree and was more than pleased with each one of them! I received Blood Orange, Carmelized Pineapple, White Peach, and Passion Fruit. Each delicious concentrate is  just waiting for me to use it in a new recipes! My favorite thing about the concentrate is that I only have to use a small amount, so it doesn’t ruin my frosting consistency at all. I also love knowing that these are all natural ingredients. Nothing better than 100% natural flavor for your cupcakes!

Cherry Passion Fruit Frosting by Stay Calm Cupcake

This Cherry Passion Fruit Frosting is perfect for summer and reminds me why I love to use fresh, seasonal ingredients when I bake. I think you’ll find that it adds just the right about of “pazzaz” to take your next summer dessert to the next level.

Let’s get started!

Cherry Passion Fruit Frosting

• 15-20 fresh cherries. The darker, the better. Do not use frozen!
• ½ cup of cranberry juice
• 1 tbs of water
• 1 tbs of cornstarch
• ½ cup of sugar
• 1 tbs of Passion Fruit concentrate by “The Perfect Puree of Napa Valley”
• 2 sticks of unsalted, room temp butter
• 4 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
• ½ tsp of pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Remove all the seeds from your cherries
2. Dice your cherries into medium sized pieces
3. In a medium sized sauce pan, combine your cherries, cranberry juice, and sugar.
4. Cook your cherry mixture on medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Make sure you are stirring and “mashing” your cherries so the juice comes out.
5. Combine your water and cornstarch until a milky consistency is achieved
6. Add your cornstarch mixture to the sauce pan and mix well
7. Remove from heat and let cool completely
8. While your cherry mixture is cooling, cream your butter in a mixer on medium high-speed for 1-2 minutes.
9. Once your butter is light and fluffy, add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing well between each addition.
10. Add the Passion Fruit concentrate at the same time as the last ½ cup of powdered sugar
11. Add your vanilla
12. Once your cherry mixture is 100% cooled, add it to your frosting — I suggest using about 3 tbs. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute. (Save the rest or use as a filling for your cupcakes!)

This frosting is delicious on dark chocolate cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, and believe it or not, coconut cupcakes! Enjoy the recipe and let me know if you have any questions about using The Perfect Puree of Napa Valley.

Have a great week! Stay Sweet!

xoxo,

Jill

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

So here it is friends, the long awaited and much requested Key Lime Pie Cupcake recipe! Just in time for all of the  green festivities that St. Patrick’s Day brings us next month.

This tart and tangy, sweet and sassy cupcake certainly packs a punch. It is a guaranteed hit with anyone who loves Key Lime Pie as much as I do….which admittedly, is too much! 🙂

Enjoy!

Key Lime Cupcake

Makes 24 Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 6 cups cake flour sifted
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 8 egg whites
• 1 Lime
• 3 tbs of Lime Jello Mix (dry)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Fill Cupcake pan with liners
2. Sift together flour and baking powder. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Set aside.
4. Beat egg whites with hand mixer until stiff, but not dry. Set aside.
5. With your stand mixer at slow speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with milk. Beat well after each addition.
6. Add in 3 tbs of dry Lime Jello mix – mix well to incorporate
7. Beat in 1/3 cup of lime juice
8. Beat in vanilla extract.
9. Gently fold egg whites into batter.
10. Pour batter into prepared pans.
11. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until tops are lightly browned and toothpick comes out clean.

 

Whip Cream Frosting

• 1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups heavy cream

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract in the bowl of your stand mixer. Use the whisk attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth.

While the mixture is still whipping, slowly pour in the heavy cream.

Stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl a couple of times while you continue.

Continue mixing until the frosting can hold a firm peak. Do not over beat though.

Decorations:

• The zest of one lime
• 15 graham crackers, crushed
• Lime green sanding sugar

Once your cupcakes have cooled and your frosting is ready – pipe frosting onto each cupcake. Place the graham cracker crumbles on a plate and roll the edge of the cupcake in the crumbs. Sprinkle each cupcake with lime zest. Finish with a few lime green sugar sprinkles.

There you  have it! Fun, festive, and delicious!!  Until next time, Stay Sweet!

Xo, Jill

Apple Pie Cupcakes!

Alright, I’m back! Sorry for being away for the better half of last month. If a crazy work schedule, endless amounts of late night baking, and an almost consistent stream of delivery orders aren’t good excuses…well then, I don’t have an excuse at all. Hopefully this SWEET recipe for apple pie cupcakes will help you forgive me.

I recently got a mini pie maker (yes, miniature, personal pies! Squee, I was so excited when I saw it on sale. I could not have physically left the store without having it as my own!) Making mini pies got me thinking though. A warm vanilla cupcake stuffed with apple pie filling and topped with cinnamon brown sugar frosting sounds really yummy! And I was right – it is so delicious. Even better – it’s just in time for the holidays!

Apple Pie Cupcake Recipe

Created by: Stay Calm Cupcake

Cupcake Batter

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• Regular or silver cupcake paper liners

** I add 2 tbs of lemon juice to this recipe. You can’t taste the lemon in the cupcake; it just improves the vanilla flavor. Make sure to not put more than 2 tbs though, or you’ll end up with lemon cake instead of vanilla 😉

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a mixer with a whip attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to cream. Gradually add the vanilla and eggs and mix in well. Sift together the dry ingredients; then mix into the butter mixture alternating with the milk. Pour batter into cupcake paper-lined muffin tins filling them 3/4 full.
3. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
4. At the 10 minute mark, take your cupcakes out and spoon in some apple pie filling (directions below) to the center of each cupcake. I used 1 tbs for each cupcake and it turned out great.
5. Put back in the oven and continue baking for 12-15 minutes

Apple Pie Filling

• 4 Golden Apples
• ¼ cup of flour
• 1 cup of powdered suagr
• 4 tbs of apple juice
• ¼ cup of sugar
• 3 tsp of cinnamon
• ½ stick of butter

1. Peel your apples and dice them into small cubes.
2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl combine your apple juice, flour, sugar and cinnamon
3. Cube your butter and add it to the mixture in the bowl
4. Add you apple chunks and mix well
5. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 10 minutes – stirring halfway through
6. Place in the fridge to cool

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting

• 1 stick of unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 stick of salted butter (softened)
• 4 cups of powdered sugar (sifted)
• 3 tbs of half and half
• 1 tbs of vanilla
• 2 tbs of cinnamon
• 2 tbs of light brown sugar

1. In your stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium high until it turns white and fluffy (about 5 minutes)
2. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time- mixing on medium speed
3. Add the half and half and the vanilla – mix well for 2 minutes or until well combined
4. Add the cinnamon and mix well. Add more if the flavor is not as strong as you prefer
5. If you want thicker buttercream – add more powdered sugar.

There you have it. Frost your delicious apple pie cupcakes – top with some extra cinnamon if you want – and enjoy! These are going to be a definite addition to my thanksgiving dessert table.

Stay Sweet! xoxo

Candy Apple Cupcakes

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a great weekend filled with yummy sweets and lots of relaxing. My weekend was packed with lots of baking, birthday parties, and puppy love. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you will know that I recently got a new pup. His name is Hugo and he is such a love. I’m a new dog mom, so if any of you have advice, don’t be shy. Fill me in!

Let’s get to the sweet stuff though. I’ve been busy in the kitchen getting ready to launch all of my fall flavors on my Etsy shop. In doing so, I have come up with some awesome recipes that are sure to be huge hits at your office parties, family dinners, holiday get-togethers, and more.

I really love the flavor combination that a candy apple provides. With the start of school, it seemed like the perfect time to make candy apple cupcakes. A little sweet, a little tart, a lot of yummy! Almost a year ago, a friend of mine sent me a recipe for Caramel Apple Cupcakes. This recipes is very similar, but with a twist in the frosting.

Enjoy the recipe. Xoxo

Candy Apple Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 large eggs

1 Tbs of lemon juice
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup applesauce
1 cup shredded or finely chopped, Granny Smith apples

Directions:

1.       Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prep a cupcake pan with liners.

2.       In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

3.       In a mixer, stir the eggs, butter, and applesauce and lemon juice. Mix until combined. Carefully add the dry ingredients.

4.       Peel and slice the apple. Then using a grater, grate the apple into fine shreds, like cheese. You can also chop it finely which works just as well. Now stir the shredded apples into the batter mixture.

5.       Bake for 15-20 mins, I find that 18 minutes works best. You don’t want the inside of the cupcake to be mushy.

Photo from Just Jenn Recipes

Candy Flavored Frosting

I used a vanilla frosting base and drizzle red candy syrup over the top. I have seen people forgo the frosting and just dip the cupcake into the candy syrup (photo below). Either way will work and either way will be delicious!

For the frosting:

2 sticks of butter (unsalted)
1/2 cup butter (salted)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1tsp cinnamon
1Tbs of Apple Juice
½ Tbs of lemon juice

1.      In a mixer, beat 2 sticks of butter until light and fluffy. Add in 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix for 1 minute. Let sit

2.      In a saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar. When they are melted and bubbly, add the milk. Carefully raise the heat and bring the mixture to a quick boil. Careful – you don’t want to burn it. Once it foams up and turns that lovely caramel color, take it off the heat immediately.

3.      Remove pan from heat and stir in the remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar and vanilla, cinnamon and both apple and lemon juice, mixing until frosting is smooth.

4.      Let cool completely

5.      Once cool, slowly pour into your mixer and combine with the butter and sugar you previously prepared. Mix until light and fluffy. If your frosting is to thin, add more powdered sugar.

Mini Cupcakes dipped in Candy Apple Topping. Photo by HonestFare.com

Candy Drizzle

• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons red food coloring

1. Bring water, sugar, corn syrup to a boil in a small pot, add food coloring and reduce heat to a simmer. Watch the pot carefully cook it this way for about 20 minutes. After 12 minutes, check the temp using a candy thermometer .You need the candy to reach 310°F                                            (If you don’t have a candy thermometer, use the water test. Drip a few drops of the hot candy into a small bowl of room temp water. When the candy holds its form or makes ribbons, it is done.)
2.  When candy is done, drizzle it over each cupcake. It will harden and make a very delicious topping for y our Candy Apple Cupcakes.

Stay Sweet and have a great week! xoxo

Strawberry Swirl Cake

Strawberry Swirl Cake

Summertime means Strawberries!

This recipe fits into the “semi –homemade” category of my recipe box. But don’t let that trick you, it tastes 100% homemade and delicious! The combination of strawberry, vanilla, and whip cream will have everyone begging for more. I promise!

What you will need:

1. One box of Duncan Hines Vanilla Cake Mix
2. One Box of Duncan Hines Strawberry Cake Mix
3. 6 eggs
4. Vegetable Oil
5. Water
6. 3 Cups of Chopped Strawberries
7. 1/2 Cup of Marshmallow Fluff

Frosting:

1. ½ Block of Cream Cheese
2. 2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter
3. 4 cups of powdered sugar
4. 2 tbs of Strawberry Jello Powder
5. Remaining Strawberry Puree

What your cake should look like before you bake it.

Directions:

• Grease a cake pan (use any size you want. I used a small pan and only used half of the batter. It just depends how much cake you want J)
• Preheat your over to 350 degrees
• Prepare both cake mixes according to directions on the back of the box
• Pour the marshmallow cream and chopped strawberries into a food processor. Process for 1 full minute.
• Pour some of the vanilla batter on the bottom of your pan
• Pour multiple lines of the strawberry cake batter on top of the vanilla batter.
• Add 6 spoonfuls of strawberry mixture on top of the batter. Place the spoonfuls in various places around the pan. You want to use about half of the strawberry puree you previously made.
• With a knife, swirl the batter and strawberry mixture together.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Frosting Directions:

• While yours cake is baking, you can make the frosting.
• In your mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Whip until fluffy.
• Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Mix well
• Add in the remaining strawberry puree
• Add in 2 tbs of Strawberry Jello Powder – Mix well.

Once your cake is cooled, frost the cake, cut and serve. Finish each slice with some whip cream and enjoy!!

Have a sweet Tuesday friends!

xoxo, Jill

Orange Vanilla Cream Cupcakes – Easy!

Orange Cupcakes - Photo by MyBakingAddiction

Happy Monday!

Today I have a special recipe for all of you busy moms who still want to bake delicious cupcakes but don’t have the time to make them 100% from scratch. This recipe is easy, delicious, and still has that homemade taste!

Orange Vanilla Cream Cupcakes

What you’ll need:

• 1 box of Duncan Hines White Cake Mix
• 3 Egg Whites
• 1/3 Cup of Veg Oil
• 1 cup of water
• ¼ cup of orange soda
• ¼ cup of Orange Jello Mix (dry)
• 1 box of   Instant Vanilla Pudding

Directions:

1. Ignore the directions on the box 🙂
2. Combine Cake mix with Egg Whites, Veg Oil, Water and Orange Soda
3. Mix Well
4. Add ¼ cup of Dry orange jello powder
5. Mix well for 2 minutes
6. In a separate bowl, make your instant pudding mix (just follow the directions on the box – all you will need is Milk)
7. Fill your cupcake liners a little over halfway with batter
8. Place 1 TBS of Vanilla Pudding in each cupcake liner (The pudding will bake into the center of the cupcake and create a delicious filling!! Just don’t use more than 1 TBS)
9. Bake at 350 for 18 -20 minutes.
10. Let cool before you frost

I like to finish these off with my traditional buttercream and some white chocolate chips. Yum!

Now who says those aren’t homemade?? Every mom needs a quick cupcake and these are perfect because they are so delicious and kids and adults alike will gobble them up!! Enjoy.

Xoxo, Jill

*This recipe is a Stay Calm Cupcake Original. If you would like to feature this recipe on your blog or website, please contact me at staycalmcupcake@yahoo.com.*

I Need a Cupcake Fix!

Apple Spice and Buttercream

As much as I’m loving being part of the Shop Til You Drop Blog Crawl, I am desperately missing the sweet presence of cupcake on my blog! So I am going to remedy that with a delicious recipe for Apple Spice Muffin Cupcakes. Yum!!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup finely chopped, peeled apple
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups applesauce
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Directions

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add eggs, butter, and applesauce.  Mix for 2 minutes at slow speed.  Scrape bowl.  Mix at medium speed for 1 minute.  Scrape bowl, and stir in chopped apples and walnuts.

Your oven should be preheated to 350 degrees.  spoon cupcake batter into cupcake pans lined with paper or foil cupcake liners.

Bake your cupcakes for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Top with Buttercream Frosting and Enjoy!

Pineapple Whip Frosting

Delcious box of treats!

I have yet to find a better summer time frosting than this Pineapple Whip frosting! It is perfect on-top of angel food cake, white cake, lemon cake, strawberry cake, vanilla cake – and pretty much anything else you want to put it on! Best part…it is so easy! Who wants to spend all summer in the kitchen? Not me! That’s why this is my favorite, “go-to” frosting recipe for those hot summer days!

Pineapple Whip Ingredients:

• 1 tub of Cool Whip – thawed
• 1 small can of crushed pineapple – partially drained
• 1 box of instant vanilla pudding

Directions:

In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together the entire tub of cool whip and the package of dry vanilla pudding mix. Drain the juice from the crushed pineapple – do not drain completely though, you will want to keep 3 to 4 tbs of juice. Gradually add in spoonfuls of crushed pineapple, mix with spatula until fully combined. Let chill in fridge for 15 minutes.

There it is – only 3 ingredients and about 5 minutes later – you have a delicious topping for your summer cupcakes. I like to add a slice of strawberry to each cupcake – the pineapple and strawberry flavors compliment each other well!  Enjoy!

Til next time, Stay Sweet!

Xoxo, Jill

Key Lime Frosting and a Giveaway Winner!

Happy March 1^st lovelies!! You know what that means…I can finally start talking about St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve got some really yummy, festive, and fun recipes to share with you guys and I just can’t wait!

First things first though – let’s announce the winner of my Delightful Designs Giveaway!

Drum Roll Please…….

The Winner is SuckersbySteph! Congrats – I will email you today the details of your prize!

Now, on to a very green frosting recipe! I love this Key Lime Frosting and it’s perfect color to celebrate the luck of the Irish!!

What you will need:

• 1/2  cup  butter, softened
• (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, divided
• 1/3  cup  milk
• 1 key lime

Directions:

• Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended.
• Add milk, beating until blended. Gradually add remaining powdered sugar, beating until blended. Stir in 2 tbs grated lime rind and 3 tbs of lime juice.

Perfect for frosting Vanilla, Coconut, Strawberry, or Lemon Cupcakes!

Enjoy xoxo

Jill

Fresh Berry Frosting

25 days til Valentine's Day !

Can you believe it is already the end of January?!? I do not enjoy how fast time is flying. Seems the older I get, the more I find myself questioning where the heck the time went!! It doesn’t help that many stores had Valentine’s decorations and candy on sale before Christmas was even over. I LOVE Valentine’s day – but they started pushing it a little early this year!

Speaking of , there are officially 25 days left until Valentine’s Day. Which means we all still have a decent amount of time to think about what we are going to get that special someone on the day that celebrates love! It also means that for the next 25 days, I have an awesome excuse to bake, decorate, and eat tons of girly pink cupcakes!

Today I want to share some Valentine Inspiration with you. Hopefully this will help you start thinking about the many SWEET ways we can celebrate Valeninte’s Day – starting with fresh Strawberry Frosting!

**The frosting in the pictures is my Strawberry Buttercream. Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of my Fresh Strawberry Frosting. **

Fresh Strawberry Frosting

This yummy strawberry frosting is perfect for any chocolate, vanilla, or lemon cupcake. It is fresh, elegant, and taste amazing! The pink color and the fresh strawberries make it the perfect Valentine’s treat. This frosting is different from my Strawberry Buttercream, but just as easy and just as yummy! 

 Ingredients

1.    4 cups of fresh strawberries (frozen will work just as well, make sure you thaw them though)

2.    1 stick of room temperature butter

3.    8 oz of low-fat cream cheese

4.    ½ tsp of vanilla extract

5.    4 cups of powdered sugar

6.     1 cup of white sugar

7.     2 tbs of water Pink food coloring (optional)

Directions

• In a mixer on medium high speed with your paddle attachment, cream together the butter and cream cheese

• Slowly add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, making sure it is fully combined before adding the next one.

• Add the vanilla and mix on high for 3-5 minutes

• Dice up the strawberries in small cubes, put in a medium sauce pan

• Add 1 cup of white sugar and 2 tbs of water to the strawberries

• With a potato masher, mash the strawberries together with the sugar

• Heat on medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.

• Let cool in the fridge until mixture thickens

• Add the cooled strawberry compote to the mixer and combine with the frosting (make sure your strawberries are completely cooled or you will ruin your frosting) Mix for 2 minutes.

• Add pink food coloring for a pinker frosting (optional)

XOXO

There you have it, yummy strawberry frosting! I like this frosting best on top of a chocolate cupcake- it’s a fun take on chocolate covered strawberries 🙂 After all, who doesn’t love strawberries and chocolate!

Enjoy the recipe and keep an eye out for a Valentine’s Giveaway – coming soon!!!

Xoxo Jill

*All photos are property of Stay Calm, Have a Cupcake. Photos by ABYoung Photography**