Mini Party Cupcakes

Miniature Party Bites!

I love these miniature little cupcakes for several reasons:

1) They are so darn easy  to make!!

2) They look beautiful and require little to no decorating skills

3) They add the perfect amount of “pazzaz” to any birthday party!

So let’s get started! For these cupcake you will need a miniature cupcake pan and miniature cupcake liners.

I chose to make a vanilla butter cake as my base – you can use whatever yummy recipe you feel comfortable with.

Vanilla Butter Cake:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. In measuring cup, mix milk and vanilla.
3. In large bowl, with mixer at medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat just until smooth, scraping the bowl occasionally with a  spatula.
4. Pour batter into cupcake liners (I usually fill them close to the top of the liner that way they puff up nicely) and bake for about 18-20 minutes.
5. Let cool completely before frosting the cupcakes.

 

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: 

• 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tbs of heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 tsp of lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp of orange juice
• Rainbow colored sanding sugar

1. With an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter. Mix on low until well blended.
2. Continue mixer on medium for another two minutes. 
3. Add vanilla and whipping cream, beating on medium for another minute.
4. Now here’s my secret…I add a little bit of lemon and orange juice to this frosting. This gives it a hint of fruity flavor that makes the mini cupcake even more fun! Kids love it too! Omit this step if you want a pure vanilla buttercream
5. Frosting should be light and fluffy.

Fill a piping bag with your frosting. Cut the tip off so there is a small hole. Pipe the frosting onto each cupcake – leaving only a dollop of frosting on each – do not worry about spreading out or piping in a design.

Pour your multi-colored sanding sugar onto a plate.

Dip each frosted cupcake into the sprinkles – smashing the frosting down around the top of the cupcake.

And there you have it – gorgeous, colorful, and delicious cupcakes that were super easy to make!! You’re cupcakes are going to be a hit at any party you bring them too. I just know it!

Stay sweet xoxo

Stay Calm Cupcake!

** Follow me on Twitter @ StayCalmCupcake – I only need 27 more followers and I will give away 2 free cupcake kits!! **

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Sugar and Spice and Oh So Nice!!

Pumpkin Spice is a close second to Chocolate Mint when it comes to my favorite holiday flavors. I had some free time this weekend so I decided to experiment with a pumpkin spice cupcake/muffin recipe. I can’t lie – I ate 3 before I even frosted them!

The great thing about Pumpkin is that anything you bake with it comes out so moist! That means, its perfect for cupcake making! Below is the recipe I used for really yummy Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes. I don’t know what I loved more, the honey cinnamon icing or the moist cake!  If you leave the icing off though, they are more like muffins, perfect for breakfast on the go. With or without frosting, these baby’s are YUMMY!!

Enjoy, xoxo

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes - Without Frosting

Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

(Adapted a smidgen from Martha Stewart’s recipe.)

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
• 1 tsp. cinnamon (I went a little over and liked it!)
• 2.5 tbsp. honey
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1-2 tbsp. milk

1. Cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Takes about 2 minutes on Medium High.
2. Add the honey and cinnamon, and gradually add the powdered sugar one cup at a time.
3. Add the milk and more powdered sugar (if needed) until you get your desired consistency.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2-1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin pie filling (this is KEY – we want Libby’s pumpkin pie filling, not the regular canned pumpkin)
• 2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin and mix well.

Combine the flour, pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda – Add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes (or wait 2 minutes and eat one anyway, because honestly they smell far too good to resist!)

Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo with frosting on the cupcake. I forgot!!

The Perfect Mint Buttercream!

Mint-Chocolate Cupcake

I am happy to announce that I perfected my Mint Buttercream recipe. After looking through what seemed like 100’s of online recipes, I found a few I liked and combined them. The result you ask? A really yummy, “I’d put this on anything and eat it” kind of frosting.

Needless to say, I made a batch of Mint-Chocolate cupcakes, ate one, and got them out of the house!!

Mint Chocolate cupcakes are perfect for the Holidays. Enjoy this recipe and make sure you share with others 🙂 Stay sweet xoxo

 

Mint-Chocolate Buttercream

 

Happy Holidays!

 

Ingredients

• 3 sticks of room temperature butter (it’s very important they are room temp)
• 3 cups of powdered sugar (no need to sift)
• 1 tbs of cream of tartar
• 6 tbs of Half and Half
• 1/2 cup of thawed cool whip
• 1/4 tsp mint extract (use a little more depending on how “minty” you want it)
• 2 drops of green food coloring
• Andes mint candies

Directions:

1. Beat the butter in your mixer until very creamy. You will need to scrape the bowl several times
2. Adding one cup of powdered sugar at a time, mix in with the butter.
3. Add the half and half and mint extract. Beat on medium speed for 5 minutes (be patient!)
4. Add the cream of tartar, food color and cool whip.
5. Mix on medium high for another 5 minutes.

**Frosting will be very thick, but it’s supposed to be 🙂 **

These cupcakes are now available on my Etsy shop. Eight (8) cupcakes for $12, plus an extra treat because you read my blog! www.etsy.com/shop/staycalmcupcake  xoxo

Cupcake Cookies

HAPPY FRIDAY!

I don’t know about you, but I am soooo glad it is Friday! What a week! Today’s recipe is admittedly, not a cupcake, but just as delicious and fun to bake. Not too mention these cupcake cookies go perfect with a cup of hot chocolate.

Also, don’t forget to enter the Stay Calm Cupcake Kit Give-Away! Enter today, you still have time. I have gotten lots of great entries, but not nearly enough. Two winners will be chosen on Monday, Nov. 8th. Good luck!!   https://fontgirl.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/619/

All blog subscribers get $5 off any cupcake purchase over at my etsy shophttp://www.etsy.com/shop/StayCalmCupcake It’s a great deal but it ends soon.  Use code sccs10

And now for the Cupcake Cookie Recipe!!

Cupcake Cookies!

Cookie Dough:

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Toppings:

• 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of cinnamon

Raw cookie dough ball rolled in chocolate chips and sugar mixture.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Beat together butter and sugar on low speed of mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in vanill and egg. Mix thoroughly.
3. Stir in flour and baking soda.
4. Using a small cookie scoop or two spoons, shape dough into balls.
5. Mix the white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small separate bowl.
6. Drop dough  balls one by one in the sugar mixture. Make sure the dough ball is entirely covered with sugar.
7. Place a dough ball in a “tart liner” (I’m not sure what they are called, they look just like cupcake liners but aren’t as tall. You can tell from the picture what they are) and place chocolate chips on top. I used about 7 chips per dough ball.
8. Bake for 9-11 minutes, just until cookies have set. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.
9. Bake at 375°F oven for 7-8 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden brown.
10. Tips: Do not over bake cookies; watch closely near the end of baking time.
11. Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies, depending on size.

Have a Great Weekend! xoxo

Strawberry White Chocolate Cupcakes

Hello Readers!

I am so sorry for being absent for over a week. I have been busy traveling for work, baking for birthday parties, and celebrating my boyfriends 25th! No worries, though, I am back…and with a fabulous recipe to share!

Strawberry White Chocolate Cupcakes - Yum!

I made these cupcakes for my cousins birthday this month. These decadent white chocolate cupcakes are topped with a yummy strawberry vanilla swirl frosting and can add the perfect touch of “girly” to any party.

Enjoy the recipe! xoxo

White Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift together the 2 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In small saucepan, melt 6 ounces white chocolate and hot water over low heat. Stir until smooth, and allow to cool to room temperature. You can also melt the chocolate in your microwave for 1 min (in incriments of 30 seconds)
4. In a large bowl, cream 1 cup butter and 1 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition.
5. Stir in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Mix in melted white chocolate and 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
6. Pour batter into cupcake liners and bake for 18-22 minutes. The tops will be slighlty browned.

Strawberry Vanilla Frosting

Vanilla

• 2/3 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Beat 2/3 cup of butter in a bowl until smooth and glossy. Beat in the vanilla, followed by the confectioners’ sugar. Add the cream and  whip on high speed until light and fluffy.

Strawberry Frosting (From MarthaStewart.com)

• 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

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.

For the two-tone frosting effect, I used the same technique from my “Paintball Cupcakes” (https://fontgirl.wordpress.com/2010/09/17/paintball-cupcakes/)

Til next time, Stay Sweet!!

Paintball Cupcakes

Packaged up and ready for delivery!

I recently had a lady order cupcakes for her son’s 14th birthday. She ordered “paintball themed” cupcakes. To be honest, I was a little stumped at first. How on earth was I going to pull off, “paintball” cupcakes ?! I have never been paintballing in my life, not to mention the thought of getting hit by an exploding ball of paint makes me cringe! Luckily, I was able to think of some pretty fun ideas and the overall presentation turned out really great! I decided to color the icing in bold colors and used a frosting trick that allowed me to pipe two colors at once. I think this gave the cupcakes a paintball feel. What do you think?

Two-Tone Frosting

 

To create the two-tone effect, I wrapped the blue icing in plastic wrap and rolled it into a thin tube. I did the same thing for the yellow icing. I then cut the tips of the plastic wrapped frosting “tubes” and put both colors of icing in one piping bag. Voila, two-tone icing!! This trick is really easy and saves from a big mess!!

 I hope the birthday boy liked his cupcakes and had a great birthday!

      Until next time, stay sweet! xo

Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes

Chocolate Caramel Goodness!

Happy Monday readers!

Last night I made Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes – complete with gooey caramel centers, milk chocolate mousse, and rich chocolate cake. The recipe took me longer than I had hoped, and I had to make some adjustments along the way, but I came out with a great cupcake and a flawless recipe. Please enjoy!! I’m warning you though, the milk chocolate mousse is really good…I was tempted to pipe the frosting straight to my mouth and skip the cupcake all together. Don’t worry…I didn’t 😉

 

 

 

Chocolate Caramel Mousse Cupcakes (makes 24)

Ingredients:

Chocolate Caramel Cupcake    

24 Kraft Caramel squares

1 1/2 cup (170 g) all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 pinches salt
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs

Caramel Sauce

10-14 Kraft Caramel Squares

¼ cup of Half and Half

Milk Chocolate Mousse Frosting

1 cup of milk chocolate chips

2 cups of Nestle Toll House Cocoa Powder

1 stick of softened butter

¼ cup of vegetable shortening

1 cup of whipping cream

1 ½ cups of powder sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl.
3. Add milk, vegetable oil and eggs.
4. Mix everything together until smooth, either by hand or by using an electric mixer at slow speed. If the batter is too thin – add a little bit more flour.
5. Pour batter into cupcake liners, making them half full.
6. Bake for 15 minutes
7. Take cupcake from the oven and place a caramel square on the top of each cupcake. Bake for 5 more minutes, until the caramel has melted onto the cupcake.

Before baking the caramels

Mousse

1. Cream together the butter, vegetable shortening, and powdered sugar
2. Slowly add in cocoa powder and whipping cream
3. Beat on medium high speed until soft peaks form
4. In a microwave safe bowl, put your chocolate chips and ½ tbs of butter – Heat on high for 30 seconds. Stir until completely combined and melted.
5. Add melted chocolate mixture to the mixing bowl – mix until well combined

**Note: Do not over mix this frosting, if you do, it will begin to curdle and separate. It takes about 10 minutes for the mixture to form soft peaks and become frosting like **

Caramel Sauce

1. In a saucepan on medium heat, melt the caramel squares with the half and half. Stir continuously or else your caramel will burn.

Pipe your frosting on the cupcake and drizzle with caramel. Now enjoy!!

Double The Fun : Cupcake Toppers

I usuall try to bake something on Tuesday nights. Pat plays on a pool league every tuesday, so I have some time to myself , and what better activity than baking!! Last night I made funfetti cupcakes with buttercream frosting and topped them with the mini- cupcakes from last weeks blog entry (https://fontgirl.wordpress.com/2010/09/02/double-cup-cupcakes/).

They were so much fun to make and turned out great!! I’m already thinking of all the other ways I can use theses cute little toppers!

               

Ice Cream Cupcakes!

Picture by PieceofCake.com - Icecream Cupcakes!

Combine Ice cream, flour, and a few other essential cupcake ingredients, and you have an ICE-CREAM cupcake! Honestly, what more could a girl ask for?? The recipe is so simple yet the idea is so novel that everyone will think you spent hours creating these little masterpieces….that is if you can actually get them out of your house before eating them all! When I came across this great idea, I knew I had to share it!

The recipe comes from one of my favorite blogs, Piece of Cake (http://pieceofcakeblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/ice-cream-muffins.html)

Ice Cream Cupcakes

The better quality ice cream you choose, the better your results here. Note that this recipe calls for self-rising flour–it will not work with any other flour. I imagine other flavors of ice cream can be substituted. These can have a crazy rise, so keep the muffin cups only about 1/2 full of batter.

Makes 12

2 cups premium vanilla ice cream, very soft
2 cups self-rising flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the ice cream and flour until smooth. Beat in the egg, oil and vanilla until well-blended. Divide the batter equally among the muffin tins, each about 1/2 full. Bake until the muffins are risen, lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

PieceofCake.com did not give a recipe or any ideas for the frosting, but I would suggest the following:

• Strawberry Buttercream (http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=589734)
• A dollop of CoolWhip – Sprinkled with chocolate jimmies, of course!
• Chocolate Mousse (https://fontgirl.wordpress.com/2010/07/20/chocolate-mousse/)

 

Enjoy the recipe! And come back later for a Back to School recipe for Caramel Apple Cupcakes!

Till next time, stay sweet. xoxo

Mini Coconut Lime Cupcakes

This wonderful recipe landed in my inbox and absolutely made my day  today! If I didn’t already have plans tonight, I would head home after work and bake these immediatly! Tomorrow is Saturday though, so you can bet I will be baking up these little lime goodies! Enjoy the recipe – let me know how they turn out 🙂

Coconut Lime Cupcake – Mini Version!

Makes approx 48 mini’s and one dozen (12) regular size cupcakes

Cupcakes:

 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

 2 cups sugar

Zest of one lime

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

 1 ½ tps baking soda

 1 ½ tsp salt

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla

¾ cup milk

The juice of one lime

¾ cup Toasted Coconut + 2 cups for garnish

 Lime mini wedges

Green food coloring

1. Preheat oven to BROIL. 
2. Line cupcake pans with liners.
3. On an ungreased cookie sheet, lay coconut spread out on sheet.  Put in the oven and broil until about 1/5 of the coconut has browned.  Move around the coconut after 30 seconds to get more even browning. Watch carefully and DO NOT OVER TOAST!!!!! It should only take a minute or two. Set aside to cool.
4. Turn oven down to 300 degrees.
5. Measure sugar into a medium bowl.
6. Prepare the sugar by working the lime zest into sugar by pressing the back of a spatula down into sugar, thus releasing the oils from the zest into the sugar.  This process should take about five minutes, and the sugar will become very fragrant.  
7. Cream the butter for 2-3 minutes using electric mixer and the paddle attachment.  Add the sugar to the butter mixture and continue creaming until fluffy.
8. While butter/sugar are creaming, in another bowl sift together flour, salt baking soda and baking powder and set aside. Sift at least twice to ensure all ingredients are combined.
9. Add eggs one at a time to butter and sugar, mixing thoroughly after each egg.
10. In a measuring cup that pours, mix together the milk, lime juice and vanilla. 
11. SLOWLY alternate adding the flour and milk mixture to the butter/sugar.  Begin and end with the flour and make sure to mix very well after each addition. Do not over mix.
12. Fold in the toasted coconut.
13. Add 6-10 drops of green food coloring and fold in until you get the desired green color you want.
14. Fill liners 1/2 full with batter.  DO NOT OVER FILL!!!
15. For Minis: Bake for 8 minutes and rotate pan 180 degrees in oven. Bake another 2-3 minutes.
16. For Regular: Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes and rotate pan 180 degrees in oven.  Bake another 3-5 minutes.
17. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to completely cool.

Lime Buttercream:  

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

 2 lbs (approx 6 cups) powdered sugar

 1/4 -1/2 cup milk

 Zest of a lime

 Juice of a lime

1 tbsp light corn syrup

Mini lime wedges 

1. In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter.
2. One cup at a time, add the powdered sugar.  Between each cup, add a splash of milk.   Mix until smooth & scrape down the sides after each addition
3. Before the last cup of sugar, add the zest and juice of the lime.  Mix until smooth.
4. Add the corn syrup.
5. Add any remaining milk until you get the texture and consistency you want. 
6. Mix on high for 4-5 minutes.

To Assemble:

1. Pipe a dollop of buttercream on the cupcake.
2. Dunk the cupcake upside down in the toasted coconut.
3. Top with a small lime wedge. 

This recipe was created by Betsy Eves, author  of the blog JavaCupcake.com! Thanks Betsy for the fantastic recipe!!